The armed groups contradict the Army’s claim that they “destroyed” their previous allies in the Amhara region.
Ethiopian forces killed more than 300 Fano armed group fighters, a former ally against rebels in the Chigray region, in a two-day new clash in the northern region of Amhara, according to the Army.
The military claimed in a statement Friday that the fighters attacked in various zones in the Amhara area before being “destroyed” by the Army.
The statement said 317 Fanofighters were killed and 125 others were injured.
But Abebe Fantahun, a spokesman for Wollo Bete-Amhara Fano, told Reuters later on Friday he had not killed 30 fighter jets.
Johannes Nigus, a spokesman for Fano in Gonda, Amhara region, said 602 federal army soldiers were killed in the battle and 430 wounded, but 98 soldiers were captured and weapons were seized by fighter jets.
Former ally
Fano’s fighters fought alongside Ethiopian and Eritrean forces in a two-year war with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which controls the Northern Chigray region.
Eritrea and Ethiopia have since been dropped, with the former being excluded from peace negotiations in November 2022 to end the war.
The fight between the Army and Fano fighters broke out in July 2023, following Amhara’s sense of betrayal regarding the terms of the 2022 peace contract.
Last year, the TPLF was split into two factions led by DeBretion Gebremichael and Getachew Reda.
An Army statement on Friday accused Brigadier General Migbay Hale, a senior military official who has allied with Debresion factions of supporting the Fanofighters’ attack in the Amhara area.
“Briginal General Migbey Haile is an anti-government and anti-development promoter with a history of having a history of plunging the people of Tigray into war without military knowledge,” the Army said.
However, Abebe told Reuters that it was a “lie” and denied that the general had any ties to the Fanofighters.
“Abusive Army with Immunity”
Fear of a new war has emerged in recent weeks after Eritrea has reportedly ordered military mobilization nationwide and Ethiopia reportedly deployed troops towards the border.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch accused the Ethiopian army of committing human rights abuses and war crimes, and committed war crimes during its ongoing battle with Fano Fighter.
Last year, Human Rights Watch discovered dozens of civilians had been executed in the town of Merawi in the northwest Amhara region of Ethiopia.
“The brutal murder of civilians in Amhara of Ethiopian forces claims that the government is taking over the government,” said Latitia Bader’s deputy African director at Human Rights Watch.
“Since the start of the battle between the Federal and Fano militias, civilians have once again been the brunt of an abusive army operating with immunity,” she added.
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