Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement that the plan was “for the sake of Ethiopia’s national unity” and applies to all of Ethiopia’s 11 regions, which have their own armies.
Gunfire was heard in at
least two towns in Ethiopia’s Amhara region as
thousands protested against a federal government order to
integrate regional special forces into the police or national
army, residents have said.
A resident of Gondar, where a large protest was taking place on Sunday, said members of the Amhara special forces had fired their weapons into the sky all night in defiance of the order.
Two residents of the town of Kobo said they heard artillery fire outside the town. It was not immediately clear who was responsible.
There were protests in at least six other towns, residents said, all speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for their safety.
Spokespersons for Ethiopia’s federal government and army and for the Amhara regional government could not be immediately reached for comment.
Members of Amhara’s special forces and allied militias vowed
to oppose Thursday’s order, setting up a standoff with the
government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who said in a statement
that the plan was “for the sake of Ethiopia’s national unity.”
The order applies to all of Ethiopia’s 11 regions, which
have their own regional armies and the right use their own
language, but has been received particularly badly in Amhara,
the second biggest, which has fallen out with Abiy recently.
A media outlet run by the regional government quoted Amhara
President Yilkal Kefale as saying the federal government’s order
was being misunderstood as requiring the disarmament of the
special forces.
In fact it was simply organising regional forces
under federal security institutions, it quoted him as saying.
READ MORE:
Ethiopia to integrate regional forces into ‘centralised’ national army
Tensions rising
Special forces and militias from Amhara fought in support of
the federal army during its two-year war in the neighbouring
Tigray region.
The conflict, which killed tens of thousands,
ended with a truce last November.
But in recent months, Amhara leaders and activists have
accused Abiy’s government of turning a blind eye to atrocities
committed against ethnic Amharas living in the neighbouring
Oromiya region and of planning to hand back territory captured
from Tigray forces during the war.
They say the dissolution of their region’s special forces
would leave them vulnerable to attacks from Tigray and Oromiya.
The government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on these charges.
READ MORE:
Ethiopia names senior TPLF figure as head of Tigray interim govt
Source: Reuters
Plans to disband Amhara forces lead to violent protests in Ethiopia
Source: News Achor Trending
0 Comments