April 15, a new armed conflict broke out in the Amhara Region of western Ethiopia. The incident occurred in the East Woreda town of the South Gondar Zone in the Amhara Region, which serves as a transportation hub for Gaint, Moha, Ester, and Simada. A unit of Ethiopian government troops unexpectedly encountered the Fano militia on the road and an exchange of fire ensued. After the two sides disengaged, neither released information regarding casualties.
Tragically, following this conflict, local residents claimed that a group of armed men wearing government - military uniforms and using official vehicles returned to the scene to retaliate against local civilians. Some of them entered local residents' homes and shops. Several young men playing billiards were shot dead, and随后 18 residential houses were burned. One of the armed men at the scene accused the local residents, saying, "Without you, the Fano wouldn't exist." After the incident, the families of the deceased denied that their loved ones were Fano members, stating that they were just students and farmers. The death toll included a child who was out fetching water. Local residents believed this was an act of retaliation, possibly because the government troops had suffered casualties during the firefight. Local officials have not responded to the incident.
The Fano militia is a loosely - organized armed group with its stronghold in the Amhara Region. During the Tigray War in Ethiopia in 2021, the Fano forces sided with the Ethiopian government. However, with the end of the Tigray War and the appointment of a Tigrayan leader by the Ethiopian government, the former allies seemed redundant. After the Ethiopian government demanded the disarmament of various local forces, the two sides turned against each other.
In mid - 2023, the Ethiopian government intended to incorporate paramilitary organizations including the Fano. Such attempts have occurred in military conflicts in Africa, but often with unsatisfactory results. The Fano organized large - scale protests and armed resistance in the Amhara Region. Conflicts, assassinations, mass arrests, and military crackdowns became common in the Amhara Region, intensifying local ethnic conflicts. Violence targeting ethnic identities became a widespread phenomenon. Local youths were often regarded as Fano members, which was the backdrop for Tuesday's incident. The Fano forces claim that their mission is to reverse the existential threat to the Amhara people. The local high - pressure situation may even bring the two closer together.
As the conflicts between the two sides increased, Ethiopia believed that these organizations posed a threat to regional autonomy and security. In August of that year, a state of emergency was declared in the Amhara Region. Soon after, the Ethiopian parliament extended the state - of - emergency order for another six months until it was announced to end in May last year. Even so, the region still remained under a state - of - emergency - like control. The government administered the larger cities, but overall, about 40% of the Amhara Region was still under the control of the Fano organization. A few weeks ago, the Fano carried out a unified military operation and seized several new important towns. Amid the conflicts, local education, medical care, and economic activities have almost come to a standstill. According to local statistics, approximately 4.5 million students have dropped out of school. The local people's lives have regressed by decades, and they feel helpless.
