Ethiopia dismantles regional special forces in favour of 'centralized army

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in military uniform. [Photo via African Press]

NAIROBI - Ethiopia has disbanded its regional special forces, the head of its national army said on Saturday, days after violent protests in the Amhara region over the planned integration of its forces.

Ethiopia is organised into 11 regions which have some autonomy, ranging from having their own regional army to the right to use their own language. They were also allowed to have a separate special force.

Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, head of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, said the special forces now cease to exist and its officers would join regional police, federal police or the federal army.

"What is left now is to transport them to their respective deployment and they will receive an orientation and training," he told state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting.

"Now we only have ... the national defence, federal police, regional regular police and regional militias. Structures outside those are illegal and it must be corrected."

Last week, violent protests against the special force integration plans erupted in several Amhara towns and ran for six days, in which at least five people died.

Amhara's forces backed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's federal troops against rebellious forces in northern Tigray in 2020. The conflict, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, ended last November after the Tigray forces and the federal government agreed on a truce.

Amhara's politicians and activists had condemned the integration order, saying that disbanding their special forces would leave the region vulnerable to attacks by neighbouring regions, including Tigray.

Ahmed says the integration of the regional special forces is needed to ensure national unity in a country with a long history of inter-ethnic conflict.

No other Ethiopian region experienced protests against the plan.