(24, Jun,( Daily Mail))--Ethiopia's army chief, the president of Amhara state and three other top officials have been killed in two separate attacks. While the government has said the attacks took place within the context of an attempted coup in Amhara and are possibly linked, the overall motives remain murky.
Here are five questions about the situation:
- What happened? -
On Saturday, what the government has described as a "hit squad" entered a meeting of top Amhara officials and opened fire, killing regional president Ambachew Mekonnen, his top adviser and the state's attorney general.
A few hours later in Addis Ababa, some 500 kilometres (310) miles away, army chief Seare Mekonnen was shot dead by his bodyguard. A general visiting him was also killed. The government said he was co-ordinating the response to the "attempted coup" at the time. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office also said it appeared to be a "co-ordinated attack" without giving more details.
- Was it an attempted coup? -
French researcher Gerard Prunier, an Ethiopia expert, dismissed the idea of a coup. "There was no attempt at a coup d'etat, because a coup d'etat implies significant movement of troops or the seizing of control of strategic points like airports or media."
International Crisis Group analyst William Davison said there was no sign of an attempt at seizure of national power. "It was definitely an attack on the Amahra leadership and there may have been an ambition to take control of the regional government, but (the attackers') intentions are not clear," he told AFP.
"Hopefully the government will provide more information soon on the incidents and the connection between them."
- Who is responsible?- Read more from Daily Mail »
Here are five questions about the situation:
- What happened? -
On Saturday, what the government has described as a "hit squad" entered a meeting of top Amhara officials and opened fire, killing regional president Ambachew Mekonnen, his top adviser and the state's attorney general.
A few hours later in Addis Ababa, some 500 kilometres (310) miles away, army chief Seare Mekonnen was shot dead by his bodyguard. A general visiting him was also killed. The government said he was co-ordinating the response to the "attempted coup" at the time. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office also said it appeared to be a "co-ordinated attack" without giving more details.
- Was it an attempted coup? -
French researcher Gerard Prunier, an Ethiopia expert, dismissed the idea of a coup. "There was no attempt at a coup d'etat, because a coup d'etat implies significant movement of troops or the seizing of control of strategic points like airports or media."
International Crisis Group analyst William Davison said there was no sign of an attempt at seizure of national power. "It was definitely an attack on the Amahra leadership and there may have been an ambition to take control of the regional government, but (the attackers') intentions are not clear," he told AFP.
"Hopefully the government will provide more information soon on the incidents and the connection between them."
- Who is responsible?- Read more from Daily Mail »
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