UN chief slams assassinations in Ethiopia amidst regional ‘coup’ attempt

Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 24 (APP): United Nations Secretary-General Antonios Guterres has condemned the assassination of the chief of staff of Ethiopia’s army and killing of a regional governor in what the Ethiopian government has described as a regional coup attempt.

In a statement released on Sunday, he said he was “deeply concerned by the weekend’s deadly incidents”.

The Governor of the restive Amhara National Region, Ambachew Mekonnen, was killed along with an adviser, while in the capital Addis Ababa, another key ally of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Chief of Staff General Seare Mekonnen was shot, along with another senior officer.

Guterres called on “all Ethiopian stakeholders to demonstrate restraint, prevent violence and avoid any action that could undermine the peace and stability of Ethiopia”.