Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has revealed that negotiations are ongoing with armed militias in the Amhara region in an effort to peacefully resolve the persistent conflict there. However, one prominent group has denied any participation in such discussions.
Speaking at a financial leaders’ meeting in Addis Ababa on Friday, Prime Minister Abiy disclosed that the federal government has been reaching out to the rebels. He emphasized that the lack of unity among these groups presents a significant challenge.
“I haven’t revealed this so far but to let you know today, it has been a while since we started talks with armed groups operating in the Amhara region,” Abiy said in Amharic. “The problem so far is that there is no centralized group. When we reach an understanding with one group we don’t agree with the other.”
Efforts are being made to unify these groups to create conducive conditions for dialogue, the Prime Minister noted. “But we have started talks with some of the groups; there are groups that have started continuous talks with the government,” he added. Abiy did not specify which groups were involved or when the talks began, nor did he clarify the format of these discussions.
Contradicting the Prime Minister’s statement, a spokesperson for one faction of the Fano armed groups fighting in the Amhara region denied any engagement in talks with the government. Fano, an ethnic Amhara militia, consists of various groups operating independently across the region.
Simeneh Mulatu, head of the foreign and diaspora affairs department for the Fano militias in Gojjam, told VOA that no negotiations have commenced with the government. Leaders from other Fano factions could not be reached for comment.
Despite the Prime Minister’s remarks, Eyachew Teshale, an official with the Amhara region’s peace council established in June, expressed unawareness of any formal peace talks between the government and the Fano militias. “We are not aware of any formal peace talks that are going on between the government and the Fano armed group,” Teshale stated.
The conflict between federal government forces and Fano began a year ago following reports that the government intended to disarm regional paramilitary forces and integrate them into federal security structures. This move was met with resistance, leading to violent clashes.
In a related development, the Ethiopian government engaged in talks last November with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), another rebel group active in the Oromiya region. However, these talks, held in Tanzania, failed to reconcile the differences between the two sides.
As the situation in Amhara remains tense, the Prime Minister’s recent comments indicate an ongoing effort to find a peaceful resolution, though significant hurdles clearly remain. The extent of these negotiations and their potential impact on the region’s stability will be closely watched by both national and international observers.
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