The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) have established peace and security in major cities of the Amhara region and its environs by driving out the extremist group, the State of Emergency Command Post announced at a briefing on the current security situation.
Legesse Tulu, member of the Command Post and communication service minister, briefed media on the activities carried out in the first phase of the government's plan to restore order in the Amhara region. He recalled that the main objective was to return its cities "to a peaceful state."
According to the official, peace was restored after the necessary measures were taken against the group, which gathered in the cities of Bahirdar, Debre Markos, Debre Berhan, Lalibela, Gondar and Shewa Robit. He noted that these areas were chosen because they are densely populated, with high commercial and tourist activity, as well as being political and industrial centers of the region.
"Currently, the cities are free from the threat of bandits. The defense forces and law enforcement agencies of the region continue clearing [surrounding areas] from the bandits. The community is supporting this work by providing information and doing whatever they can," a statement by the State of Emergency Command Post read.
Legesse stated that the defeated extremist group tried to hide by entering heritage sites and religious institutions. Nevertheless, the defense forces and law enforcement agencies managed to reclaim control of the six towns within a short period of time.
As the people of the region "are angry with this bandit group," he added, they supported the law enforcement agencies and helped them to carry out their mission successfully.
The minister explained that in view of the fact that a state of normalcy has returned to the aforementioned towns, regular flights have been resumed. At the same time, government, community, business, healthcare, financial, and other institutions have more or less resumed operations.
Legesse also said that efforts have been made to repair destroyed infrastructure and identify properties looted by the militias.
"Innocent lives have been lost, many properties have been destroyed and looted in the conflict in the Amhara region [...]. The damage will be investigated and made public," the recent statement by the command post said.
On August 4, Ethiopia's Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency after fighting between regular troops and local militias escalated in Amhara. The day before, the regional government asked for help from the central authorities to take action and enforce the law in the region, as the situation could no longer be controlled by the regular law enforcement system.
Fano is an Amhara militia that fought with federal troops during the conflict in the country's northern region of Tigray, where rebels mutinied against the government in November 2020. Peace was restored in Tigray two years later.
However, relations between the ENDF and local militias deteriorated over accusations that the federal government was trying to weaken Amhara's defenses against other regions. The federal authorities attempted to disarm local militias to take control of security in the regions. This resulted in violent clashes between the Amhara militia and security forces.