Ethiopia’s government says it lost control of some areas in the Amhara region to militia fighters

By CARA ANNA
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s federal government says it has lost control of some districts and towns to militia fighters in the country’s Amhara region. Residents report heavy gunfire and military aircraft overhead in some areas on Monday. Ethiopia’s cabinet declared a six-month state of emergency last week. The federal government has tried to centralize security powers after the end of a devastating two-year conflict in the country’s Tigray region, where Amhara regional forces and militia were key allies of the federal military. Amhara residents accuse the government of trying to undermine their region. Authorities reject that but see the regional fighters as a threat to constitutional order.