Africa: Two Election Rallies, Two Separate Blasts in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe

As the two populous African countries of Zimbabwe and Ethiopia head to the polls, election rallies are being targeted by rebel groups.

In Ethiopia a second person has died after a grenade attack on a political rally attended by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the capital, Addis Ababa, as authorities arrested police officials and suspects. Health Minister Amir Aman confirmed on Sunday that two people had been killed in the explosion on Saturday and 156 wounded.

PM Abiy had just wrapped up his speech at the capital's Meskel Square before tens of thousands of people on Saturday when the explosion went off. He was quickly escorted away and was uninjured in the attack.

Nine police officials, including the deputy head of the Addis Ababa police commission, have been arrested over alleged security lapses. Thirty other suspects are also being held over alleged involvement in the attack, but no group has claimed responsibility for the blast.

In an address broadcast on state television after the attack, Abiy said the blast was orchestrated by groups who wanted to undermine the rally but did not name them. "The people who did this are anti-peace forces. You need to stop doing this. You weren't successful in the past and you won't be successful in the future."

Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe forty-one people were injured in the blast at a rally in the city of Bulawayo. The blast occurred close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he was leaving the stage. Mnangagwa has vowed the election will be peaceful.

Mnangagwa said Saturday's explosion happened when an object "exploded a few inches away from me - but it is not my time". He said the violence was senseless and appealed for unity.

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa also condemned the attack, saying any political violence was "totally unacceptable".

Mnangagwa is reportedly the favourite to win the upcoming elections, but analysts say he also has enemies - both for overthrowing his former mentor, Robert Mugabe, and for being a previous enforcer of the Mugabe regime.

The vote is the first since Zimbabwe’s long-time President Robert Mugabe was ousted. Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for almost three decades, as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2018 01:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).