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Police shot in the air to disperse protesters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Friday, witnesses said, in a fourth day of clashes between police and anti-government protesters that have killed at least 42 people.

Ethiopia's worst violence in months has fuelled fears about the stability of the Horn of Africa's dominant power, prompting the European Union and African Union to urge restraint.

The latest clashes broke out when a crowd of youths gathered close to the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa tried to pull passengers from a public transport bus.

Witnesses said protesters were targeting public transport because they saw the state-subsidised service as a symbol of authority. There was no immediate word on casualties.

On Thursday police opened fire to disperse anti-government protests in several pockets of unrest across the city, a stronghold of opposition groups which accuse Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of rigging his way back to power at polls in May.

The violence has prompted Britain to warn its citizens against non-essential travel to sub-Saharan Africa's second most populous nation.

"The atmosphere in Ethiopia is not good. I am worried about myself and my family at home," said a government worker who gave his name as Tafara. "We think it could explode anytime."

He said he walked two kilometres to his office as many taxis and buses stayed off the streets littered with rocks, broken glass and the remnants of barricades erected by protesters.

Doctors at several hospitals put the death toll since the start of the clashes at 42. The government said on Wednesday it knew of only 11 protesters and two police officers killed.

Scores of arrests

State-run Ethiopian News Agency reported late on Thursday that seven prisoners were shot dead and 26 wounded trying to escape from Kaliti prison near the capital.

Ethiopians say Kaliti had previously housed people held for politically-related offences, but there was no word on the identity of the reported casualties or whether the incident was linked to the latest disturbances.

Residents and human rights groups say the security crackdown has led to scores of arrests including leading figures from the main opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD).

Meles has repeatedly accused the CUD of inciting the bloodshed, warning that he would not accept any threat to the peace and security of the country's 77 million people.

The violence in Addis Ababa coincided with fresh tension with neighbouring Eritrea, its foe in a 1998-2000 border war.

UN peacekeepers patrolling the disputed Ethiopia-Eritrea frontier warned that recent military moves by both countries had produced a crisis that required urgent attention.

They said on Thursday they were concerned the moves in the past two weeks involving tanks, air defence missiles and troops could make the situation "more dangerous" and lead to a repeat of the conflict.


Source: Reuters