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Following days of fighting between local militias and the army, Ethiopia’s cabinet has decided to impose a state of emergency in the unrest-plagued Amhara region.
The action was taken a day after Yilkal Kefale, the head of the Amhara region, urged the federal government to step in, claiming that the region’s security had grown “difficult to control within regular law enforcement mechanisms.”
According to reports, local militias known as the FANO have taken control of a number of towns, villages, and larger cities.
At least two cities in the area no longer have flights, and mobile data services are no longer available.
Britain and Spain have issued security advisories to their citizens due to clashes between government forces and local fighters. The UK Foreign Office reported that the Amhara militia Fano had taken control of the airport in Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“Flights to Gondar and Lalibela airports have been suspended,” Ethiopian Airlines Spokesman Ashenafi Zeray told newsmen, adding that he did not know the reason for the cancellations.
The region’s constitutional order, according to a statement released by the prime minister’s office, was in danger, which is why a state of emergency decree was required. Parliament still needs to approve the decision before it becomes final.
