Rebels in Ethiopia's northern Amhara province have called on the national army to turn its guns on the country's leader as they sweep major towns in the province.
In a dramatic turn of events, Fano fighters from Ethiopia's northern region have gained control of major towns in Amhara region and all road and air flights outside Addis Ababa have been suspended. The fighters released a statement on Thursday evening claiming they have freed the vast region from Abiy Ahmed's troops. In the statement, they called on the Ethiopian defense forces to join them on their march to Addis Ababa. Several sources confirmed the dramatic military events saying major towns in the region like Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir dar and ShoaRobit have fallen to the rebels.
A Month ago, army chief Field Marshal Berhanu Jula publicly claimed the Ethiopian army has no reason to fight Fanos who backed it in the battle against TPLF in the two years civil war. But earlier this week, army spokesman declared war on "militants organized in the name of Fano".
In the Thursday statement, the fano military group claimed its fighting for an all-inclusive Ethiopia. They said their aim is to topple Abiy Ahmed's regime and form a transitional government that would propose a new "inclusive constitution".
Background
In 1991, rebels in Tigray and Eritrea provinces toppled the central regime. Eritrea became its own country. The Tigray province became a state within a state in Ethiopia. It formed a minority fascist regime backed by the United States and European fascist allies. Ethiopia became balkanized into 9 ethnic enclaves, an arrangement that purposely excluded tens of millions of citizens who do not identify with a single tribe.
In 2018, the TPLF lost grip on the country leading to chaos and the emergence of Abiy Ahmed as a popular choice. But Abiy failed to keep his promises and giving a free ride for his fellow Oromo fascist groups to massacre thousands of ethnic amharas and other groups all over the country. TPLF's war backed by its western fascist allies for two years also complicated the situation. The war led to Abiy Ahmed's fatigue. The young leader was tested like no other. It also led to lawlessness in his home region the Oromo region that saw the massacre and displacement of Amharic speakers labeled as "Amhara".
The Amharas who backed Abiy throughout the war got tired of him and even grew suspicious as he failed to stop the Amharic speakers massacres in his home region Oromoya. Things got worse last spring when Abiy suddenly decided to disarm all men in the amhara province. The battle-hardened Fano fighters and the regional paramilitary force declared war on the prime minister. His decision to split the ancient Orthodox Church also fueled the anger.
Now the situation escalated to a point of no return. Abiy Ahmed's greed for power coupled with his incompetence led to the resurgence of Fano army and its popularity. This week the situation seems to have moved beyond control. The deputy prime minister who has been in power for over 30 years under TPLF and Abiy admitted the regime has lost control on the vast Amhara region that has over 40 million population and has a long history of military.
Solution
Peaceful way out is a must. Fanos should have a leader who represents them in negotiations with Abiy. Nobody knows if renowned journalist Eskeinder Nega is their actual leader. He formed a popular front at the same time fanos and the regional paramilitary force (ARSF) formed an alliance to seemingly give a political leadership. Abiy needs to calm down and give a chance to his former allies. His regime of the last five years has been full of bloodshed and horror. The army has been used as cannon fodder to make up for his leadership failure.
The good news
Fanos claim they are fighting for a united Ethiopia unlike other ethnic militias that might convince global powers and non-Amhara Ethiopians to consider them as a credible force to stabilize Ethiopia.