Violence on the streets of Ethiopia’s Oromia region and its capital Addis Ababa has claimed the lives of 166 people.

More than 2000 people were also arrested in the unrest, which started after the shooting death of popular 34-year-old singer Hachalu Hundessa on June 29.

Hundessa was known for his political songs and a prominent voice in anti-government protests that led to Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy’s rise to power in 2018.

He was buried on Thursday in a ceremony shown on national television.

Ethiopians in other countries, including Lebanon, the US and Britain also protested after his death.

In Ethiopia, those killed in the violence since Hundessa’s murder include 145 civilians and 11 security force members in Oromia. Ten more people died in Addis Ababa

Jibril Mohammed, head of the Oromia Security and Peace Bureau, said more deaths might be reported due to the number of injured people being treated in hospitals.

The Ethiopian government has cut the country’s internet to try to quell the violence, and make it more difficult to tally up the death toll.

-with AAP