Ethiopia : Local Flights suspended ; Mobile internet access was down in parts of Amhara region , clashes Continues

-

Mobile internet access was down in parts of Ethiopia's Amhara region and flights to two cities were cancelled on Thursday, following days of clashes between the federal military and local militiamen.

A simmering feud between the Fano militia and federal authorities, who were allies during the two-year civil war in the neighbouring Tigray region that ended last November, has burst into the open this week.

The fighting was prompted by an operation by the military to push Fano fighters out of certain areas, according to a diplomatic source. Ethiopia's deputy prime minister, Demeke Mekonnen, called the situation "concerning" on Wednesday.


Two residents of Amhara's capital, Bahir Dar, and three in Gondar, its second-biggest city, said mobile internet services were unavailable on Thursday. They declined to be named for security reasons.

Authorities in Ethiopia have repeatedly cut internet services over the past few years during bouts of conflict and civil unrest.

Spokespeople for the federal government and the Amhara regional administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ashenafi Zeray, a spokesperson for Ethiopian Airlines (ETHA.UL), said flights from the national capital Addis Ababa to Gondar and to the holy town of Lalibela where there has also been fighting, had been suspended. He declined to say why.

Fighting has taken place in several cities and towns this week. One of the Gondar residents, who is a local government official, said clashes broke out on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday and continued on Thursday.

Fano is a part-time militia with no formal command structure. Its relationship with federal authorities has soured in recent months over what some in Amhara say is a disregard by for the region's security.

Violent protests erupted across Amhara in April after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered that security forces from Ethiopia's 11 regions be integrated into the police or national army.

Protesters felt the order was meant to weaken Amhara, Ethiopia's second-largest region. The federal government denied this and said the objective was ensuring national unity.

 

Popular posts from this blog

Ethiopia : Many civilians killed in Govt Drone attack in Amhara Region

-
Image
 A suspected air strike at the weekend in Ethiopia's Amhara region killed at least 26 people, a hospital official said on Monday, as a state-appointed rights group detailed widespread killings of civilians since fighting broke out this month. Federal forces managed late last week to push Fano militiamen out of most major towns in Amhara, but clashes continue in other parts of the region, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said in a statement.   The fighting, which has been fuelled by Fano accusations that the federal government is trying to weaken Amhara's defences, is Ethiopia's biggest security crisis since a two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region ended last November. Ethiopia's government denies the allegations by Fano, an informal militia that backed federal forces during the Tigray war. Spokespeople for the government, the military and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not respond to requests for comment on Monday about the suspected
Read more

Ethiopian Army clashs with the People of Amhara and Its militia Fano

-
Image
The war officially is started in the cities of Amhara region All roads in bahrdar debremarkos debrebirhan and other cities Gondar city have been ordered to be closed. At this time, the defense vehicle captured in Gondar city and the security guard army of the system are in this form of the Amara Fano in the Gondar Tedros Brigade army. A resident of the town of Kobo in northern Amhara said there were clashes between Fano fighters and the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) in the Tekulesh area, a 40-minute drive outside Kobo, between 1am and 9am on Tuesday. The work of public and private organizations in Debremarkos has been suspended. Entrance and exit doors are closed. Ethiopia's military has clashed with fighters from a militia in the Amhara region, residents said on Wednesday, in a sharp escalation of a simmering feud between the two former allies. The Fano militia backed federal troops in a two-year civil war in the neighbouring Tigray region that ended last
Read more

Ethiopia : Civilians killed in ongoing Govt military Operation in Amhara region

-
Image
Civilians killed in ongoing PM Abiy Govt military Operation in Amhara region. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it is “closely monitoring” the ongoing “law enforcement campaign” in some areas of the Amhara regional state and its implications and effects on human rights. The rights commission also confirmed the presence of militarized conflict in parts of North Gonder, North Wollo and North Shewa zones of the regional state, and said that there are exchanges of fire and the presence of attacks supported by heavy weapons involving the federal the defense forces and local armed groups in the Shoa Robit area of North Shewa zone, in Armania, Antsoqia, Gemza and Majete localities. “As a result, it has been confirmed that there have been deaths, physical and property damage to civilians, and that the road from Desse to Addis Abeba has been closed at various times,” EHRC said. Furthermore, the Commission said that it has learned some members of opposition politic
Read more