Gojjam Fano Claims Special Operation Achieving Results Amid Intense Fighting

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Toronto – Intense fighting has reignited between Fano forces and government troops in the Gojjam area of Ethiopia’s Amhara region over the past two days. The escalation follows a massive deployment of government forces under the leadership of three military generals, whose names remain undisclosed.

Ethiopian Media Service (EMS) spoke with Asres Mare, head of the political division of Fano forces in Gojjam, on Wednesday. According to Asres, Fano forces declared a special operation in response to the government’s latest deployment, which aims to neutralize Fano in the region.

“We received information that a massive infantry force was deployed under three military generals, including forces previously on peacekeeping missions,” Asres Mare said during a phone interview. He added that Fano forces understood the need to arm themselves further, often using weapons seized from government troops. According to Asres, their special operation is yielding results, with some government forces reportedly surrendering and supplying fano forces with firearms.

As part of their strategy, Fano forces have imposed restrictions on vehicle mobility throughout Gojjam, allowing only ambulances to operate. The restrictions, in place for the past two days, are intended to obstruct the logistics supply of government forces, whom Asres referred to as “enemy forces.”

He also explained that the restrictions were implemented to protect civilians, claiming that government troops have been indiscriminately firing heavy weaponry from major roads, endangering public transport passengers. Recently, video footage purportedly showed government forces firing a Z23  near civilians on a main road in an unspecified location in Gojjam.

Asres further alleged that government forces have killed five civilians, including a mentally disturbed individual, since the start of the latest operation.

The Ethiopian Defense Force has not yet responded to the claims made by Gojjam Fano. However, on Monday, the military claimed to have annihilated Fano forces attempting to attack a Defense Force base in Adet, Gojjam, though Fano has not remarked on this. 

Meanwhile, Anchor Media reported on Wednesday that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has pledged to donor committees that his government will eliminate Fano and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) forces by the end of September. However, there appears to be no concrete evidence that government forces are making significant gains in their renewed operations in the Amhara region. The Federal government military operation in the Amhara region was intended to end within a few weeks when it was officially launched in August 2023.  But the government was unable to do so after well over a year and that it has lost thousands of defense forces in the process. 

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