The search is on for a group of gunmen who shot and killed the manager of a plant owned by Nigeria’s Dangote Industries.
Authorities in Ethiopia say the victim was attacked on Wednesday in the restive Oromiya region while returning to the capital from the factory.
During the unrest, several vehicles belonging to the firm were torched by protesters.
Oromiya, which surrounds the capital Addis Ababa, was plagued by violence for over two years, largely fueled by a sense of political and economic marginalisation among its young population.
Company heads have been in discussions with the region’s authorities to boost employment opportunities.
The plant – Ethiopia’s largest cement producer – was inaugurated in May 2015.
The country remains under a state of emergency imposed in February, a day after prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned. Former army officer Abiy Ahmed has since replaced him.
Since taking over amid the unrest that threatened the ruling coalition’s tight grip, Abiy has vowed “a new political beginning” including more democratic rights.
Thousands have been released since January, including journalists and dissidents who have been jailed for a variety of charges including terrorism.
