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DPA
Johannesburg
Ethiopia’s central government has declared a nationwide state of emergency for six months following territorial gains by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Among other things, the state of emergency allows for roadblocks to be established, transport services to be disrupted, curfews to be imposed, and for the military to take over in certain areas, the Council of Ministers say.
Anyone suspected of having links with terrorist groups could also be detained without a court warrant under the measures. Earlier Ethiopian authorities have called on residents of Addis Ababa to mount an armed defence of their residential areas.
Firearms need to be registered with police within the next two days, a senior city official, Kenea Yadeta, said on Tuesday, adding that all parts of Ethiopian society were called upon to cooperate.
In the past few days, the military was forced to withdraw from important cities in the Amhara region, which borders the capital, in the conflict with rebels of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Together with rebels from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the TPLF was able to gain access to one of the most important highways in the country and is now advancing on Addis Ababa.
A year ago the government launched a military offensive against the TPLF, which had been in power in the northern region of Tigray until then.
The TPLF dominated Ethiopia, with its around 115 million inhabitants, for a good 25 years until Abiy came to power in 2018 and ousted it. Leading members of the military defected to the TPLF, which allowed the rebels to achieve great successes within a short amount of time. Since the beginning of August, the conflict has spread to the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara. The clashes have led to a serious humanitarian crisis in the north of the country.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s duty-free trade access to the United States was being suspended for “gross violations” of human rights, President Joe Biden informed Congress on Tuesday. If there is no improvement by January 1, the Horn of Africa nation is at risk of being kicked out of the lucrative AGOA trade act entirely, Biden’s letter to lawmakers said. AGOA stands for African Growth and Opportunity Act and guarantees many African countries preferential trade access for thousands of goods in the US market.
Ethiopia’s textile and agricultural industries have especially benefited from the programme. But Washington harshly criticized the Ethiopian government’s year-long war against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group. The UN, United States and others have said there are credible reports of atrocities and human rights violations having been committed during the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Johannesburg
Ethiopia’s central government has declared a nationwide state of emergency for six months following territorial gains by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Among other things, the state of emergency allows for roadblocks to be established, transport services to be disrupted, curfews to be imposed, and for the military to take over in certain areas, the Council of Ministers say.
Anyone suspected of having links with terrorist groups could also be detained without a court warrant under the measures. Earlier Ethiopian authorities have called on residents of Addis Ababa to mount an armed defence of their residential areas.
Firearms need to be registered with police within the next two days, a senior city official, Kenea Yadeta, said on Tuesday, adding that all parts of Ethiopian society were called upon to cooperate.
In the past few days, the military was forced to withdraw from important cities in the Amhara region, which borders the capital, in the conflict with rebels of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Together with rebels from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the TPLF was able to gain access to one of the most important highways in the country and is now advancing on Addis Ababa.
A year ago the government launched a military offensive against the TPLF, which had been in power in the northern region of Tigray until then.
The TPLF dominated Ethiopia, with its around 115 million inhabitants, for a good 25 years until Abiy came to power in 2018 and ousted it. Leading members of the military defected to the TPLF, which allowed the rebels to achieve great successes within a short amount of time. Since the beginning of August, the conflict has spread to the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara. The clashes have led to a serious humanitarian crisis in the north of the country.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s duty-free trade access to the United States was being suspended for “gross violations” of human rights, President Joe Biden informed Congress on Tuesday. If there is no improvement by January 1, the Horn of Africa nation is at risk of being kicked out of the lucrative AGOA trade act entirely, Biden’s letter to lawmakers said. AGOA stands for African Growth and Opportunity Act and guarantees many African countries preferential trade access for thousands of goods in the US market.
Ethiopia’s textile and agricultural industries have especially benefited from the programme. But Washington harshly criticized the Ethiopian government’s year-long war against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group. The UN, United States and others have said there are credible reports of atrocities and human rights violations having been committed during the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
