Calls For Peace As Ethiopia Counts Cost of Regional Flare-Ups

The UN News Service reported on Monday, September 18, 2023 that war crimes have continued unabated almost a year after a ceasefire was agreed between the country's government and forces from the northern Tigray region, independent experts appointed by the UN, have said.

This follows the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's latest report on rights abuses againist civilians, especially in the Amhara region - in the context of the ongoing militarised conflict between federal forces and the non-state militia, Fano - revealed that the armed conflict has spread to different districts of the region causing immeasurable damages to civilians, which continues to worsen, Addis Standard reports.

In the Amhara region, more than 180 people were killed in clashes in the region since July 2023, according to the UN.

The newly appointed president of the Amhara regional state, Arega Yirdaw, recently called on "all ethnic Amharas at home and abroad, all Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia" to unite in order to curb growing instability in the region.

Yirdaw's call followed that of the National Dialogue Commission which said that ongoing tensions and violence threaten to further imperil the country's stability and progress. NDC Deputy Commissioner Hirut Gebreselassie urged an end to the use of force and a start to peaceful dialogue to resolve disputes, wrote Sisay Sahlu for The Reporter.

On August 4, 2023, a meeting of Ethiopia's Council of Ministers agreed on a state of emergency in Amhara region, which is plagued by months-long rising conflict between the military and the Fano militia, Addis Standard reported.

The Amhara region has not only seen a rise in the death toll and displacement of people but its economy has also taken a battering, with the region losing over U.S.$45 million, coupled with severe job cuts.

In February 2023, renewed ethnic conflict flared up between the Amhara and Oroma regions.

This followed on the heels of the Ethiopia government peace agreement with Tigray that ended a 2-year war between government forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front.