Residents of Bahir Dar, the capital city of the Amhara region, have reported to the BBC a fierce exchange of fire between government forces and Fano fighters.
Four residents, who spoke about the conflict that began at 06:00 AM on Thursday, March, 2024, in three of the city’s districts, reported hearing the sounds of heavy weaponry.
The regional government’s statement on the situation in Bahir Dar mentioned that the national defense force and the region’s security forces have jointly entered into combat against a “destructive group conducting house-to-house searches and cleansing operations.”
Residents, who asked to remain anonymous for their safety, told the BBC that the fighting occurred in residential areas known as Kebele 14 Abune Hara and Liddeta, as well as in a camp referred to as Abay Mado in Kebele 11 and Kebele 13 near Beta Christian church or Weramit area.
One city resident described the onset of the conflict: “…the fighting started around 06:20 AM. It sounded like close-range clashes with the use of Kalashnikovs and continued approximately until :740 AM. Subsequently, the sounds of heavy, larger weapons could be heard.”
Another resident noted that in the area known as Abay Mado, there had been intense changes starting three days prior, with ongoing clashes throughout the night between the military and Fano fighters in an area called Air Health camp.
Regarding today’s conflict, residents have clarified that it lasted for about an hour in the residential areas, with calm returning around 3:00 PM, followed by sporadic sounds of gunfire.
One government worker who heard rumors of a potential conflict the night before, on Thursday, February 28, 2024, around midnight, shared their experience of hearing gunfire around 06:00 AM.
A resident within the first affected Kebele mentioned, “The clash involved the use of heavy weaponry.”
Although the fighting took place in residential areas, residents have stated that they are unaware of any civilian casualties so far. After the sound of heavy gunfire, they noted, “There was no movement in the city.”
One described the morning’s situation: “Children were supposed to go to school. We had prepared their meals [to take to school]. However, when the conflict started around 06:00 AM…we had to keep them home. We also didn’t go to work.”
Regarding the “fighters” who were not specifically identified as Fano, it was observed that their departure from the area seemed to have triggered the conflict, with one resident saying, “It seems to be the case.”
Another resident commented on the city’s eerie silence, saying, “We can’t leave our homes, so we don’t know what’s happening outside,” indicating a complete halt in activity.
“There is no form of transportation. Shops and hotels are all closed. The only people seen are those standing at the gates of their residential compounds,” another added.
One resident, speaking as a father, expressed his anxiety to the BBC, saying there is a fear of “innocent slaughter” being silenced.
BBC has reported that Ethiopian Airlines has canceled flights from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar and vice versa.
For today, Thursday, the cancellation of six scheduled flights has been confirmed, with the exact start time of the disruption remaining unknown.
Today’s statement by the Amhara region government highlighted the combat operations around Bahir Dar against “invading forces,” emphasizing efforts to regain control.
The conflict between the government forces and Fano fighters in Bahir Dar is not new. Previous clashes have seen Fano fighters entering various cities of the region, with the battles in and around Bahir Dar being notable.
Amnesty International has confirmed in its investigation that government forces have killed civilians outside the law in the city at various times.
Reflecting on past violence, a city resident said, “We live in fear that what happened before, the killing of innocents, could happen again; that’s what scares us.”
“…People are afraid because [government forces] say, ‘You are hiding Fano; you are the ones making this happen.’ It seems everything is calm, indicating a fear that the previous violence will be repeated,” they added.
Another resident expressed their concern, saying, “The government forces’ actions in other areas, accusing us of supporting Fano, also pose a threat to us.”
Since last week’s announcement of the clash between government forces and Fano fighters in the Amhara region, the situation has been known.
Particularly, residents have reported to the BBC about “heavy fighting” in the Gojjam and Shewa areas.
Additionally, the closure of the road from Debre Berhan to Dessie since Saturday, February 24, 2024, for an indefinite period has been announced by the Central Shewa Command Post.
Following last year’s decision to reinforce the region’s special forces and suppress fighters, Fano fighters’ engagement with security forces in various parts of the Amhara region is recalled.
The regional administration, stating the situation has exceeded its capacity, has requested federal government intervention, leading to federal military deployment in the region.
Residents have reported regular disruptions in many areas of the region due to military operations over the past six months.
Furthermore, conflicts and atrocities between the military and Fano forces have led to the death of numerous civilians and significant property damage.
I’m befuddled why this esteemed website does not post a celebratory statement commemorating the Victory at Adwa by our forefathers. I hate to doubt them but it bothers me a lot. But I am gonna post mine, the same one I posted several years ago.
I had said the following celebrating the victory at Adwa many years ago and it still sits with/in me.
Hello Dear Countrymen!!!!
You know me by now that I have nothing but love for you. I am here to let you hear from me something that is very special for me both as your dear countryman but also as a man of color. That story and the day I am sharing with you is that glorious day etched in stone never to be concealed or left forgotten. It is that day that sends megawatt volts of pride all over my high mileage body every time I think or read about it. It is that glorious day, that day my and your grandparents marched into the hills, ravines and fields of Adwa knowing that it would be their last day on this good earth. They did that because no one had to tell them that it was their Allah given rights to defend their Allah bestowed domiciles from murderous bigots. No one had to tell them that heavily armed ‘KKK thugs’ were there to shoot and hang every ‘nigger’ in sight. They were in complete understanding that the enemy they were facing at that place on that day behooves them to be calculating and also well prepared. They understood very well that a vast network of intelligence must be in place to play that heathen on their doorstep. And they played him very, very well. It was written that the mad as hell patriotic chief from Tigrai was sending ‘secret’ messages to Baratieri his intention to defect to his side and he was waiting for the Italian chief to fire the first shot. It was also written about the ‘secret’ messages the emperor’s cousin Mekonen along with chiefs Haimanot and Mika-il(Ali) were urging him to come and kill their common enemy, the emperor. It was written that they were ‘telling’ Baratieri that the emperor army is getting thinner and fewer by the day that he was thinking about cutting and run for his life. They pondered!!! They lured!!! They lured and lured the monster from Rome until he was well inside their compound. When their single and double envelopment war plan is firmly on the ground they lured him again to fire the first shot. Dabormida might have sent a message to his wife that the very next day he would shoot a photo of him surrounded and being served by 3,000 ‘niggers’. What he did not know was the fact my Barentu ‘grand uncle’ and his Amhara, Tigrai and many other ethnic groups were watching his every move and primed to show him and his partners-in-crime how lethal an Ethiopian could be when his pride is touched by outsiders and ready to teach him a lesson or two how to conduct a conventional warfare Alula style, Mekonnen style, Taytu style, Haimanot style, Mika-il(Ali) style, Balcha style, Dinagde style leaving him no counteroffensive option! None! None except for Baratieri to cut and run like a scared witless rabbit or rather like a high noon bank robber chased by blood smelling vigilante mob!!!! But for my niggaz information or rather misinformation was part of the game. You think that misinformation was started by KGB and CIA during the cold war. No!!! It was my and your grandparent who perfected and used from the bottom of the deck to their advantage. They painted themselves as if they were deserted, far and few when their rank was swelling by the day!!! They presented themselves as people who love to run naked or have naked and did not have any clue what warfare is or how it was supposed to be conducted as an organized army. They even sent him fattened cattle, honey and milk to make him think they were still like his Neanderthals ancestors who were incapable of distinguishing friends from enemies. By now the Baratieri’s ego was so built up and emboldened by the news of potential desertion at the outset of war ordered the commencement of the battle. But his worst nightmare was awaiting him. His worst nightmare, a nigga with a Hotchkiss gun on his lap was all around him even before finishing his recital to the Roman gods. He could hear that thunderous scream of that fire spitting woman named Taytu admonishing those soldiers of the fainted hearts who tried to withdraw prematurely from the battle fronts!!!! He could hear her telling them that she did not bring enough skirt for them to wear!!!! And he could hear them telling that roaring Taytu like ‘Don’t talk to me like that, woman! I am going back!’ Baratieri saw those incensed men turning into killing machines, their fainted hearts gone in a flash!!! Now the earth and sky were laminated all around him with little leeway for folding back or escape. Now my Barentu grand cousin and his comrades in arms started playing the complicated mancala game in the middle of the battle. On one of their moves their led the arrogant Dabormida and his entire battalion plus army right into the welcoming arms of my Barentu grand cousins. When the carnage was over Dabormida was dying squealing like untidy pig. Now arch angels Jibril and Mika-il were in the mix. They were in the mix because that land of Maryam Magdalene and Bilal ibn Rabah was being desecrated by ruffians. They were in the mix because that land and its people were put together there by Allah at the beginning of times no matter the numerous and unabating travesties they had to go through. It is because it was the land where the two major religions, Christianity and Islam, had taken foothold there without the need of an all out battle. The battle Baratieri started on that day did not even last the entire length of the daylight. For intents and purposes it was over by the mid day. At 12 high noon, it was over. Now Baratieri turned around and ran like a scared deer from the Chercher Mountains!!! One of my grand cousins along with his Tigrayan and Amhara friends were in hot pursuit after him. But his horse was still fresh and not like their battle fatigued ones. But they stood on top of one the hills and told him who he really was. Oh Boy!!!! They were telling him using all kinds of words in their profane dictionary. No, I am not telling you what they yelled at him. No, no this is a family show. But I can tell you one so mildly. All three of them thundered at him like ‘You, the son of a thousand biscuits!!!!’ It seems he heard it all slammed into his bigoted ears carried by the drifting wind. How do I know that? You may ask. That is because I was teleported to that day!!!! I saw that thunderous lady Taytu telling off the retreating soldiers!!! You should all read more about her. Now some of you misogynistic pigs may doubt her role just because she was a woman. I highly suggest that you don’t say that around Lia bin Tadesse, Alemtsehay bint Wodajo, Birtukan bint Mideksa, Meaza bint Ashenafe, Muferiat bint Kamil, Aisha bint Mohammed bin Mussa and others in their posse who have been giving chauvinists like you that deadly stare of death. For now this high mileage, beyond-repair Afro-Ethio-centric nigga has been having a serious bout of an attitude since yesterday!!!!!
Let’s say the rebel group has captured this capital city of the Amhara region as it was told here in a previous post. Then what? What the rebel group is going to do with it? This is a city of close to half a million(500,000) citizens. From what I heard about this group, it is not a cohesive fighting force. It is fragmented along regional and district affinity lines just like this gangster group Shane that has been wreaking havoc in Western Wallagaa. Again, what the rebel group is going to do with it if they had captured that large city? Will they be able to defend the city? What will the citizens gain from it? Is it going to be the same rounds of punitive acts by both sides with one coming to town and exact revenge on individuals it thinks working for the enemy? In any case, my heart goes out to the civilians living in that city.
Is Bahir Dar captured or not? One story tells it is captured and at the same time we are told that another story tell us there was hours long battle in or around the city. Make up your mind. It looks somebody is sleepwalking with a story. Was this a story of the usual shoot-and-run incidence? 3 days have passed since we were told the city was captured by a group fightin