3 Killed in Addis Ababa as Ethiopia grapples with internal unrest
A deadly shootout in Addis Ababa on Friday pitted Fano rebels against security forces near the Millennium Hall. The clash left one civilian and two Fano members dead, with two police officers, Sergeant Arrarsa Teshome and Constable Matias Petros, also injured, according to Ethiopian media.
In a statement, Ethiopian police declared, “The extremist group members, Nahusenai Andarge Tarekun, Abenezer Gashaw Abate, and Habtamu Andarge Tesema, were intercepted after being under surveillance by security forces. They were planning a terrorist attack in our city, Addis Ababa.”
This incident highlights the escalating security concerns in Ethiopia. The government is grappling to contain the Amhara rebel group, Fano, which has recently captured new territories.
Similar unrest plagues the Oromia region, where government forces are locked in a struggle with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
Despite these internal conflicts, the Ethiopian government remains entangled in regional politics and tensions with its neighbours. The Abiy Ahmed administration faces accusations of supporting the RSF militia in neighbouring Sudan.
Ethiopia’s diplomatic relationship with Somalia is also strained following a signed agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland on January 1st this year. Additionally, Ethiopia’s decision to host a delegation from Somalia’s Puntland state for trade discussions earlier this month further irritated Mogadishu. In response, the Somali federal government ordered the closure of Ethiopian consulates in Garowe and Hargeisa and expelled its ambassador.
Ethiopia’s expansionist actions and its tactics that seem intent on fracturing the region risk plunging it into another devastating civil war, further balkanizing a historically volatile region.
