What's Behind Ethiopia's Decision to Reintegrate Regional Forces?

The Ethiopian government intends to integrate all regional special forces - either into the national army or the federal or regional police, Addis Standard reports.

The move, according to Al Jazeera, can be perceived as an attempt to diminish the autonomy of individual regions. However Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said: "The decision is not disarmament, but that they [the forces] will get more training and weapons and will be reintegrated into other security structures, where they can better serve the country."

The move has triggered unrest in the Amhara region, the Addis Standard reports. Two Catholic Relief Services staff members have been killed as protests spreading across several cities and towns in the region.

Ethiopia finalised a ceasefire with the Tigray region in November 2022, after a two-year-long war that began in November 2020. An interim government was established for the Tigray region in March 2023.