The Plight of Amhara people is the Plight of Ethiopia: A Call for Unity
Graham Peebles
May 2, 2025
The Ethiopian government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is waging war against its own people—specifically, the Amhara.
Amhara men, women, and children are being killed and arrested not for their actions, but for who they are. This is targeted ethnic violence. It is, therefore, genocide.
The term “genocide” is inflammatory, but in the context of Ethiopia (as in Gaza), it is tragically accurate. It describes the mass killing, unlawful arrests, forced displacement, and systemic dehumanization of a specific group—in this case, the Amhara.
As a result of this targeted violence and the fallout from the 2020–2022 war with the TPLF, a severe humanitarian crisis has engulfed the Amhara region:
Nearly a million people are internally displaced, many living in overcrowded and structurally unsafe camps with inadequate sanitation and limited access to water, food, and healthcare. Thousands of children are showing signs of malnutrition, and cholera has spread throughout the region, with over 5,000 reported cases in 2023–2024. This outbreak is linked to poor sanitation and appalling living conditions in the displacement camps.
Deadly Drones
Abiy is using the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), including the air force, to target Amhara civilians, with drones routinely employed as the weapon of choice. These attacks are blatant violations of international humanitarian law.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has documented lethal air and drone strikes by the Ethiopian Air Force in Amhara cities—including Debre Birhan, Finote Selam, and Bure—all of which resulted in significant civilian casualties and damage to residential areas.
On 17 April, a major drone strike took place in Gedeb Town. AllAfrica reported that “over 100 civilians were killed when a drone targeted a group gathered near Gedeb Primary School for community activities.” In a statement echoing Israeli denials in Gaza, the Ethiopian government claimed they were “targeting” Fano fighters. Survivors are clear: the victims were ordinary people engaged in peaceful community work.
According to Abiy, Fano is a militant group—a derogatory label often used to delegitimize and criminalize freedom fighters or community militias—and the supposed target of his military campaign. In reality, Fano is a community-based defense force made up of local civilians and former members of the Amhara Special Forces (ASF), which was decommissioned by the government in 2023. In fact, the government is ‘targeting’ not just Fano, but Amhara civilians—both young and old.
The word Fano (Amharic) means “volunteer” or “patriot.” Widely regarded within Amhara communities as a heroic force—and rightly so—Fano became extremely active during the Tigray War, defending not just Amhara communities from TPLF fighters, but also civilians throughout the region and beyond. Since the disbanding of the ASF, Fano has taken on a greater role in protecting its people from aggression by the ENDF.
They are now resisting not only government forces but also the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the armed wing of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), an ethnic nationalist party that is part of the ruling coalition.
Read more...
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/05/02 ... for-unity/
