PM of Ethiopia promises to eliminate regional armed forces

Abiy Ahmed, the prime minister of Ethiopia, pledged on Sunday to abolish regional troops set up by some governments and threatened to use law enforcement against any “destructive” resistance.

The plan, which was initially unveiled on Thursday, intends to incorporate these forces, which some states independently established, into the federal army, local law enforcement, or everyday life.

In the past, these troops have caused controversy, especially during the horrific Tigray War, when security personnel operating in the Amhara area were accused of grave human rights violations.

The 11 states of Ethiopia, which were divided along linguistic and cultural lines, are permitted to run their own local police forces under the country’s constitution.

But, several governments have increasingly created independent armies over the past 15 years that operate outside of these constitutional restraints.

Abiy noted the existence of illegal checkpoints, smuggling, and banditry in a message posted on his Twitter account on Sunday. He said that “Ethiopia had met issues… in respect to regional special forces.”

Before a peace agreement was announced in November 2022, regional forces and local militias strengthened support for federal soldiers in their two-year conflict with Tigrayan rebels. This infuriated some Amhara inhabitants who have a long history of border conflicts with Tigray.

In Amhara, where regional troops have started to disarm, reports of local rebellion have also surfaced. Abiy stated that the government will “attempt to convince and explain (the decision) to those who resist without understanding.”

He said that “law enforcement actions would be taken against individuals who play intentionally damaging roles.”

For the sake of Ethiopia’s… unity and for the peace of the people, this decision will be carried out even (if we have to) pay a price.

Amhara soldiers and neighbourhood militias known as the Fano have controlled western Tigray since conflict broke out in northern Ethiopia in November 2020; this territory is claimed by both the Amhara and the Tigray and is still inaccessible to journalists.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Amhara soldiers had carried out “ethnic cleansing” by ejecting residents from western Tigray after a visit to Ethiopia last month.

Investigators from the UN have accused all parties to the fighting of potential war crimes.

After accusing the TPLF, previously the dominant party in Ethiopia, of attacking army positions, Abiy ordered soldiers into Tigray, sparking the start of the conflict.