The West Gojjam zone in the Amhara region is currently engulfed in escalating armed confrontations, prominently featuring the use of heavy artillery.
According to local residents and various sources, these conflicts began early last week and have persisted up to now.
One resident from Finote Selam town, who wished to remain unnamed, shared a chilling account of the situation: “For the last several days, we have been subjected to continuous barrages of heavy artillery fire.”
The source indicated that hostilities reportedly diminished after Fano forces retreated from Finote Selam, the administrative center of the West Gojjam Zone, on October 5, 2024. Unfortunately, this fleeting tranquility in the town and surrounding areas was short-lived.
As per reports, tensions flared again in Finote Selam the following day when Fano militants launched a coordinated three-pronged attack to regain control of the city.
A second anonymous resident confirmed to Ethiopian Journal that fierce fighting is still taking place in Finote Selam. “Both factions are now present in the town, making it feel like a full-scale urban conflict,” she stressed. “We are all trapped in our homes, anxiously waiting to see how things unfold.”
Both residents expressed deep alarm over the potential for civilian harm amidst the ongoing violence.
Beyond Finote Selam, local accounts reveal that clashes between government forces and Fano militants have erupted in other parts of the West Gojjam Zone, including Bure district, Jiga, and the town of Tilili in Agew Awi Zone.
A resident of Tilili reported that fierce combat has been ongoing in the area since last Thursday. “We have been hearing intense gunfire and the sounds of heavy weaponry,” he remarked, adding that “after the defense forces vacated, Fano militia took control, which temporarily reduced the intensity of the fighting.”
The informant further noted that all activities in Tilili, Jiga, and Bure have ground to a halt following a directive issued by Fano.
In the previous week, residents in the Amhara region informed Addis Standard that notices have circulated throughout the area, announcing an indefinite suspension of all transportation services starting October 3, 2024.
Speaking anonymously, a resident of Gondar corroborated the halt in city activities, attributing it to a new military initiative by Fano that has escalated existing tensions.
Despite being embroiled in conflict for over 14 months, with recent intensifications, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the Amhara regional government issued a joint statement last week vowing to persist with what they term “law enforcement operations” until full peace is restored.
In a press briefing on October 1, 2024, Mengesha Fentaw, head of the Amhara Communication Bureau, asserted that the regional government and the ENDF would bolster their actions against “armed groups and their leaders within governmental frameworks.”
He further explained that their primary aim is to take “decisive actions” against those instigating armed conflict.
Mengesha also mentioned that “measures have already been implemented against numerous leaders of the extremist factions.”
Recent local media reports have indicated that skirmishes between government forces and Fano militants continue to result in civilian casualties.
In addition to the West Gojjam zone, fighting has been particularly severe in regions such as North Gondar, Central Gondar, and South Gondar. A news piece published last week highlighted that a heavy weapons assault near Gondar City resulted in the deaths of at least 20 civilians.