Four
protesters died of gunshot wounds suffered in clashes between Ethiopian security forces and activists seeking a new autonomous region for their Sidama ethnic group based in the southern city of Hawassa, hospital authorities said on Friday.
The threat of large-scale violence in Hawassa was largely averted after a Sidama opposition party agreed on Thursday to delay declaring their own region and accept a government offer to hold a
referendum in five months.
Most shops and factories including the city's industrial park stayed closed in protest with some activists still in the streets, although the situation was quieter on Friday, residents told Reuters.