Kefyalew Dessie, a prominent commander within the Fano movement in Ethiopia’s South Gondar region, was reportedly killed on Friday in what appears to have been an internal clash among Fano forces.
Local sources connected to the area report that Kefyalew died during a confrontation within the movement, though some accounts suggest that external actors may also have been involved.
Kefyalew served as the deputy commander of the Amhara Fano Popular Organization (AFPO) in the Gondar Command and led the powerful Gebrie Fano force active in South Gondar. He was known to command one of the region’s largest Fano formations.
Prior to joining the current anti-government resistance—sparked by a sweeping military campaign launched by Ethiopian government forces in August 2023—Kefyalew was a key military figure in the war against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). During the 2020–2022 conflict, he led forces in the Gashena area and was credited with helping secure a critical fortified trench from TPLF control.
Following his death, the AFPO released a statement attributing Kefyalew’s killing to “TPLF mercenaries,” though no further details were provided.
This is the second high-profile assassination of a Fano leader in the region in less than two months. In early March, Colonel Tadesse Eshete—commander of the Gondar Teklay Gizat Command and head of the AFPO’s Planning and Strategic Division—was also reportedly killed in a similar incident.
The Fano movement, which is loosely structured and decentralized, operates across four main areas of Ethiopia’s Amhara region: Gojjam, Gondar, Shewa, and Wollo. While the AFPO claims to have a presence in all four, internal divisions and fragmented leadership have hindered unified operations.
Observers note that Fano’s original mission—to protect the Amhara people from what it describes as an existential threat—has in some cases been co-opted by competing factions or infiltrated by government operatives. Activists on social media continue to speculate that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration is investing heavily to disrupt and weaken the Fano resistance from within.
In response to rising public pressure, Fano forces have recently made efforts to unify their command structure. Earlier this month, Gojjam-based Fano groups announced that the unification process was “90 percent complete.” Over the past 24 days, military operations have been coordinated under a campaign titled “Operation Unity.”
However, the killing of key leaders such as Kefyalew Dessie in South Gondar underscores the persistent challenges in achieving full cohesion. Internal fractures remain a significant obstacle to the movement’s ability to mount an effective and coordinated front.
The Fano movement first emerged in reaction to widespread killings and systemic violence targeting Amhara civilians in Oromia and other regions of Ethiopia. Its fighters have vowed to continue their struggle until what they view as targeted aggression and marginalization against the Amhara population is brought to an end.
