The Ethiopian Joint Security and Intelligence Task Force has announced the arrest of at least 50 people whom it alleged attempted to create chaos in Addis Ababa and and its surrounding areas. The suspects were found in possession of weapons, bombs, and satellite communications equipment, it said. The task force further accused them of using the Ethiopian Orthodox Church premises as a center for covert activities. Critics, however, argue that these arrests are ethnically motivated, targetting Amahras. The Ethiopian government claims it is targeting those suspected of supporting the Fano rebels and its leader, Eskinder Nega, who is on the battlefield, and Dr. Wondewosen Assefa, and Professor Sisay Awegichew who are in government prison on “terrorism” charges.

Among the accused were government critics, political activists, and commentators based in the United States, including Dawit Woldegiorgis, former head of the Namibia-based Africa Institute for Strategic and Security Studies, and Habtamu Ayalew, and Mesai Mekonen, activists and journalists linked to Ethio 360, a DC-based social media platform.

State media have released two photos purportedly showing various weapons owned by these suspects but it has been revealed that the images were not authentic. Elias Meseret, a web-based journalist, pointed out that one photo was taken by Turkish security forces eight years ago showing weapons found at a checkpoint, while the other was published by Ethiopian state-owned media two years ago along with photos of individuals arrested for alleged ties to a terror group.