Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- The Bahir Dar City Security Council, seat of the Amhara regional state, announced an amendment to the previously imposed curfews.
Citing security concerns both inside and outside the city, the City’s Security Council previously announced a curfew and other restrictions on the movement of people, businesses, and vehicles on July 28, 2024.
Accordingly, Bahir Dar city was subject to a curfew that restricted the movement of people and vehicles between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., with the exception of security forces, ambulances, and firefighting vehicles.
The Security Council at the time also declared three-wheeled vehicles, or “Bajajs,” to be security threats, claiming that “the majority of problems occur in coordination with Bajaj drivers.” On that ground, the region prohibited their operations between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M. local time.
The Council declared a “significant improvement” in Bahir Dar’s security status in a statement released today. The Bahir Dar City Administration’s ongoing “strong law enforcement” efforts and the outstanding community involvement are credited with this progress. These changes allow for the unrestricted operation of all commercial activities for 24 hours.
The City Security Council said in the statement that all vehicles, with the exception of motorcycles and Bajaj, are now free to travel. Two-wheeled motorcycles are strictly forbidden from moving under any circumstances, and Bajaj vehicles are not allowed to operate after 6:00 P.M.
Additionally, it has been announced that all city dwellers are now free to relocate at any time. However, in order to be identified when moving, pedestrians must have their kebele (neighborhood) residency ID with them.
The statement went on to say that it is illegal to carry a firearms in public. Security personnel and those who are only allowed to carry weapons inside their designated kebele or zone are the only exceptions.
Regarding vehicles in motion, the statement underlined that they all must display both front and rear license plates and strongly warned that owners found without them will be solely responsible for any legal action taken by security forces.
Although the state of emergency in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region was declared on August 4, 2023, and then again on June 6, 2024, some restrictions are still in effect because of the ongoing conflict, which kept many areas under the Command Post. After the federal government took action to reorganize regional special forces in April 2023, the conflict between federal forces and the Fano militia escalated, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency.
There are still serious humanitarian repercussions from the battle between Fano militants and government security forces. Numerous innocent civilians have been killed, injured, displaced, and their property destroyed, according to local and international human rights organizations.
International organizations like the African Union, the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union, as well as human rights organizations like Amnesty International and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, have called for an end to the fighting on numerous occasions. They have also expressed serious concerns about alleged abuses and arrests made without following the proper procedures.
Except for a few chosen institutions, such as universities, the entire Amhara region suffered from communication blackouts during the enforced curfew period, especially with regard to internet access.
Both the federal and regional governments maintain that they have not targeted innocent civilians and that law enforcement operations against the militants will continue.
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