Ethiopian army chief & Regional President shot dead in coup attempt

Ethiopia’s army chief of staff and the regional president of the northern state of Amhara were killed in two related attacks over the weekend.

Amhara President Ambachew Mekonnen was killed in his offices by ‘mercenaries’ in Bahir Dar, while the army chief, Seare Mekonnen, was shot dead in Addis Ababa, the office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.

According to the Prime Minister’s spokeswoman Billene Seyoum, a “hit squad” led by Amhara’s security chief Asaminew Tsige burst into a meeting in the state offices of Amhara’s capital, Bahir Dar, on Saturday and shot regional government President Ambachew Mekonnen and his adviser Ezez Wassie.

Amhara is home to Ethiopia‘s second-largest ethnic group of the same name and their native tongue, Amharic, is also the country’s official language.

In a separate attack, Ethiopia’s army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen and another retired general were shot dead by his bodyguard in Seare’s home in Addis Ababa.

The army intelligence general said the coup was meant to create chaos and division in the military. He said the military now has control over the situation.

Brigadier General Tefera Mamo, the head of special forces in Amhara, told state television that “most of the people who attempted the coup has been arrested, although there are a few still at large.

As a reminder, Abiy took office just over a year ago and embarked on unprecedented reforms in Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country and one of its fastest-growing economies.

But the premier’s shakeup of the military and intelligence services has earned him ferocious l enemies.