May 29, 2025
By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA— General Demelash Gebremichael, Commissioner of the Ethiopian Federal Police, declared in a press briefing today that the country’s overall security situation has “significantly improved.” According to the Commissioner, “from Addis Ababa to all four corners of the nation, peace and security have strengthened to a high degree,” citing coordinated law enforcement efforts involving federal, regional, and local forces.
He stated that Ethiopia’s Federal Police are now “actively deployed across all regions” and that over 600 key federal and development institutions are under “reliable protection.” The Commissioner also praised the cooperation between the police, regional administrations, and the military under a command post system, particularly in Oromia and Amhara, for curbing” criminal activity and insurgency.”
However, independent reports and local developments starkly contrast the Commissioner’s optimistic portrayal. In the Amhara region, particularly in North Shewa, towns such as Debresina and Shewarobit remain under command post — a state of emergency-like military administration — due to persistent security concerns. The presence of Fano militias and ongoing intermittent skirmishes with government forces have continued to make the area a conflict zone, despite official claims of restored order.
According to a March 2025 report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), clashes in the Amhara region have resulted in “serious human rights violations,” including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and forced displacement. The report warns of a “continued climate of insecurity” especially in rural and semi-urban areas of Amhara.
Meanwhile, tensions are resurfacing in the Tigray region. The humanitarian situation remains dire, as access to aid is inconsistent, and thousands remain internally displaced following the two-year civil war that ended with the Pretoria Agreement in November 2022.
The Commissioner also mentioned prior threats from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Oromia, noting that a joint security campaign had “restored calm,” though local sources report continuing insecurity in parts of Western Oromia, including Horo Guduru Wollega.
While federal authorities point to coordinated security efforts as a turning point, analysts argue the measures are largely militarized and fail to address underlying political grievances, especially in Amhara and Tigray. “Military command posts do not guarantee long-term stability. Without genuine dialogue, the risk of renewed conflict remains high,” an anonymous Horn of Africa expert at Addis Ababa University told Borkena.
Despite the Commissioner’s confident remarks, the presence of federal troops in civilian areas and the imposition of command posts suggest that Ethiopia’s internal conflicts are yet to be genuinely addressed, the expert added.
__