Ethiopia’s federal government on Friday declared a six-month “state of emergency" as violent clashes escalate between the national army and local fighters from the northern region of Amhara. Tensions have been rising since April when the federal government announced it was dismantling regional forces including in Amhara, where nationalists feared the move would weaken the region. The government said the violence “endangered the constitutional order" and the decision to invoke a state of emergency was “unanimous". Rising tensionAmhara’s regional forces and local militias backed Ethiopia’s army in their war against rebels from Tigray. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “expressed concern" about the situation in Amhara in a phone call with Abiy on Friday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Source: Ethiopian News August 05, 2023 19:02 UTC