Public life came to a standstill during nearly a week of protests across Amhara state (file photo)Addis Abeba — Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it was "gravely concerned" after the extension by lawmakers today of a state of emergency in the crisis-hit Amhara regional state. The Commissioner cautioned that lawmakers and the government "should duly consider necessity, legality [and] proportionality", of the state of emergency. Gonder has also witnessed civilian casualties and property damage, with reports of extrajudicial killings by security forces in Shewa Robit. On 28 April, the Ethiopian Joint Security and Intelligence Task Force announced that it started "taking decisive measures" against "extremist forces" that it accused of "trying to take control of regional state power by destroying the constitutional order in the Amhara regional state." The Amhara regional state has since been the epicenter of the latest militarized conflict involving government forces armed groups that swept large parts of the regional state.

Source: Ethiopian News February 03, 2024 12:19 UTC