Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said General Seare Mekonnen was one of several casualties in the attack amid the coup attempt in Amhara Region.
ADDIS ABABA (Semonegna) – Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, PhD, says the country’s defense chief of staff has been shot following unrest in the northern Amhara region.
Appearing on State television dressed in military fatigues, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also said several officials had been killed in an attack in the Amhara Regional State’s capital Bahir Dar.
Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary said, on an interview with the State television, that there had been an “attempted coup” in Amhara Region.
Reports say the internet is down in the country. Further, residents in Bahir Dar reported hearing heavy gunfire.
Dr. Abiy Ahmed, on a televised session, said General Seare Mekonnen was one of several casualties in the attack amid the coup attempt. Later, Billene Seyoum, his Office Secretariat, told Reuters that it was unclear whether General Seare had been killed or wounded during the attack.
According to Abiy Ahmed, regional government officials were in a meeting when a coup attempt occurred.
“There are a few people who were killed while others were injured,” Abiy said.
The US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs said it was also aware of reports of gunfire in the national capital Addis Ababa.
“Ethiopia: The U.S Embassy is aware of reports of gunfire in Addis Ababa. Chief of Mission personnel are advised to shelter in place” the Bureau posted on its official social media outlets (Twitter and Facebook).
Since coming to power in April 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been carrying out a wide range of reforms in the country, including economic and political reforms. He has already ended the 20-year conflict with neighboring Eritrea and taken steps to make the African second most populous country less authoritarian.
Abiy has embraced significant press and media freedom in the country, released political prisoners, removed bans on political parties and prosecuted officials accused of gross human rights abuses.
Regardless of a number of positive and encouraging reforms in the country, violence has become everyday event in different parts of the country. Ethnic conflicts and intercommunal tensions have become threats to the Prime Ministers reforms, especially in Amhara, Oromia and Southern regions, making the country a global leader on internal displacement. The Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) says, “Ethiopia had the highest figure, with 2.9 million new displacements, a considerable increase that influenced global trends.”