(Dejen Media) August 2 — In the wake of the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region, Dr. Yelkal Kefale, the region’s head of state, has expressed deep concern over the “huge human losses” resulting from the violence. In a press release issued on Wednesday, July 26, 2015, Dr. Yelkal urged an immediate end to the hostilities and called on all parties involved to pursue peaceful dialogue.
The head of state emphasized that the violence is pervasive, occurring “everywhere” in the region, and stressed the urgent need to halt the harassment. He condemned the breach of security and expressed worries over the impact on the region’s residents.
Dr. Yelkal linked the deteriorating security situation to recent government efforts to integrate members of the regional special forces into other security structures. He asserted that both the security structure of the region and the defense forces are operating to enforce the law and criticized the spread of “poisonous propaganda” against the Defense Forces.
In response to the alleged “harassment” of the Defense Forces, Colonel Getnet Adanem, the Public Relations Director of the Defense Forces, issued a statement on Tuesday, July 25, 2015. He reported that the army had faced two incidents of being fired upon in the Amhara region. The first incident occurred when members of the Army’s North West Command were moving to visit the Gorgora project and were shot at by attackers in the vicinity of a new church called “Semerech.”
Colonel Getnet disclosed that during the return of Defense Forces members, there was an “attempt to open fire” in the area of Koladba, Azezo Exit, and Stone Grinder. He emphasized that the Defense Forces would respond firmly to such attacks.
Apart from the Defense Forces’ reports of attacks, Dr. Yelkal’s statement further highlighted the gravity of the situation, indicating that violence is also being observed within the region’s security structure. He urged an end to the killings and the immediate return to peaceful means of addressing grievances, as the conflict continues to take a severe toll on human lives in the region.
