Ethiopia declared a nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday and ordered residents of the capital Addis Ababa to prepare to defend their neighbourhoods amid fears that Tigrayan rebels were heading there.
The measures came after several days of reported advances by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group, which is locked in a brutal year-long war against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
“The state of emergency is aimed to protect civilians from atrocities being committed by the terrorist TPLF group in several parts of the country,” state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported. Lawmakers were expected to approve the measure within 24 hours, Fana said, though the specific terms were not immediately available.
Earlier on Tuesday, officials in Addis Ababa announced new measures for the city’s five million residents, requiring that all firearms be registered within two days.
“All residents must be organised by blocks and neighbourhoods to protect peace and security in their home area in coordination with security forces, who will coordinate activities with community police and law enforcers,” said Kenea Yadeta, chief of the city’s Peace and Security Administration Bureau.
He also said that young residents would be recruited to work with law enforcement, and that “all sections of society” must cooperate with efforts to increase vigilance, including landlords and hotel owners checking IDs of tenants and guests.
Abiy sent troops into Tigray a year ago to detain and disarm the TPLF, a move he said came in response to the group’s attacks on army camps.
The 2019 Nobel Peace laureate promised a swift victory, but by late June the rebels had regrouped and retaken most of Tigray. They then launched offensives into the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara.
Source: eNCA
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