Resignation of the President of Ethiopia's Amhara Region

Ethiopian state media reported that the President of the Amhara region, Aijignu Teshager, resigned today, Friday, and another was appointed in his place. The Amhara region has been suffering from bloody clashes that erupted late last month between the army and a local militia. The Amhara Media Corporation stated that Yelkal Kifali resigned during an emergency meeting of the regional council. Arega Kibet took over his position; Kibet previously led an official armed group operating under the oversight of the regional government authority. The corporation reported that Yelkal mentioned in his farewell speech to the council that he submitted his resignation letter to the ruling Prosperity Party for the first time eight months ago, but the recent crisis compelled him to stay longer. In April, violent protests erupted in Amhara, the second most populous region in Ethiopia out of 12, after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered the integration of regional security forces into the federal police or army. Many residents of Amhara viewed this as an attempt to undermine the security of the region. The federal government denied this, stating that the decision was aimed at strengthening national unity. Similar grievances led to clashes that erupted late last month between the army and Fano, a local militia in Amhara that fought alongside federal forces during the two-year civil war in the neighboring Tigray region, which ended in November. Residents and activist groups reported that federal forces managed to drive Fano militia fighters out of most major towns earlier this month, but fighting continues in rural areas.