Addis Abeba — A new attack allegedly perpetrated by the non-state Fano militia operating in the neighboring Amhara region has killed three civilian people, injured one, in the Darra district of North Shoa zone, Oromia region according to residents.
The incident on 24 July 2024 occurred in Ilu Goda Chaffee, a relatively calm village in the conflict ravaged district, bordering the Amhara region.
A local resident who wished to remain anonymous, told Addis Standard that the militiamen killed three people namely Uwe Girma, Abdu Ibrahim, Abdulwahid Jemal and the injured Abdu Sayid following clashes with security forces. A local police officer was also injured, the informant added.
Darra district has become a scene of escalating violent conflicts as government forces separately battle the Fano militia and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The district also sees frequent clashes between the two insurgent groups.
Following the recent clashes, nearly 400 grade 12 students from the district who took their school leaving exam at Salale University, in Fiche town, two weeks ago are unable to return to their homes.
Bontu Girma, a social science student, told Addis Standard that she is remain stranded at the university two weeks after completing her exams, being uncertain when she will be able to reunite with her family.
Fisseha Abate, another 12th-grade natural science student, said he and his peers are at Selale University despite completing their exams on Friday, last week. He further mentioned that they were advised to get ready to travel this week, but authorities suspended the travel.
A father of one of the 400 students, who preferred to remain anonymous for safety reasons, informed Addis Standard that families have reached out both to the Darra district administrator and the travel organizers at the local education office but are yet to receive a response.
He added that the road from Darra to Fiche is unsafe due to ongoing conflicts between Fano, the Oromo Liberation Army, and the Ethiopian Defense Forces, noting that the road has also not been repaired due to the security problem, making it impassable and unsuitable for travel.
The worsening security situation in the district has displaced thousands of people, mostly farmers who are unable to cultivate their farmlands.
Solomon Wube, a farmer from Denyu Wubenso village in the district, is among those displaced to the neighboring Amhara region since 02 October 2023 abandoning 20,000 hectares of arable land. The father of five told Addis Standard that returning to his village means putting his family at risk amid ongoing conflicts between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), Fano, and government forces.
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"We are now begging for help. We have left our villages, our livestock, and our land behind. I was expecting 60 quintals of yield from last year's cultivation but ended up with nothing. We inquired about the possibility of returning to our homes under permanent protection of government forces, but told not to ask such questions," he added.
Abatu Alemu, head of the district's agriculture office confirmed to Addis Standard that farmlands in several villages where "extremist groups" like Fano and Shane, a term used in reference to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) operate, remain unattended due to ongoing security crises.
The security situation also impeded the transportation of fertilizers, pesticides etc resulting in dire shortage of these vital agricultural inputs. He explained that the Darra district security council is actively exploring ways to enable farmers to return to their villages and resume their farm works, while facilitating the transportation of supplies.
In June, at least four civilians were killed in the district, in an attack residents and local officials attributed to "Fano militants." Earlier in March, the militants killed at least nine individuals and numerous homes in the district were incinerated, as reported by residents.
In December 2023, Addis Standard reported a relentless attack on the Dara district community spanning two days. According to testimonies from local residents, the surge of violence, resulting in 18 fatalities and six injuries, was again attributed to the Fano.
