Ethiopia: Amhara Regional President Highlights Devastating Impact of Road Blockades, Urges Peaceful Resolution in Conflict-Ridden Region

Peter Fitzgerald
Ethiopia's regions, with Tigray and Amhara in the north, and Oromia further south
2 August 2023
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Yilekal Kefale (PhD), President of Amhara Regional State, has emphasized the detrimental effects of road blockades and restrictions on people's movements, citing significant social, economic, and political repercussions. During the press briefing he gave today, Yilekal stated that the conflict is resulting in mutual destruction and causing significant human casualties.

His statement came in the wake of recent reports detailing road blockages and violent encounters between the military and local militias in the Amhara region. In the past few months, the region has been grappling with intermittent clashes between armed groups and government forces, alongside widespread protests. These unfortunate events have had devastating consequences, claiming the lives of innocent civilians as well as government officials and law enforcement personnel.

While briefing the media on 1 August, 2023, Colonel Getnet Adane, Director of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces Public Relations Directorate, admitted recent reports that senior members of the army were ambushed in the West Denbiya Woreda in the Central Gonder Zone of the Amhara regional state. He warned to take "actions" against forces that it said were "disturbing the country's peace in the name of Fano", the non-state armed group currently engaged in militarized conflict with the army and regional forces in the Amhara regional state.

Four months have elapsed since the Ethiopian Joint Security and Intelligence Task Force announced its initiation of "decisive actions" against "extremist elements" allegedly attempting to seize regional state control and disrupt the constitutional order in the Amhara region.

In his briefing, Yilekal emphasized the determination of both regional and federal governments to continue their current "law enforcement operation" in the region. "The regional security apparatus, in collaboration with the national defense army, is actively engaged in upholding the rule of law."

The president urged the residents of the region to recognize that the enforcement measures are crucial for maintaining a just and orderly society. "Anyone with opposing views should lay down their weapons and join the discussion." AS

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