ENDF, Amhara admin vow to ‘intensify operations’ against armed groups and figures embedded within gov’t

Addis Abeba – The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the Amhara regional government announced in a joint statement yesterday that they will continue what they describe as “law enforcement operations” until “peace is fully restored,” despite the region having been embroiled in militarized conflict for the past 14 months.

In a press briefing on 01 October, 2024, Mengesha Fentaw, head of the Amhara Communication Bureau, emphasized that the regional government and ENDF’s operations will target “armed groups and leaders within government structures” and that these efforts will be “intensified.”

He explained that their focus is to take “decisive measures” against those directing armed operations.

“Action has already been taken against many of the extremist group’s leaders,” he noted.

Mengesha further detailed that the operations would also address lower-level actors involved in criminal activities.

“Those below the leadership level have engaged in looting, kidnapping, blocking roads, and extorting the public,” he said.

The bureau head pointed out that some had imposed “illegal fines on trucks” and sent threatening notices to residents.

Additionally, Mengesha stated that the operations are also focused on dismantling the “logistical and intelligence networks” embedded in both “government structures and the private sector” that fuel the conflict.

“We have already begun holding these actors accountable,” he said.

The statement follows recent reports of intense urban warfare in the Central and North Gondar zones of the Amhara region. These clashes have tragically resulted in civilian casualties.

Last week, Addis Standard documented the loss of both civilian and military lives in the Central Gondar Zone due to confrontations between government forces and Fano militants.

On 01 October, 2024, Amnesty International raised alarms over “mass arbitrary detentions” in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, claiming hundreds of people, including academics, have been arrested since 28 September, 2024.

The human rights organization alleges these detentions, carried out by the Ethiopian army and police forces, represent a “total disregard for the rule of law.”

According to Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, “Eyewitnesses report that authorities arrived with a ‘list’ and failed to obtain arrest and search warrants before detaining hundreds of civilians across the region.”

The organization asserts that many detainees have not been brought before a court within the 48-hour timeframe required by Ethiopian law.

Chagutah calls on the government to “immediately end these arbitrary arrests, press charges against those detained for internationally recognized crimes and follow due process, or release them without further delay.”

Amnesty International also expresses concern over the impact of these arrests on freedom of expression, noting that academics from federal universities in the Amhara region are among those reportedly detained.

The rights group claims that some arrests were conducted late at night, allegedly involving army personnel.

In the recent joint statement, Colonel Getnet Adane, head of ENDF Public Relations, reiterated the ENDF’s commitment to working “in collaboration with the regional government” to address armed groups and government figures who have been “causing disruption.”

He stressed that their ultimate aim is to “ensure lasting peace.”

Getnet explained that while the ENDF has previously successfully liberated cities with significant populations, the military has often opted for “partial operations” that involve discussions with local communities.

“We prefer to engage in dialogue, to hear the concerns of the people,” he said, but acknowledged that these efforts have “not always been fully successful.”

Colonel Getnet also commented on recent ENDF operations, describing how “extremist groups” have shifted tactics.

“Urban cells are relocating to rural areas under the pretext of celebrating holidays,” he said, adding that these groups are now “choosing escape routes” and spreading “false information” via social media, a practice that has “increased significantly.”