Ethiopia's prime minister resigns to smooth path for political reform

By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn suddenly resigned on Thursday in what he described as a bid to smooth reforms, following years of violent unrest that threatened the ruling party's hold on Africa's second most populous nation. The resignation - unprecedented in Ethiopia's history - followed a wave of strikes this week in towns near the capital and demonstrations successfully demanding the release of more opposition leaders. More than 6,000 political prisoners have been freed since January as the government struggles to placate simmering anger among the two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amharic, who complain they are under-represented in the country's corridors of power.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2Gissqt