ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Protestors have blocked the main road connecting landlocked Ethiopia with neighboring Djibouti, state media outlet Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporate (EBC) reported on Monday.
The ongoing road blockade that started on Sunday has disrupted Ethiopia's export-import trade as well as fuel imports through ports in Djibouti, reported EBC.
The protesters who come from the ethnic Afar community are demanding an end to land encroachment and violent attacks from ethnic Somalis who live not far from the affected area.
Social media postings show the road blockade has also affected the activities of the 756 km Ethiopia-Djibouti electrified rail line, putting further pressure on Ethiopia's economy.
Ethiopia follows an ethnic model, which has been credited with giving self-governance rights to more than 80 ethnic groups that make up the country's estimated 105 million people.
However, critics claim that the model magnifies ethnic diversity at the expense of national unity, leading to occasional ethnic tension and clashes.
