The recent killing of a security chief in a town within Ethiopia’s Amhara region has led to the implementation of a night-time curfew and heightened tensions in the area.
The security situation in Amhara has been deteriorating since April, following the decision to dissolve the region’s paramilitary group.
The government’s efforts to bring the state’s special forces under the control of the military and police have sparked deadly anti-government protests in Amhara.
In response to the escalating violence, a curfew has been imposed in Shewa Robit town after the head of the local security department, Abdu Hussein, was fatally shot by unidentified attackers on Tuesday. This incident marks the third targeted killing within Amhara in as many days, as both a police chief and a security head in another district were previously gunned down.
The authorities in Shewa Robit, situated approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa, have implemented restrictions on the movement of individuals and vehicles after 18:00 local time.
The Amhara special forces played a significant role in assisting the Ethiopian army during the conflict with Tigrayan fighters who rebelled against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government in 2020. The conflict concluded in November of the same year with the signing of a peace agreement.