The organizational structure of regional special forces no longer exists "starting from today," said Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, chief of staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, as cited by local media.
The announcement was made during a review session of the regional special forces’ reorganization process into federal and regional security institutions attended by defense generals, federal police, and regional officials.
“From today there is no organization and structure called regional special force," the field marshal is quoted as saying.
It is expected that the forces will be soon transported to their assigned places and put into training based on their choices of reintegration. He stated that as of now, the country's security structure consists of defense, as well as federal and regional police, highlighting that there will be no force that accepts missions or duties in the name of regional special forces.
The field marshal noted that with the reorganization of regional special forces, a strong national security institution will be built. He recalled that the main reasons for the start of reorganization process were the illegitimacy of regional special forces, the security threat they represent to the regions, as well as their tendency to solve issues by force.
On April 6, protests reportedly erupted in the Amhara region after the federal government announced the start of "practical activities" to dissolve the regional state special forces and reorganize them into regular regional and federal police, and the national army. Clashes were reported between government security forces and civilians protesting the reorganization, as well as between members of the regional special forces and the national army.