An Ethiopian rights group asked the World’s football governing body to ban the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) over xenophobic incidents this past week before a local match at the southern Hawassa city.

Wolayta Committee on Human Rights (WCHR) accused the EFF of being unable to protect ethnic Wolaitas in the southern city from tribal attacks that left over a dozen injured and heavy property damage, according to State media.

The game was between the  Wolaita dicha club and the Debub Police Sports Club (DPSC). The Wolaita Dicha posted on its Facebook page a complaint on the violence and successfully convinced the EFF to change the site of the match from Hawassa to Addis Ababa. Analysts believe such violence is usually supported by local officials who exploit ethnic divisions for their power.

We will keep you updated with the latest developments from the region.

Halgan Media