Ethiopia Announces Arrests in Tense Amhara Region

Ethiopia Announces Arrests in Tense Amhara Region

Following battles between local fighters and federal troops in the north, Ethiopian authorities have detained individuals related to "the security crisis in Amhara," the government announced on Saturday.

 

Nine months have passed since the end of a bloody two-year conflict in the adjacent province of Tigray, which also attracted combatants from Amhara, and the new turmoil in Africa's second-most populous nation.

 

The emergency measures, according to the administration, would last "for six months" in Amhara, but they could be extended "nationwide in relation to any situation or movement that aggravates the security problem."

 

Since the federal government declared in April that it was eliminating regional forces throughout Ethiopia, Amhara nationalists have been protesting the action, claiming it would weaken their area.

 

As a result of the recent escalation of fighting in Amhara, international governments have issued travel advisories and grounded aircraft. On Friday, the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared that immediate action was required "to control this unacceptable movement."

Without providing information on the number of people detained or the time of the arrests, the government communications office said on Saturday that individuals who "exacerbate the security crisis... (and engage in) various acts of destruction have been arrested."

 

Anyone found to be in violation of the emergency decree's rules could be sentenced to "imprisonment of between three and 10 years."

The decree also allows for suspects to be searched and held without a warrant.

 

Three towns in the area are now under the authority of local Fano militia fighters from Amhara, locals said AFP.

Residents of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its rock-cut cathedrals from the 12th and 13th centuries, claim that Fano rebels recently gained control of the town and its airport.

 

Shops were open on Saturday, although Aneley, a local of Lalibela, told AFP that the streets were virtually barren.

"Lalibela is calm, there is no fighting, but people's movement isn't like it used to be," he said, noting that the town experienced sporadic power and internet disruptions.

Gondar and Dessie residents told AFP that the atmosphere was equally tense in those cities.

 

"Things look calm but there is no activity … almost all shops, cafes are closed," said Simachew, a rickshaw driver in Gondar, which witnessed fighting on Thursday before federal troops retreated to its outskirts.

"People are indoors in their homes," he said, with Fano fighters blocking routes in and out of the city.

There was "no fighting here," according to Dessie businessman Amir, who told AFP that Fano members were in charge of the city. The locals are "on alert," he said, adding that the markets and shops are open.

Mohammed, another Dessie resident, reported that while the internet was down, the phone lines were still operational.

The mobility of individuals has been "severely restricted" by government security personnel, according to an Amhara resident who left the town of Kobo on Saturday.

According to him, Kobo "has been under a curfew for a while, with locals prohibited from moving around after dark," and that running water and internet connection were also restricted.

While Spain and Britain have also issued travel advisories advising their nationals not to visit certain areas of Amhara, the United States has "expressed concern" about the violence.