The Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO), one of the Woyanne puppets groups in the ruling tribal junta, has intervened to stop a potentially bloody clash between Ethiopian Muslims and Woyanne security forces today in Addis Ababa, according to Ethiopian Review Intelligence Unit sources.
The Woyanne junta had given stern warnings to the Ethiopian Muslims to call off their unity gathering today (Sunday) at Anwar Mosque, but tens of thousands of them defied the warning and started to flock to Merkato in the morning. By late morning, as the Anwar Mosque area in Merkato was flooded with a massive crowed, the thousands of heavily armed Federal police troopers and soldiers from the Agazi special force unit melted away, leaving the Muslims to gather peacefully.
The Woyanne security forces withdrew after several OPDO leaders warned the Woyanne junta that they will not support a crackdown on the Muslims, saying that they will face serious consequences from their constituents in the rural parts of Oromia, a source close to the OPDO leadership told Ethiopian Review Intelligence Unit. Some OPDO militia were prepared to block some roads to Addis Ababa to prevent reinforcement from coming to the Federal Police.
Had the Woyanne security forces tried to stop the Muslim unity gathering today, a violent clash could have erupted. The Muslims were ready to face any thing as they started to head for the Anwar Mosque.
The Ethiopian Muslims scored a major victory against the Woyanne junta today by asserting their right to peacefully assemble.