Curfew in Amhara following protests over plan to disband Ethiopia’s regional special forces

11 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The authorities of several cities in the Ethiopian region of Amhara have imposed a curfew due to recent demonstrations and violent incidents due to the government’s plan to dissolve the regional special forces, within the framework of the peace process with the Popular Front to the Liberation of Tigray (TPLF).

The Gondar City Security Command has announced a series of movement restrictions after the protests that took place on Sunday, including a ban on the movement of three-wheeled vehicles between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (local time).

Likewise, they have announced that the carrying of weapons is prohibited to people who are not integrated into the security forces and has imposed that bars and nightclubs cannot serve customers after 9:00 p.m. (local time), according to what has been collected the Ethiopian newspaper ‘Addis Standard’.

Although Gondar has been the epicenter of the protests in recent days, residents of the town of Kobo and the opposition Amhara National Movement denounced artillery fire in the area, with no information on victims or material damage so far.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stressed on Sunday that the decision to disband and reintegrate the regional special forces “will be implemented in line with the plans,” saying it will be carried out “even if there is a price to pay.” after the Ethiopian General Staff assured that their proposal did not imply the disarmament or dissolution of these operations.

Abiy said in a statement that the authorities “will take appropriate measures” against those who “deliberately play a diversionary role” in efforts to disband these forces, most notoriously the case of the special forces of the Amhara region, which they fought alongside the Army against the TPLF during the two years of war in Tigray (north).

The proposal has been raised in line with the cessation of hostilities agreement signed with the TPLF in November 2022 in South Africa and within the framework of the implementation of steps for peace, including the creation of an interim administration in Tigray headed by the spokesman for the Tigrinya group, Getachew Reda. In addition, Abiy has opened the door to talks with the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).

The OLA, which split from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) after the 2018 peace agreement and is an ally of the TPLF in the war in Tigray, has claimed responsibility for several attacks –especially in Oromia– in recent months. . The OLF fought for decades for the secession of the Oromia region, but in 2018 it announced that it was giving up the armed struggle, accepting the prime minister’s offer of amnesty.