Ethiopia: wave of repression against the most radical of the State of Amhara
Sign announcing entry into the Amhara zone.
May 2021 © RFI/ Sébastien Németh
Text by: Léonard Vincent Follow
2 mins
The Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is cracking down on the most radical elements of the Amhara state's political and paramilitary forces, which had spearheaded the war in Tigray.
Since last week, important personalities of nationalism have been arrested, including a general, activists, militiamen and a dozen journalists.
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Tension had been building in the state of Amhara for weeks.
The nationalist media, generally alarmist, said they were convinced of a coming wave of repression against the Fanos militiamen and the political figures of ethnic nationalism in this powerful northern region.
But in fact, on Friday, Brigadier General Tefera Mamo, head of the state security forces, sacked in February and who has since publicly criticized the government, appeared before a court in Bahir Dar for allegedly attempting to "
subvert the Constitution
".
Hear: to organize a coup d'etat.
His trial is expected to start next week.
A dozen media journalists supporting the Fanos, 24 activists from the nationalist Nama party and several media figures have also been arrested in recent days, sometimes provoking armed clashes.
Local media report several thousand arrests.
Several sources mention door-to-door attacks by the Ethiopian National Guard, this Monday, May 23, in several Amhara localities, aimed at capturing the most radical elements.
In response, the federal government simply announced that it was "
taking a wide range of measures in the Amhara region against groups involved in the illegal arms trade, the looting and destruction of property of individuals, the killings and the creation of conflicts among the public
”, without further details.
Read also: Ethiopia: Amhara militias, the precious ally of Ethiopian soldiers
“
Abiy Ahmed is trying to regain control of a situation that was beginning to elude him
,” explains a good connoisseur of the region.
Leaders of the Fanos, very belligerent and well organized, in fact contested the conduct of the war in Tigray and, particularly, their sidelining.
The sending, since last August, of thousands of Fanos to be trained in Eritrea, without its approval, would also have convinced Abiy Ahmed to act quickly, according to an Ethiopian journalist.
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