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AU Calls For Immediate Ceasefire in Ethiopia's Amhara Region Amid Clashes

© AP Photo / Ben CurtisA destroyed tank is seen by the side of the road south of Humera, in an area of western Tigray annexed by the Amhara region during the conflict in northern Ethiopia, on May 1, 2021.
A destroyed tank is seen by the side of the road south of Humera, in an area of western Tigray annexed by the Amhara region during the conflict in northern Ethiopia, on May 1, 2021.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 17.08.2023
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The African Union's call follows several days of fighting in small towns and cities in northern Ethiopia, in Amhara, the country's second most populous region, between federal forces and a local militia known as Fano.
The chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, called on the parties to the conflict in Ethiopia to immediately cease the hostilities and ensure the protection of civilians in the affected region.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Mahamat said he was following "closely and with grave concern, the continued military confrontations in the Amhara region." It was noted that the AU is strongly committed to preserving the constitutional order, territorial unity, and national sovereignty of the country.
In this regard, the chairman urged the parties to halt combat operations and prioritize the safety and well-being of the civilian population in order to ensure stability in the region and in the country as a whole.

"The Chairperson strongly calls for the parties to immediately cease the fighting and ensure the protection of civilians. He further urges the parties to engage in dialogue to reach a peaceful solution," the statement read.

He also called on the parties involved in the conflict in the Amhara region to engage in a dialogue in order to find a peaceful solution to the situation.
Mahamat reaffirmed that the AU remains ready "to support an inter-Ethiopian initiative in the pursuit of peace and stability."
An unidentified armed militia fighter walks down a path as villagers flee with their belongings in the other direction, near the village of Chenna Teklehaymanot, in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 12.08.2023
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia Command Post Announces Restored Security in Major Amhara Cities
On Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that hospitals in the Amhara region, in particular in the cities of Bahir Dar, Gondar, Lalibela, and Shewa Robit, are facing increased pressure due to an influx of patients with battle-related injuries.

"We ran out of vital supplies and oxygen in the first few days of the fighting. Many patients in intensive care died because we could not do any major surgery," said Kassaye Demeke, emergency and clinical care specialist at Gondar University Referral Hospital.

In collaboration with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), the organization said it is quickly responding to the growing humanitarian crisis in the region, including by sending critical medical supplies to hospitals.
Earlier this week, the State of Emergency Command Post set up to oversee the six-month state of emergency in the region said that normalcy was gradually being restored in most parts of the region after the second phase of its operations was nearing completion.
Last week, the Command Post announced that the first phase of the government's plan, the liberation of the militia-held towns in the Amhara region, had been successfully completed.
Ethiopia's Council of Ministers - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 04.08.2023
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia Imposes State of Emergency Over Amhara Clashes
On August 4, Ethiopia's Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency following an escalation of the fighting between regular troops and local militias in Amhara. The clashes came amid attempts by federal authorities to disarm local militias and take control of security in the region.
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