Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region after a reported surge of violent clashes between a regional ethnic militia and the military. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday said that attacks by 'armed extremist groups' were posing an increasing threat to public security and causing immense economic damage.
"The threat the activity is imposing on national security and public peace is increasing day by day. Therefore, the council of ministers has to declare a state of emergency in order to fulfil the responsibilities imposed by the constitution," read the declaration by Ahmed's Council of Ministers on Friday, noting that law enforcement was unable to curb the violence.
The state of emergency has to be approved by the Ethiopian government within 15 days otherwise it will be repealed. This marks the first state of emergency declaration since the Tigray conflict in 2021.
According to the Guardian, a disputed plan to absorb regional forces into the national army has flared violence in Amhara, along with attempts to dismantle the Amhara militia called Fano, who played a leading role in the two-year-long civil war with the Tigray region with the help of other regional forces.
The Fano is popular within Amhara but is seen as a threat to the constitutional order by the government. Earlier this week, some militiamen clashed with some military units and captured some towns, while protesters put up roadblocks, resulting in an unknown number of casualties.
Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom have issued travel warnings and advised their citizens to not travel to Gondar and Lalibela. Internet connections have been severed in several Amhara towns and government officials have reportedly fled.
Live ammunition has also been used against protesters and artillery units have been deployed in civilian areas in the Kobo town.
The Amhara regional president last week wrote to the Prime Minister seeking help and saying that the unrest has been causing "serious economic, social and humanitarian damage"
The Tigray conflict in Ethiopia had ended in November 2022 with the signing of a ceasefire, but violence continued in several parts of the country, most notably in Oromia, where a band of insurgents has been fighting against the government for five years.
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