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As the Ethiopian government is making claims, through the Defense Chief of Staff who on Friday claimed that “the radical group”, as he calls it, is weakened, reports are emerging that fighting between Ethiopian Defense Force and Fano forces is continuing in some areas of the Amhara region.
DW Amharic service on Friday cited residents from the areas to report that while relative calm was restored yesterday and today in some parts of Amhara region, there are also areas where there is intense fighting. Dega Damot zone of West Gojjam, Feres Bet and Dembecha ( also in Gojjam) are some of the areas where continued fighting is reported.
The source added that fighting in the locality of Angelle has been going on since Wednesday of this week and it is said to be an intense one. Another fighting is reported in Woyne Wuha locality between Mota and Ferese Bet.
In Gondar, the fighting was Este – and residents from the area have confirmed it, according to DW Amharic report.
However, no detail is available regarding the number of casualties from those fighting.
Earlier this week there were confirmed reports that government forces were shelling residential areas and social service giving institutions like hospitals. It happened in Debre Tabor. It happened in Debre Markos.
In Debre Markos at least 100 people were reportedly killed. The United Nations Human Rights this week reported that at least 183 people have been killed since July of this year and following the declaration of the state of emergency in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.
What is indicated in many news reports that cited hospital sources from the region is that many of the victims are civilians including women and children.
There are also areas where the Ethiopian Defense Force summarily executed unarmed young men in what appears to be intimidating youth groups in the region to not join or support Fano forces who say they are struggling to reverse existential threat against Amhara. Tens of thousands of ethnic Amhara have been massacred in the Oromo and Benishangul regions of Ethiopia in the past five years.
Regarding the recent conflict in the Amhara region, the Ethiopian government, so far, did not disclose the number of casualties from the conflict.
On Friday, Chief of the Defense Force, Field Marshal Berhanu Jula said, in a press statement aired by the state media, that the Defense Force has achieved good results in the mission in the Amhara and Oromia region. He described Fano forces rather as banditry who are using Fano name as a cover. Evidently, Fano forces have strong support in the Amhara region and beyond.
On the other hand, Video footage purportedly showing hundreds or thousands of captured government soldiers was circulating on social media platforms. The Defense Chief of Staff said he was fighting in the Amhara region with only 10 percent of his forces.
Impact of the war
Apart from civilian killings, residential areas and social service providing institutions in some parts of the region have sustained serious damage. There is accusation that government forces are deliberately attacking civilian targets. There are cases where government soldiers reportedly emasculated young men – a practice that is strange as far as the history of the Ethiopian Defense Force is concerned.
In a country where millions are said to be in danger of famine, the war in Amhara region has also complicated economic and social activities affecting millions of families.
Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and international organizations have been calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the region. It fell on a deaf ear as far as
In a statement published on August 14, 2023 – Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said ” Access to basic services including electricity, water, banking services, hospitals, schools, telephone and internet services have been disrupted in many areas. Shops have also been closed, and the fighting has forced residents to confine themselves to their homes and prevented them from carrying out their daily routines. Humanitarian assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Amhara region has been interrupted due to the conflict and the blocking of roads.”
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“”The Defense Chief of Staff said he was fighting in the Amhara region with only 10 percent of his forces. This speaks volumes—Fannos are much neglected, and riff-raff are hiding in foxholes. Fannos cannot do anything except endanger the lives of peaceful amharas, bring about total irreparable destruction of infrastructure, and destroy the social fabric among all nations and nationalities that have lived in harmony and intermarried for ages.
—— Dismantle the mahibrekidusan-satanic organization sponsoring genocide and killings of fanno against innocent non-Amhara Ethiopians.———-