Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency in the southern part of Amhara regional state amid violence in various towns.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Defense said the last three days saw deadly armed violence in the town of Ataye and several other areas in Oromia special zones.
The statement said an unspecified number of people were killed in attacks by gunmen and property was destroyed. It added that many civilians fled the armed conflict.
The Amhara region is dominated by the ethnic Amhara group – Ethiopia’s second-largest – but the Oromo special zone is populated mainly by Oromos, the numerically dominant group.
Analysis: Amid renewed violence and conflicting accounts army places Oromo Special, South Wollo & North Shewa zones of Amhara region under command post
By Bileh Jelan
Addis Abeba, April 19, 2021 – Despite previous eye witnesses and families of victims accounts and statements by the Oromia Regional state chapter of the ruling Prosperity Party, Oromia Prosperity Party (OPP) disputing the presence of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) often referred by the government as ‘OLF/Shene’, the Amhara regional state and its chapter of the ruling party, Amhara Prosperity Party (APP) have repeatedly blamed the attacks on the OLA. According to Amhara Media Cooperation (AMC), violence broke out on Wednesday evening. Quoting the head of Efrata Gidim woreda, Demisew Meshesha, AMC reported that violence broke out in Ataye after a house was burned down. Demisew said that there were tensions in surrounding areas but calm has returned after the deployment of federal and regional security forces. Ho
By Reuters Staff
3 Min Read
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Gunmen killed 30 civilians in an attack on a village in the west of the Ethiopian region of Oromiya, witnesses said on Wednesday, the latest outbreak of ethnic violence to challenge the federal government in the fractious nation.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, is struggling to control several flashpoints where ethnic rivalries over land, power and resources have ignited ahead of national elections scheduled for June.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has promised to hold the first free and fair polls, but some of his reforms have also emboldened regional strongmen and groups angered by what they describe as decades of government repression.
US Senator Slams Abi Ahmad For Ethiopian Atrocities albawaba.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from albawaba.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The US has urged Eritrean forces to leave Ethiopia s Tigray region immediately, and the Ethiopian government to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable, Anadolu Agency reports. .