Ethiopia Declares State of Emergency Amid Military Operation

Northern Ethiopia is now under six months state of emergency a day after Abiy Ahmed government declared military action against TPLF 

Borkena

November 4, 2020 

Ethiopia on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the Tigray region of the country amid military operation to reverse what prime minister Abiy Ahmed’s government called “TPLF attack on the Ethiopian Defense Force in the northern command.” 

It was the Council of Minister that passed the decision to impose a six months long state of emergency. It is unclear if Prime Minister Aiy Ahmed anticipates an operation that could last upto six months. 

“It is reached to a point where the government is unable to maintain law and order [in Tigray region] with the regular law enforcement practices,” the statement from the council of ministers said in an explanation why the state of emergency is needed. 

The Council of Ministers believed that illegal and violent activities in the Tigray region posed a threat to “the constitution and the constitutional order in the country.” 

The decision came a day after the Prime Minister announced that the Ethiopian Defense Force is given order to take actions in response unforseen attack on the defense force bases in Tigray and a looting attempt of the army arsenal. It happened around 10 p.m. in the evening in Mekelle and other military bases in the region. 

Abiy Ahmed insinuated that the Defense Force sacrificed due to TPLF’s surprise attack but the extent of causality is unspecified. Some suggest that hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers are killed and many more wounded. 

The U.S State department said on Wednesday that it is “deeply concerned by reports that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front carried out attacks on Ethiopian National Defense Forces,” and called for de-escalation of tension between the Federal government and Tigray regional government.