Amhara militia accused of trying to overthrow Ethiopia’s government

A senior Ethiopian official accused militiamen in the Amhara region of seeking to overthrow the regional and federal governments following days of fighting that led the authorities to declare a state of emergency, Reuters agency reported.

Clashes between Fano militiamen and the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) continued over the weekend.

Residents of Gondar, Amhara’s second-biggest city, said that heavy weapons fire that began on Sunday could be heard into Monday morning, the report said.

The conflict has quickly become Ethiopia’s most serious security crisis since a two-year civil war in Tigray region, which neighbours Amhara, ended in November.

Fano is a part-time militia that draws volunteers from the local population and was an ally of the ENDF during the Tigray war.

Violent protests erupted across Amhara in April after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered that security forces from Ethiopia’s 11 regions be disbanded and integrated into the police or national army.

Protesters accused the government of trying to undermine Amhara’s security. The government denied this and said the move was needed to ensure national unity.