TheWar in Amharais an armed conflict and insurgency in theAmhara RegionofEthiopiathat began in April 2023 between theFano militiaand theEthiopian government.The conflict started after the government attempted to dissolve theAmhara Special Forcesand other regional forces to "promote national unity." This move led to protests and armed resistance by local forces under Fano.[8]
War in Amhara | ||||||||
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Part of theEthiopian civil conflict (2018–present) | ||||||||
Map ofEthiopiashowing areas of Fano militia presence (in yellow) and areas under the control of the Ethiopian government (in red) | ||||||||
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Belligerents | ||||||||
Oromo Liberation Army | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
Eskinder Nega Meketaw Mamo Mesafint Tesfu Fantahun Muhabaw Zemene Kassie[6][7] Mihretu Wodajo[6] |
Abiy Ahmed Birhanu Jula Abebaw Tadesse Abraham Belay Yilkal Kefale(2023) Arega Kebede | Jaal Marroo | ||||||
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Tensions between Fano and the government had been growing for a year before the conflict. Although Fano fighters had allied with the government during theTigray War,relations soured after the2022 peace agreement,which Fano viewed as a betrayal. The government, in turn, saw Fano as a growing threat due to its unregulated nature.[9]In early 2023, the government enacted the first stage of its plan to recentralize the Ethiopian security services and moved to dissolve the Amhara regional special forces.[10]Some regional special forces joined Fano militants who began fighting against theEthiopian National Defense Force(ENDF).[9]Since then, the war has been largely fought in the regions ruralhighlands,though Fano has managed to penetrate urban areas.[11]
By mid-2023 much of the Amhara region had become a war zone[10]as Fano launched offensives in key cities, briefly taking control of some before being pushed back by the ENDF. A six-monthstate of emergencywas declared in August 2023 following a request from the Amhara regional government.[12]Fighting escalated in 2024, with renewed insurgent offensives in theGondarandGojjamzones and increased military operations by the ENDF. The conflict has resulted in the heavy use of airstrikes, clashes over key towns, and reports of rising civilian casualties.[13][14][15]During July 2024Fano launched a broad offensiveacross the region[16]and in October 2024, the Ethiopian military launched a large scalecounterinsurgencyoperation. Much of the Amhara countryside has come under Fano control, with reports of extortion, theft, and kidnapping becoming common.[17]West Gojjam zonein particular has seen severe levels of armed conflict since October.[18]
TheENDFhas been accused extreme human rights abuses and the indiscriminate employment ofdrone strikes.Human Rights organizations have accused the military ofextrajudicial killingsand attacks on medical facilities.[11]Amnesty Internationalreports the government has been arbitrarily detaining thousands of civilians ininternment camps.[19]Communication have been restricted and access denied to journalists attempting to report from the region.[20]The war has reportedly caused over 15,000 casualties, including combatants and civilians.[21]
Despite some local support, Fano's lack of centralized leadership has raised questions about the insurgency's sustainability. While the government has been unable to decisively defeat Fano, the militia has struggled to leverage its gains politically due to its decentralized nature.[9]International observers warn that the conflict risks destabilizing the entire country[22]as neither side appears capable of a military victory.[23]
Background
editTheAmhara peoplehave historically dominated Ethiopia's economic, cultural, and political spheres.[11]After theDergregime's fall in 1991, theTigray People's Liberation Front(TPLF) took control of the newly formed government, holding power for decades. ThisTigrayandominance in post-1991 governance mirrored the significant political influence that the Amhara had wielded through most of the20th centurysince EmperorMenelik II.[24]Over time, however, the TPLF's hold on power weakened as political groups from theOromo peopleand the Amhara increasingly resisted Tigrayan hegemony.[25]The Amhara youth movement known asFanoemerged during the widespreadprotests of 2016,where both Oromo and Amhara demonstrators protested against the TPLF-dominated federal government. The term dates back to the 1930s, originating during theSecond Italo-Ethiopian Warto describe volunteer Amhara fighters.[26]While Fano-led protests in theAmhara regionwere smaller in scale compared to those inOromia region,they were markedly more violent. Despite a shared resentment of the TPLF, little united the Amhara and Oromo long-term once the TPLF was replaced in 2018 by Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed'sOromo-dominated administration.[27]
Since the start of the21st century,Ethiopia's federal model has faced challenges from the rapid growth of regional security forces. In the early 2000s, theinsurgency in the Ogaden(theSomali Region) led to the creation of theLiyu(special 'police'), which was tasked withcounterinsurgencyagainst theOgaden National Liberation Front(ONLF) and became a 40,000 strong armed force by the end of the decade. Although established by the federal government, the Liyu answered primarily to the regional president. Following this development, other regions likeOromiaandAmharabuilt uptheir own sizeable forcesduring the 2010s. While Ethiopia's regions had the constitutional right to police forces, these "special forces" were trained more for combat than policing, posing a growing threat to the federal order and increasing tensions between regions.[28]In the following years theAmhara Liyuwere utilized by the government to suppress regional disorders.[29]During the late 2010s the threat posed by these forces began manifesting. During 2018, the Ethiopian military intervened in theSomali Regionin response to the threat posed by the Liyu, deposing the regional presidentAbdi Iley.In 2019, the head of the Amhara special forces, Brigadier GeneralAsaminew Tsige,ordered successful assassinations on the president of the Amhara region and the chief of staff of theEthiopian National Defense Force(ENDF). The ENDF intervened in response, killing General Tsige and some of his followers, which temporarily stabilized the situation.[30]
In 2020, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the century, theTigray War,erupted between the Ethiopian government and theTPLF.As hostilities unfolded in Tigray, Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmedenlisted tens of thousands of fighters from the neighboring Amhara region to join the fight against the TPLF. During the war, Amhara militants under the banner ofFanoseized contested areas of western and southernTigray region,carrying outethnic cleansing.[31]Fano had publicly claimed Tigray controlled northern districts ofWelkaitandRaya,as well as the southern district ofDerainOromiaregion be placed under the control of the Amhara Region.[32]Being forged inAmhara nationalismand the prophetic tradition of theEthiopian Orthodox Church,Fano groups often wear symbolic crosses associated with the envisioned revival of a new Ethiopian kingdom. Orthodoxclergyhave frequently supported Fano, withmonasteriesserving as meeting locations, and during the Tigray War, Amhara Orthodox priests attended battlefields to provide prayers and blessings.[33]The extreme violence during the ethnic cleansings carried out by Fano forced hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans to flee.[11][34]The Amhara Regional Special Force acquired significant amounts of weaponry during the war along with training fromEritrean militaryexperts[35]and the conflict allowed Fano to expand.[11]
In November 2022, thePretoria Agreementwas signed, formally ending the Tigray War. The agreement stipulated that the status of Tigray’s occupied areas would be resolved “in accordance with the constitution,” though in practice, the issue remained unaddressed, with a delayed response from the government.[17]Amhara forces were not signatory to the agreement.[11]In the wake of Pretoria, the Ethiopian government had come to view the partially demobilized and disarmedTigray Defense Forces(TDF) as a potential bulwark against Amhara militants.[36]Fano felt betrayed by the peace agreement with the TPLF, as the organization views the Tigrayans as the 'historical enemy' of the Amhara people.[37]The agreement also opened the door for theOromo Liberation Army insurgencyto intensify amidst security andprovisional reform in Tigray.The OLA had participated in massacres of ethnicAmhara'sin theOromiaregion.[38]Fighting had occurred between Oromo and Amhara militants during the Tigray War.[39]In May 2022, the Ethiopia government arrested thousands of people in the Amhara region in an attempt to weaken Fano.[40]
In early 2023, the government began to enact the first stage of its plan to recentralize the Ethiopian security services.[10]During early 2023, Amhara forces withdrew from Tigray region as stipulated per the Pretoria agreement.[41]In April 2023 the government attempted to dissolve theAmhara Special Forcesand other regional forces to "promote national unity." This move led to protests and armed resistance by local forces under Fano.[8]The regional special force was perceived by the Amhara people as a buffer against ethnic cleansing and territorial disputes.[35]The Ethiopian government saw armed Amhara groups such as Fano and the special forces as a growing threat due to their unregulated nature.[9]
Forces involved
editFanopresently consists of several insurgent factions that operate independently, without a unified command. These factions are organized locally, each with its own leader in different parts of theAmhara region.[42]It is active inShewa,Wollo,Gondar,andGojjam,where different groups have formed at varying times, often with differing characteristics.[43]Fano also lacks a unified platform as many of the factions have objectives that differ greatly in some instances.[9]The six insurgent factions and their respective leaders currently operating under the Fano umbrella are:[42]
- Amhara People's Army led byEskinder Nega
- Shewa faction inNorth Shewaled by Meketaw Mamo
- Wollo faction inWolloled by Mihret Wodajo
- Gojjam faction inGojjamled by Zemene Kase
- North Gondar faction inNorth Gondarled by Habte Wolde
- South Gondar faction inSouth Gondarled by Baye Kengaw
Efforts to unify Fano factions under a single leadership have faced significant challenges.Eskinder Negaof the Amhara People's Army was appointed as the organization's leader at one point, but several factions rejected his leadership. As of October 2024, no unified command structure has been established.[42]Fano commanders have stated that negotiations with the government will not be considered until the insurgency achieves internal unity. An previous attempt to organize peace talks fell apart due to internal divisions, which hindered the group’s ability to present a clear plan or position itself as a viable alternative.[9]
History
editCivil disobedience: April–August 2023
editIn early April 2023, federal forces stormed into the Amhara region to disarm regional and paramilitary forces. The local civilians moved to remote areas, as the resistant fighters joined a protest with police forces. On 9 April, large-scale protests were flared up in Gondar,Kobo,Seqota,Weldiyaand other cities, including road obstruction and setting tires ablaze to block the incoming Ethiopian Army.[44][45]The Ethiopian government started to repress opposition media in the region, as well as the killing aid workers by unknown assailants which led theWorld Food Programmeand other NGOs to stop aid operation in that area.[46]TwoCatholic Relief Services(CRS) were killed near town Kobo region.[47]According to theEthiopian Red Cross Society,one of their ambulance was shot by unknown militants inCentral Gondar Zone,injuring a midwife and driver.[47]
On 4 May, theEthiopian Human Rights Commission(EHRC) reported a series of militarised situations in the area ofNorth Gondar,North WolloandNorth Shewazones in the town ofShewa Robit,Armania,Antsokiyana GemzaandMajete.TheAmhara regional governmentaccused theFanomilitia's eastern faction for the assassination of the head of Amhara Prosperity PartyGirma Yeshitilaon 27 April.[48]Subsequently, the Ethiopian security forces arrested 47 suspects allegedly connected to the assassination plot, accusing them for plotting to overthrow the authorities. The public broadcasterEBCstated that the suspect caught in variety weapons and utilities including weapons, bombs and satellite communications equipment.[49]Amnesty International verified the extrajudicial killings of ENDF troops between 10 and 11 October 2023 against health workers, including threatening them with gunpoint.[50]
Escalation of insurgency: August 2023 – December 2023
editOn 1 August 2023, heavy fighting erupted between theFanomilitia and theENDFinDebre TaborandKobowhile ENDF troops attempted to push back Fano from these cities. Deputy Prime MinisterDemeke Mekonnenstated in a rare occasion that security problems in different areas of Amhara region were becoming "concerning."[51]On 2 August, Fano captured theLalibela Airport.Through the public broadcasterEBC,ENDF spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adane threatened to bring the military campaign against Fano if they continued "disturbing the country's peace". The Spanish embassy in Ethiopia urged tourists not to leave the city. Heavy clashes were reported aroundGondarthat same day.[52][51][53]On 3 August, Amhara regional governorYilkal Kefalerequested help from the ENDF to quell the clashes.[54]
On 4 August, the Ethiopian government declared astate of emergencyafter theAmhara regional governmentrequested federal troops for help. Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmedsaid that the declaration was necessary as it had become "difficult to control this outrageous activity based on the regular legal system." A curfew and warrantless arrests were introduced and public gatherings were banned.[12]Later it was reported that Gondar, Lalibela andDessiehad fallen under Fano control.[55][56]On 5 August, Fano militiamen claimed to have capturedMerawiand were aiming to encircleBahir Dar.[57]On the same day, the Ethiopian security forces announced that they arrested ten people connected to "the security crisis in Amhara".[58]
The Director-General of the Information Network Security AgencyTemesgen Tirunehstated on 6 August that irregular Amhara forces captured towns, released prisoners and seized government institutions. On 7 August, the Ethiopian government acknowledged they lost control in some towns and districts in the region.[59]They were able to push back Fano and control Gondar andLalibelain the following day. A Fano militiaman told to theReutersthat the ENDF was accompanied by anti-riot police and pro-government militiamen.[60][61]The military advanced their control into six towns and flight resumed.[62][63]
According to a statement by theEthiopian Human Rights Commission(EHRC), inDebre Birhancity, due to heavy fighting in four densely populated kebeles on 6 and 7 August 2023, civilians including in a hospital, church, and school as well as residents in their neighborhoods and workers in their workplaces were apparently killed due to fragments from heavy artillery or in crossfire. IDPs inDebre Birhanwere also at risk of being caught in the crossfire, particularly those in what is commonly known as the "China IDPs" site near Kebele 8, which hosts close to 13,000 people.[64]TheEHRCstated that it received credible reports that in many areas ofBahir Darcivilians were killed on the streets or outside their houses while some youths were specifically targeted for searches and subjected to beatings and killings. There are credible reports of many civilian casualties and damages to property in various parts ofGondarand extra-judicial killings inShewa Robitby the security forces, the details of which were yet to be fully investigated and verified as of 14 August 2023[update].[64]
On 13 August,the ENDF carried out a drone strikeon the town ofFinote Selam,killing 26 people according to the hospital source. TheEHRC(EHRC) later reported of shelling in Finote Selam that resulted civilian casualties.[65]
On 3 September 2023, the ENDF captured the town ofMajetefrom Fano. TheEEPAreported that the ENDF conducted door-to-door searches in the town and had committed extrajudicial killings against the residents, including the execution of young men. At least 70 civilians were killed in these executions.[66]On 24 September, Fano re-entered the city of Gondar and clashed with the ENDF. The ENDF sustained multiple casualties during this engagement.[67]
On 8 November, Fano briefly recaptured Lalibela by pushing back the ENDF base to rural areas, before the ENDF were able to seize the town in the following day. The government spokesperson,Legesse Tulu,criticize some reports that detail the violence during fighting.[68]The UN estimated on 17 November that nearly 50 civilians have died in the clashes over the past months.Seif Magango,a spokesperson for theU.N. human rights office,said in a statement that "It is imperative that all parties refrain from unlawful attacks and take all necessary measures to protect civilians."[69]
2024
editDuring 2024, Fano insurgents stepped up attacks on theENDF,while briefly holding several towns and cities.[14]On 3 January 2024, Fano clashed with ENDF in the city ofDebre Birhan.[70]On 8 January, Fano re-entered Gondar city for the third time and clashed with the ENDF. ENDF artillery use in the city reportedly resulted in up to 14 civilian deaths.[71]
On 24 February, the Ethiopian federal government had decided to close the road leading fromShewa RobittoDessiedue to heavy fighting in certain areas between the two cities.[72]On 29 February, Fano begun offensive operations against the ENDF in Bahir Dar. Multiple flights from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar have been reportedly canceled.[73]
On 3 March, Fano clashed with the ENDF in the city of Shewa Robit.[74]On 20 March, Oromo militants attacked Ataye and clashed against local Amhara militias.[75]On 22 March, Ethiopian Media Services reported thatBrigadier GeneralGaddissa Diro was killed by Fano forces inDega Damotworeda of Gojjam. It is reported General Diro was killed in Fano's offensive operation named Operation Wubante after Wubante Abate, a Fano commander in South Gondar who was killed in action earlier that week. Fano claims to have captured hundreds of ENDF prisoners of war in Gojjam over the three days since the operation had begun.[76]On 12 April, a shootout took place between federal police forces and Fano members near theMillennium HallinBole district,Addis Ababaresulted in deaths of two Fano militants and a civilian driver who was "coerced by the militants to pick them up" according to theAddis Ababa Federal Police Commissionstatement.[77]
July 2024–present: Fano offensive and ENDF counter-offensive
editDuring July Fano began a general offensive in the region, which as October 2024 has allowed the insurgency to control several rural areas while degrading federal forces ability to utilize the regional transport network.[16]On 15 July, internet service was resumed in the Amhara region after being shutdown the previous year.[78]On 22 July, Fano's Chief commander inNorth Shewa,Colonel Asegid Mekonnen, surrendered to the Ethiopian security forces.[79][80]Transportation betweenAddis AbabaandBahir Dar,the capital of Amhara region, was halted in August 2024 due to the fighting.[81]Furthermore, travel restrictions also imposed inWollo,ShewaandGondar.[82]
Fano seized the strategicEthiopia–Sudan bordertown ofMetemmaon the first day of September, aiming to cut off supplies of fuel and food coming across the border. After being disarmed, Sudanese authorities allowed ENDF troops to retreat into Sudan.[83]Gondar,a major city in the region, has seen a surge in violent crimes, including robbery, kidnapping, and murder.[84]On 17 September 2024, Fano militias started an offensive into Gondar claiming to have captured the city,[85][86][87]killing at least 9 people and injuring at least 30.[88]Dozens were confirmed killed during the fighting for the city at the end of September, andurban warfarein Gondar continued into October.[15]Since 28 September, hundreds of people in Amhara region have been subject toarbitrary arrest and detentionat the hands of the Ethiopian army and police.[89][90][91]
Between July and September 2024, insurgent attacks on the ENDF tripled compared to the same period in 2023.[11]
October ENDF counter-offensive
editThe end of therainy seasonhas resulted in an escalation in the war, as drier conditions have allowed troops to maneuver, and clearer skies has enabled greater use ofdrone strikes.[23]TheEthiopian National Defence Forceand the Amhara regional government announced that security operations would be intensified in a joint statement issued on 1 October 2024.[92][93]In what was described as the "final operation"[23]armed forces spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adane declared that, “The only language they [armed rebel groups] understand is force. From now on, we will talk to them in that language.”[94]TheEthiopian Air Forcehas been extensively employed throughout October as the government intensified its air campaign against Fano.Helicopter gunshipsanddroneshave reportedly been used throughout the region during the new ENDF operation.[95]West Gojjam zoneof Amhara region has seen severe levels of armed conflict since the start of the operation.[18]Tens of thousands of ENDF troops have poured into the Amhara region.[23]
At the start of October, Fano groups jointly issued a travel ban on all major roads.[96]On 3 October 2024, heavy fighting occurred in multiple localities of theSouth Gondar Zone.Residents reportedairstrikesbeing employed in several districts of the zone, reportedly in both rural mountainous and urban civilian areas.[15]For several weeks, the region has seen a significant influx of ENDF reinforcements.[14]Central Gondar Zone[15]andWest Gojjam Zonealso witnessed heavy fighting, particularly in the town ofFinote Selam,where ENDF artillery bombardment occurred until Fano withdrew on 5 October. However, hostilities resumed the following day as Fano launched a three-pronged offensive to retake the town. Fighting also occurred in theAgew Awi Zone.The ENDF continued to reinforce its presence across the region as “law enforcement operations” persist amidst escalating civilian casualties.[13]Over October, the intensity of the fighting escalated in multiple areas of the region. The town ofWeldiyasaw a brief but intense battle on 13 October after Fano forces launched an offensive on ENDF positions, and other towns in the area have reported coming under artillery fire.[97]From 19 to 20 October, the town ofDebarkin theNorth Gondar Zonewas the site of intense fighting. The ENDF announced after the fighting the "neutralization of terrorist group leaders and members, along with the seizure of weapons."[98]Over 50 people were reported killed in a drone strike carried out in urban areas of North Gojjam zone on 26 October.[99]Residents in the region reported being falsely accused of being Fano fighters and targeted by the ENDF.[100]The war has started causing disruptions to medical supply chains and ambulance services across the region[101]and fighting has carried on into the last week of October across several zones in the region.[102]
So far, the ENDF has in large part forced Fano to retreat into the mountains to wage its insurgency.[23]On 1 November,BBCAmharic reported that following insurgent attacks inEast Welega ZoneofOromia,regional authorities ordered legally armed Amhara residents to surrender their private weapons. This move has heightened tensions, with Amhara residents in Oromia’sGida Kiremudistrict reporting increased threats and attacks.[103]On 5 November, US Secretary of StateAntony Blinkenexpressed concern over the rising violence in the Amhara region in a phone call with Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed.[104]That same day, drone strikes and intense fighting erupted in theWest Gojjam Zonewhen the ENDF attacked a Fano training camp, resulting in casualties among militants and civilians. Clashes have reportedly escalated in the zone since then.[18]On 9 November, the town ofShewa Robitwas heavily shelled by artillery during a battle, and residents have reported living in a constant state of fear amid the ongoing war.[105]AnEthiopian Air Forcehelicopter reportedly crashed atBahir Dar Airporton 16 November.Gojjam Fanoclaimed they had downed the aircraft, while the ENDF denied any helicopter had crashed.[106]
The Ethiopian government has been unable to defeat Fano military so far, although Fano has been unable to capitalize on this politically due to its highly decentralized nature.[9]Fano claims to control more than 80% of the Amhara region, with the ENDF restricted to main towns and highways.[11]More than 300 civilians have died in drone strikes over the past year. The government has denied journalists access to the region and blocked mobile communication.[20]TheUnited Nationsis considering suspending relief operations, including food aid deliveries, following attacks on humanitarian workers in the region.[107]
Human rights violations
editThe war has allegedly resulted in over 15,000 casualties, both combatants and civilians.[21]TheEthiopian Human Rights Commissionsaid that many human rights violations have occurred throughout Amhara Region. The EHRC said that theEthiopian Air Force's airstrikes and drone strikes on the cities ofDebre Birhan,Finote Selam,andBurehas caused civilian casualties as well as damage to residential and public areas. Reuters reported that a drone strike on the town of Finote Selam left 26 civilians dead and 55 people injured.[108]Civilians inBahir Darwere reportedly dragged out of their homes and "killed on the streets or outside their houses while some youths were specifically targeted for searches and subjected to beatings and killings." People of Amhara origin in the Ethiopian capital ofAddis Ababawere reportedly subjected to widespread arrests by security forces.[109]
The EHRC also said it had received "credible reports" that extrajudicial killings by security forces had taken place inShewa Robitand that civilian casualties and property damage had occurred inGondar.[109]On 7 December, EHRC estimated the death toll of civilians up to 50 since the last November attacks. In other instance, EHRC also accounted OLA attacks in which they killed 17 people and burnt village in Benishangul-Gumuz Region, especially between 23 and 29 November after thefailed peace talksbetween the OLA and the government inTanzania.[110]
The violence has destabilized the regions medical system and made travel to facilities too dangerous for many residents.Human Rights Watchreported that Ethiopian army troops have beaten, arbitrarily arrested, and intimidated medical workers for treating patients suspected of being Fano. Hospitals have also been raided and ambulances attacked. More than 5,000 women have sought medical treatment forsexual abusesince the start of the war, though this is believed to be a fraction of the real toll by Ethiopian civil society groups.[11]
Dronestrikes in late 2023 mostly killed civilians, according to media reports.BBC Newsreported 30 to 40 people killed in a strike inSayintdistrict on 10 December.Al Jazeera Englishobtained footage of a 30 November drone strike that killed five civilians, including hospital staff, near Delanta Primary Hospital inWegel Tena.The footage showed an ambulance ablaze with its roof caved in, consistent with a direct aerial hit.[111]On 30 January 2024, ENDF reportedlycarried out a massacreinMerawithat resulted in at least 89 civilian deaths.[112][113]On 19 February, nearSela Dingay,Mojana Wedera districtan ENDF drone struck a truck full of civilians returning from a baptism resulting in at least 30 civilian deaths.[114]
Refugees displaced in the Amhara region due to the ongoingSudanese civil warhave increasingly become targets of abuse from various armed actors, including Fano and the ENDF.[115][116]
Reactions
editThe United States was "deeply concerned" about the violence, whileSpainand theUnited Kingdomwarned their citizens against traveling to parts of Amhara.[58]WHODirector GeneralTedros Adhanomstated on 7 August that "humanitarian access is difficult due to blockage of roads; communication is difficult due to internet suspension, conflicts have an immediate impact on people's health and can have grave, long-lasting consequences on health systems. We call for uninterrupted access and protection of health care in Amhara, so [that] WHO and partners can continue our work. Above all, we call for peace."[117]
See also
editReferences
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These operations are reportedly part of a broader Fano offensive that began in July, which has enabled Fano to establish control over certain rural areas in Amhara
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- ^abcGardner 2024,p. 341.
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These operations are reportedly part of a broader Fano offensive that began in July, which has enabled Fano to establish control over certain rural areas in Amhara
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The most dramatic consequence of the deal has been a quarrel between Mr Abiy and his erstwhile allies from Amhara, militias known as the Fano. During the course of the Tigray conflict the Amhara militias seized—and ethnically cleansed—large parts of western and southern Tigray.
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{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Standard2, Addis (15 July 2024)."Internet services resume across Amhara region after near year-long shutdown".Addis Standard.Retrieved15 July2024.
{{cite web}}
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