News: Citing security threats, another major city in Amhara region imposes curfew

By Getahun Tsegaye @GetahunTsegay12

Addis Abeba, October 21/2021 – The Debre Berhan City Administration released a statement announcing that discussed various current affairs with the police and kebele administrators and reached many decisions including the imposing of curfew.  

The city administration detailed what it described as the threats such as infiltrators and the recent incident in Majete coupled with a huge influx of IDPs from Oromia region and several other regions. “These indicate that our area is not free of threats and is eyed by terrorist groups,” the statement read. 

Accordingly, the administration imposed a curfew effective as of October 20, 2021, which bans all vehicles other than ambulances and patrols to restrict movement between 5:00 AM and 8:30 PM. Pedestrian movement was restricted between 5 AM to 10 PM, according to the statement. 

In addition, the city administration decided to carry out intensive inspections at all four checkpoints, including the Ankober to Jiru route, a 24-hour patrol, the organizing and training of the youth as well as the organization of owners of private arms to collaborate and re-assemble returning members of the military. 

In the statement, the city administration urged politicians and community leaders to work together in mobilizing the community. The statement also listed down directives such as identifying areas with security threats, providing security forces with necessary resources calming the community, identifying the identity of IDPs, integrating armed individuals into legal frameworks in one week and strengthening the information system.

Last week, Dessie and Kombolcha, the major cities in the South Wollo extended the curfew that was imposed earlier in August  and added additional directives citing the security situation of the region as well as the IDPs stationed in the cities. AS