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Toronto – Ethiopian government forces reportedly entered Debark University campus on Thursday and opened fire on students in a move to suppress protest, sources reported. The University is located in North West Ethiopia in the Amhara region.
One student is reported dead and two others are wounded. As of now, the identity of the student killed is undisclosed and it is unclear if parents are informed. Borkena has contacted Debark University’s Public Relations via email to learn more information about it.
According to Ethiopian Media Service (EMS), the students were protesting about shortage of budget for student meals. The students were reportedly calling support from Fano fighters when government forces were rocking the campus with gunfire.
It is unclear if the University administration invited government forces to enter the campus or their arrival was unplanned. However, the source said hundreds of students were arrested following the incident but were released on Friday.
The protest in Debak University broke out against the background of a region-wide anti-government movement.
Opposition and support rallies in the region
A number of rallies were reported in many cities across the Amhara region of Ethiopia this week.
Many of them, as reported by Borkena earlier this week, were orchestrated by the government – apparently in a political move to undermine the Fano Forces – a rebel group with extensive support in the region and beyond. They were dispersed instantly due to the security situation. There were also cases when the pro-government rallies turned out to be anti-government protests.
Grenade explosions were reported in many of the cities where the government organized “Peace rallies.” Bahir Dar, Woldia and Dessie are among cities that have reportedly experienced explosion incidents related to the rallies. In Bahir Dar, the incident was in five locations. Police officers were reportedly killed in the attack that targeted the 2nd police station in the city.
There were also instances where there was exchange of fire between Fano forces and government forces. Debre Berhan , which is just 120 kilometers north of the capital Addis Ababa, is one of the examples where such an incident happened. No casualties reported.
Open anti-government protests were reported in areas that are entirely under Fano forces control.
Abiy Ahmed’s ruling Prosperity Party continues to face protest across the region
It has been nearly two years since the region that was once the main support base of Abiy Ahmed turned out to be one that is the leading anti-government movement.
The trend is related to promises that the Abiy Ahmed administration broke, as many in the region tend to believe. When Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister in 2018, he promised to unify the country by weakening the ethnic divide in the country and introducing democratic reforms to broaden the political space.
What unfolded after he took power is a multifaceted crisis especially in the Oromia and Benishangul Gumuz regions of Ethiopia where tens of thousands of ethnic Amhara were massacred.
The Fano movement emerged as a response to the widespread attack against Amharas. Its stated objective is to reverse existential threat against Amhara. The government rejects the view that ethnic Amharas are facing existential threat. It sees the group as “extremist” trying to “restore” the old form of government in Ethiopia – one that was in place before the TPLF took power.
The government has repeatedly claimed it has reached out for peace in the region. It envisages a scenario whereby the Fano rebels lay down arms and support the ruling party branch of the Amhara region under Arega kebede.
The Fano forces control much of the Amhara region including small towns and rural areas. In bigger towns and cities, there is an apparent anti-government sentiment and support for fano forces.
Before the military operation in the Amhara region, the Abiy Ahmed led government was at war with the TPLF led regional administration in Tigray which spilled over to Afar and Amhara regions claiming an estimated one million people. In the Oromia region, there has been fighting against ethnic Oromo insurgent group that calls itself “Oromo Liberation Army” for about five years now.
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