ADDIS ABABA (Halbeeg News) – Ethiopian federal government Wednesday declared a six-month state of emergency in the country’s northern Tigray regional state following weeks-long tensions between the federal government and the region.
According to statement, the Ethiopian Council of Ministers said the move was taken to maintain the country’s peace, the safety and security of its citizens and to prevent acts that may lead to further unrest and instability, the council said in a statement.
“The Council of Ministers has decreed the state of emergency recognizing that illegal and violent activities within the National Regional State of Tigray are endangering the constitution and constitutional order, public peace and security, specially threatening the country’s sovereignty, seriously impeding the Federal Government from discharging its constitutional responsibility in the Region, violating decisions of the House of Federation, and understanding that this situation has reached a level where it cannot be prevented and controlled through the regular law enforcement mechanism,” the statement said.
A State of Emergency Task Force, led by the chief of staff of the armed forces and composed of representatives from “pertinent institutions” and accountable to the prime minister, has been established, the statement said.
Military operations in the region have commenced, Abiy’s spokeswoman Billene Seyoum told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday, without giving further details.
In September, Tigray held regional elections in defiance of the federal government, which called the vote “illegal”. The row has escalated in recent days with both sides accusing each other of plotting a military conflict.
Tigray’s local government said the Northern Command of the federal military, which is stationed in the region, had defected to its side. Billene dismissed the claim as a “false information”.
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