JAKARTA - Ethiopia declared a six-month state of emergency on Tuesday, after troops from the northern region of Tigray said they controlled territory and were considering marching in the capital Addis Ababa.
The announcement came two days after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged citizens to take up arms to defend themselves against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Earlier, on Tuesday authorities in Addis Ababa told residents to register their weapons and prepare to defend their environment.
The state of emergency was imposed immediately after the TPLF claimed to have captured several towns in recent days and said it would parade in Addis Ababa, about 380 km (235 miles) south of their front position.
"Our country faces grave dangers to its existence, sovereignty and unity. And we cannot eliminate this danger through the usual law enforcement systems and procedures," Justice Minister Gedion Timothewos told a government press conference, citing Reuters on Nov. 3.
He said anyone violating the state of emergency would face three to 10 years in prison for offenses such as providing financial, material or moral support to a "terrorist group".
Ethiopia last imposed such a measure in February 2018 for six months, ahead of the transition of power to Abiy. A curfew was imposed and the movement of people was restricted, while thousands were detained.
The city government of Addis Ababa said people should register their guns and gather in their neighborhoods. A house-to-house search was being carried out and the troublemaker was arrested, a statement said.
"Citizens can gather in their neighborhood and protect their environment. Those who have weapons but cannot take part in protecting their environment are advised to hand over their weapons to the government or their close relatives or friends."
Prior to the announcement, people continued to carry out their usual activities around the capital. "I will try to buy food commodities first. But until now I haven't bought anything," said a woman who did not want to be named.
The governments of four of Ethiopia's 10 regions have also called on Ethiopians to move against the Tigrayan forces, state-affiliated Fana TV said.
To note, the conflict in what was once considered a stable ally of the West in the volatile region has plunged some 400,000 people in Tigray into starvation, killed thousands of civilians and forced more than 2.5 million people in the north to flee their homes.
The conflict erupted on the night of November 3, 2020 when forces loyal to the TPLF, including several soldiers, seized a military base in Tigray, northern region. In response, Abiy sent more troops there.
The TPLF has dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades but lost much of its influence when Abiy took office in 2018 after years of anti-government protests.
Relations with the TPLF soured after they accused it of centralizing power at the expense of regional Ethiopian states - a charge Abiy denies.
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