On Sunday, August 14, 2023, a suspected air strike hit the town centre of Finote Selam, in the West Gojam Zone of Ethiopia’s Amhara region, killing at least 26 civilians and injuring more than 50 others. The attack was the latest in a series of violent incidents that have rocked the region since April, when fighting broke out between the federal government and the Fano militia, an informal group that supported the government during the two-year war in the neighbouring Tigray region.
The Background of the Conflict
The conflict in Amhara is Ethiopia’s biggest security crisis since the civil war in Tigray ended in November 2022 with a peace deal between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a rebel group that had ruled the region for decades. The war in Tigray, which started in November 2020 after the TPLF attacked federal military bases, had killed thousands of people, displaced millions more, and triggered a humanitarian crisis that is still ongoing.
The Fano militia, which consists of mostly young men from the Amhara ethnic group, had fought alongside the federal forces against the TPLF during the Tigray war, claiming that they were defending their ancestral lands from Tigrayan expansionism2. However, after the peace deal was signed, the federal government ordered the Fano to integrate with the country’s police or military, or to disarm and return to civilian life2. The Fano refused to comply, accusing the government of trying to weaken Amhara’s defences and betraying their sacrifices2. They also demanded more autonomy and representation for Amhara, Ethiopia’s second-largest ethnic group after the Oromo2.
The tension between the federal government and the Fano escalated into armed clashes in April 2023, when the Fano attacked federal troops and police stations in several towns in Amhara2. The federal government declared a state of emergency on August 4, 2023, and launched a military offensive to quell the rebellion2. The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and disrupted essential services and supplies in the region12.
The Impact of the Drone Strike
The drone strike on Finote Selam was one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since the conflict started. According to eyewitnesses and health workers, an apparent armed drone dropped three bombs on a crowded market area around midday on Sunday, causing massive destruction and casualties12. Many of the victims were women and children who were shopping or selling goods at the time of the attack12. Some of them died at the scene or on their way to hospital, while others succumbed to their injuries at Finote Selam Hospital, which was overwhelmed by the influx of wounded people12.
The hospital official who spoke to Reuters said that they did not have enough capacity or resources to handle all the injured people. “The hospital did not have the capacity to handle even the ones who came yesterday,” he said. “There were more than 100 injured people who came in at the beginning, and many more after that.” He also said that they were running short of oxygen tanks and other essential supplies due to roadblocks in the area1.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), a state-appointed rights group, said that it had received credible reports of shelling and strikes in Finote Selam as well as two other locations in Amhara – Burie and Debre Birhan – resulting in civilian casualties2. It also said that its investigators had documented various human rights violations since the conflict started, including killings of protesters who blocked roads, looting of weapons and ammunition from police stations and prisons, targeting of Amhara regional administration officials, extrajudicial killings by security forces, and attacks on civilians by both sides2.
The Reaction of the Government and Other Parties
The Ethiopian government has not commented on the drone strike or EHRC’s statement. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his role in ending a long-standing border conflict with Eritrea, did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on Monday. Abiy has faced criticism from some Ethiopians and international observers for his handling of the conflicts in Tigray and Amhara, which have threatened to undermine his vision of creating a more united and prosperous Ethiopia under his Prosperity Party.
The Fano militia has also not issued any statement on the drone strike or the conflict in general. The group does not have a clear leadership or structure, and operates mostly through social media and word of mouth2. The Fano claims to have popular support among the Amhara people, who make up about 27 percent of Ethiopia’s population of 110 million2.
The Future of the Conflict
The drone strike in Finote Selam has highlighted the severity and complexity of the conflict in Amhara, which is intertwined with the unresolved issues in Tigray and the broader political and ethnic challenges facing Ethiopia. The conflict has exposed the deep divisions and grievances among Ethiopia’s diverse ethnic groups, who have different histories, cultures, languages, and aspirations2. It has also raised questions about the viability and legitimacy of Abiy’s reform agenda, which aims to transform Ethiopia from a federation of ethnically based regions into a more centralized and inclusive nation-state2.
The prospects for a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Amhara remain uncertain, as both sides seem determined to fight until their demands are met. The federal government has vowed to crush the Fano rebellion and restore its authority in the region2. The Fano militia has vowed to resist the government’s oppression and defend Amhara’s interests and identity2. Neither side has shown any willingness to engage in dialogue or compromise. Meanwhile, the civilian population continues to bear the brunt of the violence and suffering, as they face death, injury, displacement, hunger, disease, and human rights abuses.
The conflict in Amhara is not only a threat to Ethiopia’s stability and development, but also to regional peace and security. Ethiopia is Africa’s second-most populous country and a key ally of the West in combating terrorism and extremism in the Horn of Africa. It is also home to millions of refugees from neighbouring countries such as Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Eritrea. If the conflict in Amhara escalates or spreads to other parts of Ethiopia or beyond its borders, it could have devastating consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond.
Therefore, it is imperative that all parties involved in the conflict respect human rights and international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, allow unhindered access for humanitarian aid workers and journalists, refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and propaganda, and engage in constructive dialogue and negotiation to end the bloodshed and address the root causes of the conflict. The international community should also play a more active and constructive role in supporting Ethiopia’s efforts to achieve peace, stability, democracy, and prosperity for all its people.
