Why democracy doesn't necessarily work for everyone

They are rioting in Addis Ababa, and people are being killed. I know it's nothing compared to what's going on in the Sudan (which by the way, rarely makes the news) but it's tough to hear about anyways. Most of you know what a soft spot I have for Ethiopia, I don't really understand it myself. Anyways, I have a little pen pal there, he doesn't live in the capital, so he should be safe, but I'm still worried about him. The BBC has a good article about what's happening over there, you can check it out here if you wish.