Ethiopian civilians 'caught in the crossfire' of Amhara conflict

Ethiopian workers set up new tents in the newly established Awulala refugee camp, near Maganan, 80 km from the Sudanese border in Ethiopia's Amhara region, on February 28, 2024. [AFP] A few months ago, farmer Belete Melke was sheltering from a heavy downpour in a remote village in Ethiopia's Amhara region when suddenly gunfire erupted around him. "We were caught in the crossfire," he told AFP, after being struck by a stray bullet. Northern Amhara is Ethiopia's second most populated region with roughly 23 million inhabitants, and has endured nearly three years of conflict between the federal army and the "Fano," Amhara's self-defence militias. There is scant public information about the conflict, which sprawls across an area that foreign embassies advise their citizens to avoid thanks to the fighting and risks of kidnapping. And no death toll, which is nonetheless high, has ever been made public. After Belete was wounded, he travelled to capital Addis Ababa for treatment. "In Addis, they told me that my vein had been cut and (my leg) would no longer function," he told AFP. "I cried in anguish, and then they amputated my leg." The present conflict stems from the 2020-2022 Tigray War, which killed more than 600,000 people, according to the African Union. The Fano, like many in Amhara, felt betrayed by the November 2022 peace deal after their support to the government against the neighbouring Tigrayan forces. It came to a head in April 2023, when an attempt by the federal government to disarm the Fano and Amhara forces ignited the conflict. And a year-long regional state of emergency imposed by the government has failed to stop the fighting. "I can't understand this war," said Belete, who does not know which side wounded him. "When you meet the Fanos, they say they are fighting for our country, Ethiopia. "And when you meet the National Defence Forces, they say they are fighting for our country, Ethiopia." Civilians on the frontline Whoever is fighting, civilians are the ones on the front lines. UNICEF estimates roughly 4.5 million children are out of school in Amhara, and UN's OCHA puts the number of displaced at over 600,000 people. "Federal forces roughly control the cities while Fano controls the countryside," a security source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Both sides are regularly accused of abuses against civilians. The Fano are alleged to carry out kidnappings for ransom, while federal forces have been accused of conducting drone strikes. At a federal medical centre in Amhara's capital Bahir Dar, Yoseph Debasu sways as he grips parallel bars, re-learning how to walk with his prosthesis. Despite his frustration, the 19-year-old is grateful for his care at the institution, which is supported by International Committee for the Red Cross. After leaving school because of the war, Yoseph's family in Merawi, a town roughly 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Bahir Dar, bought him a tuk-tuk so he was able to begin earning. But as the conflict spread, he ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) in a contested area. It destroyed both his vehicle and his leg. While doctors attempted to save it, the swelling grew too much, he told AFP, and "it had to be amputated". Still, he said that having the prosthesis was amazing, "like I am born again". Uncertain future In another room at the rehabilitation centre, orthopaedic technician Bashawgize Getie, 33, gently polishes a prosthesis. Bashawgize has worked at the centre for almost a decade, and said the Tigrayan conflict had already heaped pressure on their facilities. "Now with this new conflict added on top of it, the number of patients is increasing," he told AFP. "We are struggling to accommodate them," he said. There are also worries that many of the wounded cannot reach the facility as roadblocks prevent access. And Red Cross officials worry the situation could deteriorate. "We can see that the forces are building on their capacity," said ICRC's Sabrina Denuncq in Bahir Dar, a reference to both the Fano and other armed groups. While the conflict has subsided enough in Merawi town for Yoseph to return to school, he remains fearful. "When one side comes and tells us to go to school, we go. Then the other side comes and tells us to stop, and fighting starts again," he explained. "That is our situation."

Ethiopian civilians 'caught in the crossfire' of Amhara conflict

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