At least 183 killed in clashes in Ethiopia's Amhara region

At least 183 people have died in violent clashes in Ethiopia's Amhara region since July, according to the United Nations.

Soldiers from the Ethiopian National Defence Forces pictured during training in Amhara in September 2021. © Amanuel Sileshi AFP/File

"We are very concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in some regions of Ethiopia," UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Marta Hurtado told reporters in Geneva.

"In Amhara region, following a flare-up in clashes between the Ethiopian military and the regional Fano militia, and the declaration of a state of emergency on 4 August the situation worsened considerably."

#Ethiopia: We’re very concerned by the deteriorating #humanrights situation in several regions of the country. We call on authorities to stop mass arrests, ensure that any deprivation of liberty is judicially reviewed, & release those arbitrarily detainedhttps://t.co/LI5LS6xR4U pic.twitter.com/Vy4BnyaVhc

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) August 29, 2023

From a conflict to another 

Tension in the northern region of Amhara worsened this year after the end of a devastating war in the neighbouring region of Tigray that also drew in fighters from Amhara.

• Ethiopia's Amhara region under curfew as government drives back militia

Clashes erupted in Amhara in early July between the national army and local fighters known as Fano, a few months after the federal government announced it had started dismantling regional forces across the country.

The move triggered protests by Amhara nationalists.

The violence prompted Ethiopian authorities to declare a six-month state of emergency on 4 August.

A special session of parliament endorsed this decision, placing the administration of the country’s second largest region under military control. 

Amhara region is the second most populous region in Ethiopia.

Tigray, its northern neighbour suffered the most destructive civil war in the history of modern Ethiopia less than a year ago.

Map of the Amhara and Tigray region in Ethiopia © AFP

Worries about human rights violations

The status gives the authorities broad powers to arrest suspects without a court order, impose curfews and ban public gatherings. 

"We have received reports that more than 1,000 people have been arrested across Ethiopia under this law. Many of those detained were reported to be young people of Amhara ethnic origin suspected of being Fano supporters," the UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman said.

"Since early August, mass house-to-house searches have reportedly been taking place.

"We call on the authorities to stop mass arrests, ensure that any deprivation of liberty is judicially reviewed, and release those arbitrarily detained."

She added: "We call on all actors to stop killings, other violations and abuses."

 (with newswires)