The Ethiopian Amhara militia Fano has established a unified national command and formed alliances with at least seven regional forces—including factions from Tigray, Oromia, and Somalia—with the objective of overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the group’s leader Zemene Kassie stated in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
Kassie detailed that discussions with the various regional factions, which also include Gumuz and Sudanese forces, have concluded after seven to eight months of talks. He noted the newly formed alliance aims to coordinate actions not only for the current conflict but to construct a nation “where it will be good to live, after the fall of Abiy Ahmed.”
Fano unified command and territorial claims
Stating that his movement now comprises hundreds of thousands of fighters under a single command, Kassie amalgamated previous resistance groups from Shewa, Wollo, Gondar, and the Wellega area. He claimed Fano forces currently control more than 80% of rural areas and dozens of small towns, asserting that his fighters have engaged 10 of the 13 military commands deployed by the federal government.
“We systematically have superiority on the battlefield,” Kassie declared. “As soon as we manage to completely break this security apparatus, it will be the end of the story.”
Describing the movement’s motives, Kassie said Fano originated as a grassroots village uprising to defend the Amhara people from existential threats while fighting to prevent the disintegration of Ethiopia. “We are not only fighting for the Amhara people, but for freedom and equality for all nations and nationalities of Ethiopia,” he said.
Addressing the 2020-2022 civil war, during which Amhara factions supported the federal government against Tigrayan forces, Kassie asserted that Fano barely existed at the time and its participation was insignificant. He attributed historical grievances to the 27-year rule of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) under the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition, which he said created problems of democracy and freedom.
Accusations of foreign drone support
Kassie accused the federal government of conducting indiscriminate drone strikes against civilian populations, institutions, schools, and markets. He cited an incident from the previous month in which the Abbay Giyorgis St. Arsema monastery was bombed, reportedly killing priests, monks, and nuns preparing a religious commemoration meal.
He alleged the strikes utilise Turkish-built drones acquired by the United Arab Emirates, accusing the UAE of acting as “colonisers of Ethiopia in this 21st century.” He further claimed that Israeli technicians and military advisors are present in the country, adding that while the United States and European nations know “very precisely” what is happening, they continue to support the government in Addis Ababa to varying degrees.
