A member of Amhara's Central Command says only political change in Addis Ababa can restore peace and stability to the country and the region.
Asres Mare Damtier, Member of the Politburo of the Amhara Fano National Movement, Head of Public Relations
We Fano fighters, myself included, took up arms because of the existential threat we believed the Ethiopian federal government in Addis Ababa posed to the Amhara people. Before resorting to armed resistance, our people repeatedly appealed to the government to stop attacks on civilians, but these appeals were ignored.
When peace mechanisms fail and the government fails to fulfill its obligations to protect citizens, resistance becomes the only way to survive and is morally and legally justified. Our struggle arose out of necessity for survival, not out of personal ambition or political gain.
Some narratives mistakenly claim that the current Fano movement arose as a consequence of the Pretoria Accord. Such claims ignore the fact that popular discontent predates the signing of the treaty.
Fight for survival
After the government declared war on the Amhara people, Fano began a struggle for survival with limited resources, relying on the courage and confidence to seize weapons from the enemy, as well as logistical support from local communities. As a result, the movement has become a formidable force.
Fano has legitimate reasons to fight for survival. Government forces, by contrast, lack clear strategic objectives because they are waging war against their own people. There is a deep gap in combat commitment between Fano, who are fighting for the very existence of his people, and the government forces that are being used against the population to maintain power by a brutal regime.
Technological superiority alone cannot guarantee survival.
As a result, the regime’s forces have shown less ability and willingness to continue the fight, with heavy casualties on the battlefield and soldiers forced to surrender with their weapons. Fano remains steadfast in his fight, no matter how much time and sacrifice it takes.
Fano transformed a disparate network of resistance into a more organized and formidable elite fighting force with a gradually built leadership structure. The formation of the Amhara Fano National Movement (AFNM) further enhanced coordination and operational capabilities, enabling more coherent strategic planning and military action.
The regime used modern military means, including drones, combat aircraft, BM multiple launch rocket systems, mechanized units, infantry divisions, and large-scale propaganda. These resources have not provided a decisive military victory; technological superiority alone cannot guarantee success in the struggle for survival.
During the three years of the war, the government’s air force, operating with United Arab Emirates (UAE) personnel, carried out thousands of drone strikes and airstrikes, almost all of which targeted Amhara civilians and critical public infrastructure such as schools and medical facilities. These attacks are terrorist acts that demonstrate hatred and hostility towards our people.
Chaos as an instrument of power
The government systematically violates international humanitarian law by using methods such as sexual violence, starvation, and deliberate attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure. Fano, on the other hand, respects international law and adheres to the principles and obligations enshrined in the Geneva Conventions.
It relies on outright lies to create the appearance of legitimacy.
Fano reached the peak of his military and leadership capabilities with the growing support of the population. As the military and political balance tilts in Fano’s favor, the government has fewer options. He is faced with a choice between surrender and continuation of hostilities. — But in any case, it is doomed to defeat.
The government retains power by sowing chaos, using war, arbitrary mass arrests, and divisive rhetoric as tools of control. Whenever a country approaches peace, it seems to rekindle war and instability. The government ignores the fundamental principles of morality and humanity.
It relies on outright lies to create a semblance of legitimacy by holding sham elections without taking into account the opinion of the population and organizing a staged national dialogue. — Even though much of the country is at war and beyond the effective control of the government.
Government despair
The government is under increasing pressure due to heavy military losses and territorial setbacks in the confrontation with Fano, deteriorating relations with the Tigray region and ongoing armed conflicts in Oromia and other regions. These challenges, along with a deepening crisis of legitimacy, growing public opposition, and waning diplomatic support, have further undermined the regime’s position and weakened its grip on power.
The government’s hostile and state-terrorist actions extend far beyond Ethiopia, including support for Sudan’s Rapid Response Force (RSF) amid the country’s ongoing civil war, as well as a broader pattern of aggression toward neighboring states.
The government poses a serious threat to its own people and has become a destabilizing and perceived revisionist force in the Horn of Africa. Its domestic terrorist activities and hostile regional stance have deepened the internal crisis and undermined security and stability throughout the region.
Foreign interference
The UAE has played a significant role in this war, providing armed drones, logistical assistance and technical support to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s regime to kill civilians and destroy public infrastructure. UAE personnel and equipment were mainly involved in drone operations in Ethiopia.
Народ амхара стал полигоном для испытания новейших военных технологий, главным образом беспилотников. Военно-воздушные силы Эфиопии, некогда считавшиеся символом национальной гордости, превратились в инструмент разрушения и террора против собственных граждан.
Печально, что военно-воздушные силы, созданные и финансируемые эфиопскими налогоплательщиками для защиты страны и её народа, были предоставлены в распоряжение ОАЭ для операций, направленных против таких же эфиопов и их важнейшей инфраструктуры.
Поддержка ОАЭ правительства Абия в его войне против эфиопского народа, продиктованная краткосрочными стратегическими выгодами, рискует подорвать долгосрочные интересы и влияние ОАЭ в Эфиопии и на всём Африканском Роге.
Эпоха после Абия
Перспектива сохранения режимом власти исчезла. После его устранения переходный период должен быть инклюзивным, обеспечивать подотчётность, защищать права всех эфиопов и закладывать основу для демократического управления, чтобы предотвратить новый цикл конфликта в эпоху после Абия.
Только такой процесс способен обеспечить прочный мир и стабильность в Эфиопии и во всём регионе Африканского Рога.
