Addis Ababa — The government is exerting efforts to overcome security problems in Amhara Regional State, according to the Government Communication Service.

In his briefing to journalists today, Government Communication Service Minister Legesse Tullu said the organized illegal extremist forces in the region are bent on dismantling constitutionally constituted regional government by arms.

He recalled that a state of emergency was declared yesterday by the Council of Ministers as the security problems in some areas of the region could not be controlled through the usual law enforcement systems and procedures.

The minister recalled that these illegal forces have been conducting hateful activities in the past and they did not accept the reconciliation efforts offered by the government and by the elders on various occasions.

Instead, they were involved in killings of regional authorities, he said.

The minister added that the extremist forces have carried out large-scale looting in some areas of West Gojam and East Gojam and they have blocked the roads and restricted the movement of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer to the farmers.

They have also blocked roads to prevent security forces from carrying out their law enforcement mission and they are engaged in an armed activities to overthrow the constitutionally constituted government in the region.

As a result, the Amhara Regional State has requested the federal government to take measures and enforce law in the region as the situation has become very serious and cannot be controlled by the regular law enforcement system.

The minister also said that a central command post has been established and started carrying out its activities.

He stressed that the state of emergency mainly applies in the Amhara region and where necessary measure will be taken against activities bent on disrupting the government's law enforcement activities in any part of the country.