Rallies were taken out today by people across the troubled Amhara region of Ethiopia. Thousands marched for peace. Since last year, an armed conflict has been ongoing in the region.
People took out rallies in Dessie, Kombolcha, Sekota, Injibara, Bahir Dar, Gondar, Debre Markos, Debre Work, Adet, Liben and several other towns and cities. They displayed banners and placards calling for peace and end to war.
Today’s rallies were backed by the government. For days, Amhara regional government and security forces have been making preparations for today’s rallies.
Amhara region has been seriously destabilized because of fighting between Fano fighters and security forces. The conflict began last year when security forces tried to disband and disarm Amhara Fano militias which were trained and armed to fight against Tigray fighters. The war between Tigray fighters and federal forces ended in November 2022. After that, government’s attempt to disband Fano militias backfired and that led to the start of an armed resistance movement in the Amhara region.
Interestingly, Fano groups issued statements yesterday, warning people against attending today’s rallies. Despite threats from Fano, thousands of people were seen in today’s rallies.
Armed conflict has severely affected the educational and business activities in the region. Tens of thousands of students are out of schools. Famine like situation is unfolding in some parts of the region as aid organization are unable to reach the people in need.
No serious talks have been held between Fano and government so far. Both sides believe that through the use of force they can achiever their objectives.
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