Ethiopia: Army frees Major Towns in Northern Amhara
The Ethiopian Government on Wednesday announced that major towns in the northern Amhara region had been liberated, after several days of deadly fighting between the federal army and local militias (Fano).
The General Directorate of the State on Emergency, a Government body, later claimed that six major Amhara towns including the regional capital Bahir Dar had been freed from the threat of bandits and curfew has been imposed in all six towns.
The Government declared a state of emergency for six months on Friday, following an upsurge in violence in this part of Africa’s second most populous country, just nine months after the end of a devastating conflict in the neighboring region of Tigray.
Amhara troops, including regional special forces and the nationalist Fano militia, were key allies of the government during the war between November 2020 and November 2022.
But they have been at odds with the federal authorities since April, after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced his intention to disband the special forces, paramilitary units created by many regional states over the last fifteen years. Amhara nationalists see this as a move to weaken their region.
After several days of clashes, however, federal forces appear to have repelled the fighters. On Tuesday evening, the Amhara government announced the return of relative peace and stability, and on Wednesday, the General Directorate of the State on Emergency stated that federal forces were in the process of dispersing the militia fighters.
Earlier in the day, residents reported that Fano fighters had been pushed back by the army in Gondar and Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site for its ancient rock-hewn churches.
“Things seem to be changing today. The Army has taken control of most parts of the city after heavy fighting in recent days.” said Simachew, a tuktuk driver in Gondar:
“The engagement has been supported by tanks and armored vehicles which are still in the city”, he continued, claiming that the Fano have been pushed back into just one neighborhood, where fighting is still ongoing.
In Lalibela, the Fano have left the town and are in the surrounding forest.
Ethiopian Airlines announced that it would resume flights to Bahir Dar and Gondar on Thursday. Services to Lalibela and Dessie airports remain suspended.
Africanews/Jane Aluko
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