Ethiopia opposition says activist beaten to death

Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:38am GMT

[-] Text [+]

* Opposition says killing was political

* Government routinely denies attacking opponents

By Barry Malone

ADDIS ABABA, April 22 (Reuters) - An Ethiopian opposition activist has been bludgeoned to death with a gun butt in the second politically motivated murder in the run-up to national elections on May 23, an opposition leader said on Thursday.

Bulcha Demeksa, a leader of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), told Reuters the activist, Biyansa Daba, was attacked at home by members of the ruling party.

"Biyansa Daba was beaten on April 7 with the butt of a gun," Bulcha said. "He died in hospital on April 16. He was a very strong up and coming figure."

"Of course it was political," Bulcha said. "They asked him to stop converting people to OFC, they warned him many times. Why else would anyone beat him?"

Government spokesmen were not immediately available to comment but routinely deny that members of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front intimidate the opposition. Continued...

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