AU pledges support for reforms in Ethiopia — after failed coup

Moussa Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), has commiserated with victims of the failed coup in Ethiopia.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mahamat said the AUC supports the national reform and reconciliation agenda of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat wishes to express his deepest condolences to the families of the national figures killed in the tragic events that occurred on Saturday 22 June 2019 in the Amhara region and in the capital Addis Ababa,” the statement read.

“The Chairperson also wishes to reiterate the steadfast support of the African Union Commission to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in their pursuit of the national reform and reconciliation agenda in the country.”

On Saturday, Seare Mekonnen, chief of staff of the Ethiopian army, was shot dead alongside Ambachew Mekonnen, regional governor of Amhara, amid a reported coup attempt in the northern region.

Speaking after the failed coup, Ahmed urged Ethiopians to unite in the face of “evil forces” set on dividing the country.

Ethnic violence has been on the rise in Amhara and other parts of Ethiopia in recent years.

The prime minister’s shake-up of the military is said to have earned him “powerful enemies”, while his government is struggling to contain the ethnic violence.