APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Another fighting erupted in northern Ethiopia once again between the federal army and the Amhara Special Forces after Addis Ababa had sent troops to disarm the regional force.
Gunfights between federal army and Amhara regional Special Forces have continued in different cities of the region, resulting in the death of an undisclosed number of soldiers on both sides.
APA has witnessed that ordinary people have come out on the streets in several cities in the zone since Thursday to oppose the planned disarmament of Amhara region special forces who they see as their protectors.
Mobile internet data connection remains disrupted, amid reports the federal government forces are trying to disarm Amhara Special Forces.
It is widely believed among the people of Amhara, the second largest population in the East African nation that the disarmament is aimed at weakening the Amhara security force and giving the disputed Wolkait and Raya areas to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) involved in a two-year civil war which ended with a peace deal reached last November in Pretoria, South Africa.
However, so far Wi-Fi and landline based internet connections as well as normal phone lines seem to be still working across most parts of the Amhara region.
Officials from the Amhara region administration which are part of the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) have been largely silent on the “disarmament of Amhara special forces”.
But, on Friday evening, the Amhara region administration issued a statement claiming a mere “reorganisation of special forces” is happening to channel the special force’s human resources to a more productive mission and make it suitable for regional and national purposes.
Echoing the federal government position, the Amhara regional administration blamed unnamed entities and media outlets for disseminating “confusing and misleading rumors.”
MG/as/APA