Abiy Ahmed underestimated the grievances of the Amhara people. He was also unaware of the new Amhara nationalist generation that is different from the old Ethiopianist generation. The people have legitimate concerns and demanded basic human rights and safety from attacks, kidnappings, and killings. They did not try to overthrow the government but to live in peace. They peacefully protested multiple times about the worsening human rights situations not only in Oromia but also in the Amhara region in places like Ataye.
However, the government ignored their concerns. The TPLF/TDF aggression in the region and the government's failure to protect them led the youth to take up arms. After the defeat of TPLF/TDF, the people expected relief and reconstruction, but to the surprise of many, Abiy Ahmed had a different plan. He immediately started a crusade, aiming at disarming local forces instead. This injustice sparked an armed uprising in the region. Abiy's plan to crush the uprising quickly backfired as it grew stronger.
Abiy failed to address the genuine demands of the Amhara people at the early stage (ባቄላዋ ሳታድር) by genuinely trying to protect the people from harassment, displacement, and killing. Now, ባቄላዋ ሊቆረጥማት የሚመጣውን ጥርስ የምትሰበር የማትቆረጠም ሆናለች because the people have a just cause and are determined to pay the ultimate price to get justice. No power under the sun can win against such a popular movement that has, at its core, an existential threat as a driving force.