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The United States has said it is concerned about recent mass arrest of journalists and community activists in Ethiopia.

In a statement shared on its social media platforms, the US Embassy in the capital, Addis Ababa, said that it shared calls made earlier by the state-affiliated Ethiopian Human Rights Communication (EHRC) for the authorities to respect the rule of law and adhere to due process.

At least 10 journalists and media personalities have been arrested in the past week in Addis Ababa and the country’s second-most populous region, Amhara.

On Monday, the authorities in Amhara announced that they had arrested more than 4,500 individuals in a campaign they said was aimed at enforcing law and order in the region.

According to the EHRC, many of the detainees were held without proper court warrants and it had been difficult for some family members to find where their loved ones were being kept.