Ethiopia’s state of emergency imposed on the Amhara region came to an end on Thursday despite the unrest blamed on armed militants in the area.
The state of emergency was first declared in August 2023 for six months with an aim to “disarm Fano forces” in the region.
Upon failure to achieve them, the federal government – with approval from the parliament which many Ethiopians see as a rubber stamp – extended it by four months in February 2024.
“There are things that the government has to finish to restore peace and security in the region” stated the reason the government claimed upon extending the state of emergency in February 2024.
The national parliament has not extended the state of emergency which ended on Thursday.
Far from being disarmed, Fano forces are more armed than they ever were sources say.
They are active in almost all parts of the Amhara region including in areas that are close to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The number of armed Fano forces alone has shown remarkable growth.
What is missing from Fano is a single organizational structure as four Fano forces are operating under four or more command structures in different parts of the region.
This time around, however, discussions are underway to bring all the Fano structures under a single command.
MG/as/APA