Over 4500 Arrested in the Amhara Region

 

Borkena

Well over 4500 people are arrested in different parts of the Amhara region of Ethiopia in what the government authorities call “law enforcement operation.” 

It is the region’s Peace and Security Office head, Desalegne Tassew, who disclosed the arrest. The office has a press statement regarding the current situation in the region. 

The office is vowing to carry on the duty to ensure “durable peace” in the region, from the report by Amhara Media Corporation (state media from the region). 

According to the report, 40 of the suspects are convicted criminals, and 210 of them are suspects in homicide cases. 

Mr.Desalegn also said the region has now reliable peace except for the operation to arrest what he called outlaws. 

” Government will not tolerate those operating under FANO name but do not represent real FANO and engage in illegal activity against the people,”  he added as reported by AMC. 

He also said, according to the source, the regional government is organising “Real FANO” to work under the government structure. 

It is unclear if FANO will maintain its neutrality, as a volunteer force defending people in the region and the country from attacks of a military nature, if it is working under a government structure. It is also unclear if it will remain a volunteer group or employees of the regional government. 

There has been extensive criticism, mostly from politicised ethnic Amhara in and outside of Ethiopia,  against the regional government on alleged grounds of submissiveness to a radical ethnic Oromo ideology called Oromummaa. 

It has also been criticised for what many believe is an inability to protect ethnic Amhara from organised massacres in different parts of Ethiopia. 

Last week, the regional government released a statement saying that it is facing security threats from groups whom it said are facilitating a crisis for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). 

It also ordered security forces across the region to be on standby to respond to TPLFs mobilisation against Amhara region and the rest of Ethiopia.