Borkena
Toronto – Kefyalew Dessie, a prominent Fano leader in South Gondar, was reportedly killed on Friday.
According to local sources with links to the region, he died in what appears to have been an intra-Fano battle.
Kefyalew served as the deputy commander of the Amhara Fano Popular Organization (AFPO) Gondar Command and was the commander of the Gebrie Fano force operating in South Gondar. He was said to lead one of the largest forces in the area.
Before assuming his role within the Fano forces—fighting against government troops after the latter launched a large-scale military campaign in the region in August 2023—he commanded forces against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in the Gashena area during the war between 2020 and 2022. Sources credit him with playing a key role in securing control of a fortified trench in that area.
The Amhara Fano Popular Organization (AFPO) has reportedly linked Kefyalew’s killing to what it describes as “TPLF mercenaries.”
This marks the second high-profile killing of a Fano leader in the area in less than two months. In early March of this year, Colonel Tadesse Eshete—military commander of the Gondar Teklay Gizat Command and head of the Planning and Strategic Division—was also reportedly killed in the area. Like Kefyalew, Colonel Tadesse Eshete operated under the AFPO.
There have been divisions within the Fano movement, which consist of multiple groups operating across the four main regions of Amhara region of Ethiopia: Gojjam, Gondar, Shewa, and Wollo. The AFPO claims to have forces active in all these areas.
Some observers argue that the Fano struggle—whose core mission, as stated by its fighters, is to “reverse the existential threat against the Amhara people”—has been hijacked by groups and conspirators allegedly driven by personal ambitions.
Others, as seen in social media discussions among activists, speculate that the Fano movement has been infiltrated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration. Reports suggest the government has been deploying significant financial resources to undermine the Fano movement.
Public pressure has mounted on Fano forces to resolve internal divisions and establish a unified command structure to better coordinate their efforts.
Earlier this month, Fano forces in Gojjam announced that the task of unifying under a single command was “90 percent complete.” For the past 24 days, Fano military campaigns have been coordinated under the theme “Operation Unity.” However, recent developments in areas like South Gondar—where Fano leaders have been repeatedly targeted—suggest that full unity remains elusive.
The Fano movement emerged in response to widespread killings and systemic violence against Amhara civilians in Oromia and other regions of Ethiopia.
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