US woman dies in Ethiopia van attack

A US citizen has been killed in Ethiopia amid large anti-government protests.

A van travelling on Addis Ababa’s outskirts was hit by stones “thrown by unknown individuals”, the US embassy in the capital said.

A woman passenger was struck by a stone and died later from her injuries.

A wave of protests have killed hundreds of people in Ethiopia since November 2015, but it is unclear if the American’s death is connected to them.

The Associated Press news agency reported the woman was an “agricultural expert” working in the troubled Oromia region.

It quoted a local official as saying the group had not asked for police protection.

The embassy did not provide additional details about the incident, but the region has been hit by violent protests over the rights of the Oromo ethnic group.

The BBC’s correspondent in Ethiopia, Emmanuel Igunza, said many roads were blocked after protests on Tuesday night, and there is a heavy police presence on the streets.

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Image courtesy of Reuters