Ethiopian government forces have been accused of killing civilians in their bid to regain control of the the conflict-ridden Amhara region.
Soldiers cleared roadblocks today after announcing the recapture of six towns on the night of Wednesday August 9, 2023, following days of fighting with the Fano militia.
The militia fought alongside the government during the two-year war in neighbouring Tigray that ended last November, but it resisted disarmament afterwards, prompting a new conflict.
Locals told reporters that civilians had been killed during the fighting, with soldiers accused of burying 20 civilians they had killed on Monday in Bahir Dar. One person, who asked not to be named, said that “unarmed youth” had come out with sticks and stones when the army arrived in the town “and the military was shooting them.” An aid worker added that the fighting had been “very bad, with many civilians killed.”
A state of emergency remains in force in Amhara, with protests banned.
