| Ethiopian Regional Special Forces | |
|---|---|
| የኢትዮጵያ ልዩ ሀይል | |
| Active | 2007–present |
| Country |  Ethiopia |
| Allegiance | Ethiopian Federal Police |
| Branch |  Ethiopian National Defense Force |
| Type | Paramilitary Gendarmerie |
| Role | Gendarmerie Reserve army Counter-insurgency Internal security Light infantry |
| Size |
|
| Equipment | AK-47 AKM Type 56 RPK PKM RPD DShK Dragunov SVD FN FAL RPG-7 WZ-551 |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Birhanu Jula (Chief of General Staff) |
The Ethiopian Regional Special Forces (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ልዩ ሀይል) is the gendarmerie and paramilitary force of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. It was first established in 2007 by the order of the federal government in order to counter the insurgency in the Somali Region. it has the specialized task to maintain regional and nationwide security and counter any form of insurgencies and terrorist incidents.
In 2015, the Ethiopian government announced that the Regional Special Forces were fully integrated.
Background and role
The Regional Special Forces were first introduced in Ethiopia by the government and foreign assistance in 2007 during the Insurgency in Ogaden. They evolved to operate in all regions in Ethiopia and restructured to operate similar to that of the US National Guard. The Regional Special Forces are a gendarmerie as well as a reserve force deployed by the federal government to maintain security primarily against insurgencies. The regional forces are heavily armed and receive military training, and they grew exponentially in size following the recruitment of senior Ethiopian military officers into their ranks. As the Regional Special Forces do not have legal provision compared to the federal and regional government police, all regional state governments use the Regional Special Forces, remaining the dominant figurehead behind settling international border security and intrastate conflicts, that are mandated by the federal government forces.
On 15 April 2015, the government announced that the unit was fully integrated. The role and status of the Regional Special Forces have been contested. On 6 April 2023, the Ethiopian government decided to dismantle the Regional Special Forces unit in the Amhara Region (Amhara Special Forces) by integrating them into the National Defense Force, the Federal Police and the regional police unit which resulted in large-scale protests that ultimately lead to the start of the ongoing War in Amhara.
Regional branches
Amhara Regional Special Forces
The Amhara Regional Special Forces is headed by the commander-in-chief of the Regional Special Forces. In April 2023, the Ethiopian government's plan to dismantle the paramilitary structure of the regional forces and integrate them into the ENDF, Federal Police, and regional police units led to massive protests in the Amhara region that ultimately led to the outbreak of the War in Amhara.
Oromia Regional Special Forces
The Oromia Regional Special Forces maintains security situation in the Oromia Region. The Oromia regional forces have been accused of collaborating and being complicit in the atrocities of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in western Oromia. In May 2024, the OLA and Oromia regional forces were accused as perpetrators for an attack in the Bulen district of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.
See also
References
- "Actor Profiles - Ethiopia Peace Observatory - ACLED". Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ "The Special Police in Ethiopia | EIP". www.eip.org. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- ^ Staff Reporter (2023-04-08). "In Defense Of Dissolution Of Regional Special Forces | The Reporter | Latest Ethiopian News Today". www.thereporterethiopia.com. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- "Dismantling the Regional Special Forces in Ethiopia: Assessing Its Constitutionality | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- Endeshaw, Dawit (2023-04-06). "Ethiopia to dismantle regional special forces in favour of 'centralized army'". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- Account (2023-08-15). "50 percent of defunct Amhara Special Force joined Fano, says Minister of Peace". Borkena Ethiopian News. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- "Why Ethiopia's Amhara militiamen are battling the army". 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- Account (2024-05-07). "Oromia Special Force, OLF Shane opened joint attack to control goldmine in Benishangul". Borkena Ethiopian News. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- "Oromia Special Zone and North Shewa Zone Conflict". Ethiopia Peace Observatory. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-11-08.