Ethiopian govt to integrate regional forces into national army

The Ethiopian government says it plans to incorporate all regional special forces into the national army, federal or regional police, or both, a move that will be interpreted as an attempt to limit the autonomy of particular areas.

Ethiopia is divided into ten regions, each of which has varying degrees of autonomy, ranging from having their own regional army to the right to use their own language.

The administration said in a statement that it has established a goal of creating a single, strong, and centralized army and begun real initiatives to integrate special forces from all regions into various security formations.

Hours before the announcement, local media from the Amhara region, Ethiopia’s second largest, reported clashes between national and regional forces brought about by a refusal among Amhara Special Forces’ units to surrender weapons as part of the integration process.

In its statement, the government confirmed tensions had arisen in Amhara but blamed it on a misunderstanding of the policy and on fringe groups within the regional force.

Amhara forces backed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal troops against rebellious forces in northern Tigray when conflict erupted there in 2020.

It is not the first time that unrest breaks out in the region. In May 2022 the former commander of Amhara region’s forces, a prominent critic of Abiy, was arrested alongside local journalists.

Critics say Abiy, who won a Nobel Peace Prize after taking power as a reformist in 2018, is cracking down on dissent around Ethiopia.

He says he is guaranteeing stability as well as law and order in the multi-ethnic nation.