The federal government in Ethiopia declared a state of emergency after clashes between the army and armed groups in the northern Amhara region of the country.
The government said in a statement that it was decided during a meeting held by the Council of Ministers to declare a state of emergency in Amhara, and the need to take emergency measures to maintain order and enforce the law, given the illegal activities of some armed movements in the region.
The situation has reached a level that cannot be prevented and controlled through the normal law enforcement mechanism, the statement said.
The Ethiopian Cabinet has the power to declare a state of emergency under the country's constitution, whether in case of war, serious breakdown of public order, occurrence of a natural disaster or so.
It is noteworthy that clashes broke out since Wednesday between the Ethiopian army and gunmen in Amhara, in an escalation of a conflict between two sides that were allies in the past.
Media reports indicate that tensions escalated in Amhara following the Ethiopian government's decision last April to integrate all regional special forces into the national army or police forces, and some of them refused to surrender their weapons, which led to clashes with the regular forces.
Source: Qatar News Agency