The federal government of Ethiopia on Friday, August 4, declared a state of emergency following an escalation of violence in the northern region of Amhara, north of the capital, Addis Ababa.
According to the Office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the regular law enforcement was no longer able to contain the violence leading to declaration of state of emergency.
“It has become necessary to declare a state of emergency as a situation has emerged where it has become difficult to control this unacceptable movement under current law,” it said in a statement.
The declaration needs approval from Parliament and failed to clarify whether the state of emergency applied nationwide or just to Amhara.
“The threat the activity is imposing on national security and public peace is increasing day by day, causing severe economic damage as well and blaming “armed extremist groups,” the declaration said.
Ethiopia-based Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy on Thursday, August 3 said the state shut down the internet in several parts of Amhara.
Ethiopia Amhara War
The region has experienced instability since April, when federal authorities moved to dismantle regional forces including Amhara, following the end of the devasting two-year war in the neighboring Tigray region.
At the same time, nationalists felt the move would weaken Ethiopia’s second most populous region and retaliated.
However, the government said it wanted to incorporate the local defense forces into the police and the national army, which sparked protests in the region.
On the other hand, the protesters argued that the government’s plan to combine the forces would leave their region vulnerable to attack from other regions.
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Recent Clashes
In recent weeks, clashes between the national army and local fighters in the region have increased.
A deadly fight broke out between the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the Fano militia group earlier in the week.
Both forces had fought alongside federal ones in the Tigray conflict, but now the federal government wants to centralize power.
This has prompted foreign nations to issue travel warnings and suspend flights to popular tourist towns, Lalibela and Gondar in the country.
In 2022, the Ethiopian government also tried to dismantle the informal Amhara militia known as Fano.
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Ethiopia 2021 State of Emergency
In November 2021, Ethiopia declared a state of emergency when rebels from Tigray pressed south toward the Addis Ababa.
The Tigrayans had joined forces with another rebel group to capture Addis Ababa.
In June the same year, the Ethiopian military suffered a major defeat when it was forced to withdraw from Tigray, and several soldiers were taken captive.
