Ethiopia’s Amhara Fano group issued a statement on Friday claiming the successful completion of the first phase of “Operation Unity,” a military campaign against the government.
In the statement, the Fano Forces said the operation was aimed at “liberating our people from the fascist government” of Colonel Abiy Ahmed.
According to the statement, the Fano Forces have, over the past week, “liberated multiple towns and rural areas,” inflicting significant losses on government forces. “Dozens of senior commanders, including colonels, and thousands of soldiers have been killed, with many more wounded or captured,” the statement read.
The group also claimed to have seized “significant quantities of military equipment, ammunition, and weapons.”
The Fano Forces stated that “Operation Unity has secured key strategic areas, demonstrating our ability to execute coordinated offensives that erode Abiy Ahmed’s grip on power.” They added that their fighters have shown “extraordinary courage in the face of relentless air, mechanized, and ground assaults.” The operation, they said, “marks the beginning of a broader mission to permanently remove the brutal military occupation and existential threat facing our people.”
The statement also accused the Ethiopian government of deploying combat drones, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. “As anticipated, the fascist regime deployed combat drones multiple times this week, killing hundreds of civilians and destroying vital health and education facilities,” the statement read.
Fano urges international community to amplify the voices of millions suffering in silence
The Fano group criticised the international community’s response, stating that it “remains largely silent, ignoring the suffering of our people.” They demanded the Ethiopian government “withdraw its forces to barracks and be held accountable for its crimes against the Amhara people.”
The group concluded by calling for “global solidarity” and urging the world’s press to “amplify the voices of millions suffering in silence.” They stated that “The Fano Forces will persist until the existential threat to the Amhara people is irreversibly removed, and our people can begin living in peace and dignity under a just governance system in Ethiopia.”
