March 8, 2026
Borkena
Toronto – Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) on Sunday condemned the arrest of an opposition candidate for Addis Ababa City Council.
Mrs. Kuri Assefa, a candidate for Coalition for Ethiopian Unity (CEU), running for Kalit sub-city was arrested on Sunday around 2 p.m. local time in Addis Ababa.
According to EPRP, security forces (unspecified if they were in civilian clothes) told Kuri “You are wanted for interrogation” and “abducted” her. It appears she was arrested around Kaliti area.
The party expressed its conviction that the action on the part of the government is intended to push CEU from the path of Peaceful struggle.
EPRP is a member of CEU, a coalition of five major opposition parties.
The coalition called for an unconditional release of the candidate and said the it will be closely following up Kuri’s condition.
Kuri’s spouse and family are reportedly worried.
The party did not share information as to where she was arrested. Addis Ababa City Police and Ethiopian Federal Police have not remarked about the arrest of the candidate. Ethiopia’s Electoral Board is preparing to undertake the 7th Federal election in June 2026 with pre-election activities like voter registration already underway.
CEU is one of the major contenders in the upcoming election.
Notably, the ruling Abiy Ahmed’s party has arrested elected politicians (from federal and regional parliament) soon after the start of its military operation in the Amhara region of Ethiopia in August 2023. Their immunities were lifted several months after they were thrown to jail.
Apart from some politicians, the prosperity party government has arrested dozens of journalists in the country.
When the now defunct Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) decided to pick Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister in April 2018 following the resignation of Hailemariam Desalgne, there was a pledge to “broaden the democratic space in the country.”
EPRDF itself became history just a year after Abiy took over as Prime MInister when he formed a new party from the same party members and structure ; Prosperity Party.
__
Support Borkena : https://borkena.com/subscribe-borkena/
Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
Borkena Ethiopian News Youtube Channel
To submit Press Release, send submission to info@borkena.com