Nationwide state of emergency declared in Ethiopia as Tigray rebels advance
Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency after rebels from the northern region of Tigray said they were gaining territory and considering marching on the capital Addis Ababa.
The move on Tuesday came after
rebels from the northern Tigray region said they had captured the strategic
towns of Dessie and Kombolcha in the Amhara region. The northern fighters, who
have been fighting federal government forces for a year, indicated they might
advance further south, on the capital, Addis Ababa.
The government said soldiers were
still battling for control.The announcement on
state-affiliated media came two days after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged
citizens to take up arms to defend themselves from the Tigray People's
Liberation Front (TPLF).
Ethiopia last imposed such a
measure in February 2018 for six months ahead of the transition of power to
Abiy. Curfews were enforced and people's movements restricted, while thousands
of people were detained.
The city administration said people
should register their weapons and gather in their neighborhoods. House-to-house
searches were being conducted and troublemakers arrested, a statement said.
"Residents can gather in their
locality and safeguard their surroundings," it said. "Those who have
weapons but can't take part in safeguarding their surroundings are advised to
handover the weapon to the government or their close relatives or
friends."
Prior to the announcement, people
moved around the capital as normal.
"I will try to buy food
commodities in advance. But so far I haven't yet purchased anything,"
said one woman, who asked not to be named.
The governments of four of the
country's 10 regions also called upon Ethiopians to mobilize to fight against
the Tigrayan forces, state-affiliated Fana TV said.
The conflict
started over the night of Nov. 3, 2020, when forces loyal to the TPLF -
including some soldiers - seized military bases in Tigray, a northern region.
In response, Abiy sent more troops there.
