2023-08-07 09:20:02
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Ethiopian federal government has lost control of some districts and towns to militants in the Amhara region, authorities say, in a new conflict in Africa’s second most populous nation. Residents in the area reported intense shooting and military aircraft flying over some places.
The Ethiopian government last week declared a six-month state of emergency in the region, where clashes and mass protests have intensified over a plan to absorb regional forces into the country’s army. The federal government has sought to centralize security following the end of a devastating two-year conflict in the Tigray region, where regional Amhara militants and forces were key allies of the federal army.
However, Amhara residents who were badly affected by that conflict are now accusing the central government of trying to undermine their region. The authorities reject these accusations, but see the regional fighters as a threat to the constitutional order.
The Ethiopian intelligence chief and official who oversees the state of emergency, Temesgen Tiruneh, acknowledged on Sunday that Amhara irregular forces had seized control of several towns, freed prisoners and taken over government institutions.
“These forces have the desire and goal to dismantle the regional government and then move on to the federal system,” Temesgen said.
Gunshots rang out Monday morning in the towns of Gondar, Lalibela, Debre Birhan and the regional capital, Bahir Dar, residents told The Associated Press, and the region’s main roads were closed.
“Debre Birhan is like a battlefield. There is an exchange of fire every minute,” said an official in the town, which is on a major highway 135 kilometers (83 miles) from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Like others, he spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The informal Amhara militia known as Fano now controls Gondar and Lalibela, which are major tourist cities, according to residents. One person said that after several days of calm, shots could be heard on Monday from the edge of the town in the direction of the airport.
Residents reported heavy fighting north of Gondar as federal forces tried to retake the town.
The state company Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Lalibela, Gondar and Dessie.
The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is Ethiopian, said on Sunday that violence in the Amhara region affected humanitarian operations and called for uninterrupted access and protection for medical centers in the country.
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