Ethiopia Airs Voice of Alleged Coup Leader Killed in Crackdown

Ethiopia has released a recording of the state militia commander it says led a failed coup attempt last week in which dozens of people, including five top officials, were killed.

A state militia commanded by Brigadier General Asamnew Tsige attacked government buildings in Bahir Dar, the state capital of Ethiopia’s Amhara region on June 22.

Asamnew, who was killed in a shoot-out on Monday, felt the central government was not doing enough for the Amhara people, who have been embroiled in border disputes with other regions and tit-for-tat killings with other ethnic groups.

The violence on June 22 has been followed by more than 250 arrests, potentially deepening resentment against national authorities in the Horn of Africa nation.

The prime minister’s press office said the recording released on Friday was of a phone conversation between Asamnew and the head of the state-run Amhara Mass Media Agency. Reuters was not able to independently verify its authenticity.