APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Ethiopia’s council of ministers Friday declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region amid fighting between the local militia also known as Fano Fighters and the national army.
The declaration comes after the president of the regional government Yilkal Kefale issued a letter asking the federal authorities to “take appropriate measures” in response to intense clashes between local militiamen and the military.
It is not clear why the regional president issued the request this time around since the National Defence Forces of Ethiopia has been deployed since three months ago to disarm the Fano Fighters.
Information reaching APA disclosed thousands of the federal government troops have disarmed and surrendered to the Fano Fighters.
The council announced the emergency, saying attacks by “armed extremist groups” posed an increasing threat to public security and were causing significant economic damage.
The request follows several days of fighting in towns across Amhara, the country’s second-biggest region, between federal forces and the Fano militia.
This week protesters put up roadblocks while Fano militiamen clashed with military units and took control of some towns, paralysing Ethiopia’s second-most populous region and resulting in an unknown number of casualties.
Flights have been cancelled to Gondar and Lalibela, two tourist hotspots, as the UK and the US issued travel warnings advising their nationals in Amhara to shelter in place and not to travel there.
In several Amhara towns, government officials have fled and the internet has been cut. Live ammunition has been used to disperse protesters and artillery was deployed in civilian areas in the town of Kobo.
MG/as/APA