“State of Emergency has been declared in the Amhara regional state”, the post in Afaan Oromoo reads, adding that it will last three months.
“The Ethiopian commando forces are taking actions against extremist Fano Amhara groups in Gojjam and Gonder earlier today”, the post goes on to claim.
Screenshot of the false post, taken on May 2, 2023
Gojjam and Gonder are major zones in the Amhara region.
The post was published on April 29, 2023 and has been shared more than 280 times since.
The post is accompanied by an image showing three soldiers holding rifles in the middle of a street.
According to article 63 of Ethiopia’s constitution (archived here), a state of emergency can be declared by the federal council of ministers and approved by parliament.
It can be declared due to “external invasion, a breakdown of law, occurrence of natural disaster or epidemic”. Once approved, it is effective for six months, and can be renewed by a two-thirds majority vote of parliament.
Ethiopia’s last state of emergency was declared in November 2021 during the war in northern...
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