Ethiopian PM vows to dismantle regional military forces

WORLD, April 09 (YPA) – Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed vowed today to dismantle regional forces established by some states, warning that law enforcement measures would be taken against any “destructive” opposition.

The Ethiopian prime minister confirmed in a statement posted on his Twitter account that his country “faced difficulties with regard to special forces in the states,” pointing to the presence of illegal checkpoints, smuggling operations and banditry.

The initiative first announced on Thursday aims to integrate such forces, which were set up unilaterally by some states, into the federal army, regional police or civilian life.

Ethiopia’s constitution allows its 11 states, drawn up along linguistic and cultural lines, to operate their own regional police forces.

But over the last 15 years, some states have gradually established separate forces, acting outside these constitutional constraints.

E.M