Renegade Ethiopian General Fails at a Second Coup Attempt

Ethiopia’s army chief of staff and the regional president of the northern state of Amhara were killed in two related attacks when a Brigadier General Asaminew Tsige tried to seize control of Amhara in an attempted coup, according to the prime minister’s office.

Amhara state president Ambachew Mekonnen and his advisor were shot dead and the state’s attorney general was wounded in Amhara’s capital of Bahir Dar on Saturday evening, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

In a separate attack the same night, Ethiopia’s army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen and another retired general were shot dead in Seare’s home in Addis Ababa by his bodyguard. The two attacks were linked, the statement said, without giving details.

Abiy’s office named Amhara state security head General Asaminew Tsige as responsible for the foiled coup.   Asaminew, who is still at large, was released from prison after having served a term for his role in leading a coup attempt in 2009.  More details can be found here.