- Title: Germany's Merkel says Ethiopia must allow protests
- Date: 11th October 2016
- Summary: ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MERKEL AND DESSALEGN ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE MERKEL LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER, HAILEMARIAM DESSALEGN, SAYING: "The government is not using extreme force. Wherever there is any un-proportional use of force, or excessive use of forces, we make this groups, be it our security forces, we make it to be accounted for." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS MEDIA FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "In democracy, an opposition, there needs to be a free press, one has to be able to express different opinions. And it is a natural process that when poverty has been at least partly tacked, when people are better educated, then they want to express their expectations for the country. And we should not forget that in Ethiopia, half of the people are young people. They are people with their future ahead of them. It is a very different situation from the one we have in Germany and these people are impatient and want to express themselves, using today's mediums, in social networks and in other ways." WIDE SHOT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 26th October 2016 12:44
- Keywords: Ethiopia Africa Merkel Germany protests
- Location: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
- City: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
- Country: Ethiopia
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00253K9I6F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a visit to the Ethiopian capital on Tuesday (October 11) that protests there must be allowed and the police response should be proportionate.
She also said opposition groups should be included in the political process.
Ethiopia has been hit by a wave of protests over land and political rights for more than a year, in which rights groups and the opposition say police have used excessive force.
The German leader is on the last leg of a three day trip which has also included stops in Mali and Niger. She is seeking investment opportunities which she hopes will help drive economic growth and curb future migration to Europe. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None