Addis Ababa — Violence continued on Tuesday in several Amhara region cities, including the capital Bahir Dar, after protests erupted over the government’s decision to disband the regional special forces and “reorganize” them into regular police and the national army. Addis Standard spoke with eyewitnesses in Debre Birhan, Bahir Dar and Kombolcha, where clashes were reported between civilians and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), as well as between the Amhara regional special forces and the army.
An anonymous eyewitness from Debre Birhan, located about 120 kilometres northeast of Addis Ababa, described heavy fighting between the ENDF and Amhara regional forces from early morning until late afternoon on Tuesday. “The situation has gotten worse; the people are currently in a serious state of tension,” he said, adding that he feared several deaths and injuries had resulted from the fighting.
Residents of Bahir Dar and Kombolcha confirmed massive protests accompanied by gunshots in both cities on Tuesday. On Monday night, a grenade exploded in a restaurant in Bahir Dar, killing three people and injuring ten, according to VOA. Following the example of Gondar, the city administrations of Bahir Dar, Debre Birhan, Dessie and Woldiya have imposed restrictions on movement, public gatherings and the carrying of weapons by anyone outside the authorized security forces. Similar measures have been applied in the Oromo special zone of the Amhara region, where fighting has also been reported.
The National Movement of Amhara (NaMA) issued its fifth statement since the protests began, urging the federal government to reverse the decision to abolish the regional special forces. NaMA called the move unconstitutional and argued that dismantling the forces has created instability and left the region vulnerable to violence.
Background: Protests erupted after the federal government announced on 6 April that “practical activities” to dissolve the controversial regional special forces and reorganize them into regular police and the national army had begun. In the days that followed, clashes broke out between government security forces and civilians, as well as between the regional special forces and the national army, in several cities.
On 10 April, residents of Kobo in the North Wollo zone reported hearing heavy artillery on Sunday night. Reuters reported that Amhara special forces fired weapons into the sky all night in defiance of the decision, following massive protests in Gondar that led to movement and firearms restrictions. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared on Sunday that the reorganization would be implemented “at any cost,” despite ongoing protests across the Amhara region. Amhara Regional President Yelikal Kefale announced that the decision had the support of both federal and regional administrations and would be carried out nationwide, stating that there was no explicit plan to disarm or disband the special forces.
On 7 April, the Amhara regional government urged special‑force members to return to their camps or assigned workplaces and remain calm while the reorganization proceeded. The statement emphasized that the government would not implement any decision that violated the rights and interests of the region’s people and warned against “false allegations” that were “disturbing our people and our special forces members.” On the same day, General Abebaw Tadesse, Deputy Chief of Staff of the ENDF, clarified that the plan was not to disarm or dismantle the forces but to reorganize and reform them in accordance with the constitution, noting that the process had been in development for four years.
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