ADDIS ABABA, Reuters -Ethiopia has declared a state emergency after Tigray forces claimed they had gained territory and were considering marching against Addis Ababa.

This announcement about state-affiliated media was made two days after Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, urged citizens take arms against Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

On Tuesday morning, Addis Ababa authorities instructed residents to register arms and to prepare for defense of their neighborhoods.

The TPLF had claimed to have taken several cities in the past days, and that it is considering marching on Addis ababa. This city lies approximately 380 km (235 mi) from their forward positions.

This was last used in Ethiopia six months before the Abiy transition. People were restricted from moving and curfews enforced, with thousands detained.

According to the city administration, people were asked to register their guns and meet up in their neighborhoods. A statement stated that house-to-house searches are being carried out and that troublemakers were being arrested.

It stated that residents can meet in their own locality to protect their environment. It said that those who possess weapons and are unable to protect their environment should hand over the weapon to government officials or close family members or friends.

Before the announcement, normal people circulated around the capital like everyone else.

I will make an effort to purchase food products in advance. But so far I haven’t yet purchased anything,” said one woman, who asked not to be named.

Fana TV, a state-affiliated broadcaster said that four regions’ governments called for Ethiopians mobilization to combat the Tigrayan forces.

On the night of November 3, 2020, forces loyal to TPLF – which included some soldiers – seized Tigray military bases, a northern region, and began a conflict. Abiy then sent additional troops.

After dominating national politics for almost three decades, the TPLF lost much of its influence after Abiy was elected in 2018, following many years of protests against government policies.

Relationships with the TPLF were strained after they accused Abiy of centralizing power at Ethiopia’s expense – an accusation Abiy strongly denies.

TOWNS REPORTED

Getachew Reda, spokesperson for the TPLF stated that if Tigrayan forces with their allies were able to remove the government they will establish an interim government.

He stated, “If the government collapses, we will certainly have an interim arrangement.”

He said that there would need to be an international dialogue. Abiy, his ministers, would not be invited to participate.

He said, “They’ll have their day at court.”

The government also stated that it would like to bring the leaders of the TPLF to trial.

In recent days, the TPLF claimed Dessie, Kombolcha, and Burka as their captives in Amhara.

A government spokesperson denied Dessie and Kombolcha’s capture, but then released a statement claiming that TPLF “infiltrators” had murdered 100 young people in Kombolcha.

On Tuesday, spokespersons for the military, the government and Amhara did not respond to calls.

On Monday night, Tigrayan forces said they had linked up https://www.reuters.com/article/ethiopia-conflict-link-idAFL8N2RS5NL with fighters from an Oromo force also fighting the central government. Ethiopia’s most populous ethnic group, the Oromo is Oromo. Many Oromo political leaders currently reside in prison.

U.S. ALARM

Conflict in Tigray, once an ally of the West in volatile regions has thrown around 400,000 Tigrayans into hunger and killed many more. It also forced 2.5 million northerners to flee their homes.

According to the U.S. special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Tuesday’s statement indicated that Washington was concerned by the dire humanitarian situation in northern Africa and called on all parties to seek ways of de-escalating the conflict and to allow assistance in.

Jeffrey Feltman claimed that Washington was experiencing signs of famine or near-famine. He said that most government restrictions were preventing humanitarian assistance from reaching the people.

The government has denied blocking food assistance.

The U.S. administration also made allegations against Ethiopia on Tuesday. It claimed that the country had committed “gross violations” of internationally recognised human rights and planned to expel it from the African Growth and Opportunity Act of trade agreements. (AGOA) gives Ethiopia free access to the United States.

Abiy implemented significant political reforms in his first term as president, but rights groups have claimed that many of those freedoms are now being rescinded.

In 2019, he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end a decades-old border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Later, troops from Eritrea, whose president was an arch-enemy to the TPLF entered Tigray in support of Ethiopian forces.

After numerous reports of serious human rights violations in Tigray, the Eritreans retreated from Tigray’s majority. However, if they return, it could slow down the TPLF progress. The Eritreans deny any involvement in the abuses.