Deadly clashes and civilian deaths are being reported in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region despite a government imposed communication and information blackout.
Reports coming from abroad based media outlets indicate, deadly clashes between Fano fighters and government security forces as well as security forces crackdown on civilians in Amhara region are happening across most zones of Amhara region in various levels of intensity.
On Thursday in a rare official statement, the West-Denbiya district administration council of West-Gonder zone administration in Amhara region admitted human lives were lost in what it said were clashes between Ethiopian army soldiers and unnamed armed groups.
The statement said the clashes were caused by a misunderstanding between a travelling group of senior Ethiopia army officers and their entourage and unnamed armed groups. The senior Ethiopian army officers were reportedly travelling in the area to visit one of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s pet extravagant resort projects.
The West-Denbiya district administration council statement didn’t disclose the exact number of deaths or when the deadly clashes occurred as well as the current security situation of the area.
However, various reports indicate the deadly clashes in West-Denbiya district of West-Gonder zone which are believed to have happened on Wednesday forced the Ethiopian Army Chief, Birhanu Jula who was visiting the area to flee back to Addis Ababa.
Since April, Various parts of Ethiopia’s Amhara region are experiencing deadly unrest, as the Ethiopian federal government engages in crackdown againist civilians and armed self-defense groups in the country’s second most populous region.
