By Aster Misganaw and Dereje Desta
At least nine people were killed and more than 30 others were injured in fresh fighting that erupted in Debark and Dabat towns of the North Gondar zone in Ethiopia's Amhara region between government forces and the Fano militias, witnesses and medical sources told VOA Horn of Africa Service.
The fighting ignited Monday and continued into Tuesday.
Witnesses and medical workers in Debark reported the fatalities and dozens of injuries. The general manager of Debark Hospital, Ale Amlak, told VOA that they have treated at least 30 combatants and civilians, including children that were injured in the clashes since Monday.
Ale mentioned that some victims died before reaching the hospital.
“A church has been hosting a burial ritual since yesterday,” he told VOA Horn of Africa Service.
“This morning, I saw six coffins being buried at St. Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church.”
He said that among those treated, one civilian and one combatant have died. He didn't however indicate whether the combatant was a member of government forces or the Fano militia.
A Debark resident, who preferred not to be identified, also said that there was a clash between military personnel and the Fano militia.
“By 7 a.m., I had seen perhaps eight deaths, including one woman who was hit while holding her child,” he said.
Administrator of the Chilla locality in the Dabat district, Minale Ginbneh, confirmed the clashes, saying at least six houses were damaged Monday in heavy artillery exchanges by both sides.
Businesses and government offices remained closed for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in the Debark and Dabat towns as a result of the fighting, three residents, who did not want to be identified for security reasons, told VOA.
Debark, about 700 km. north of Addis Ababa, is the nearest town to the Semien Mountains National Park, one of the first sites to be named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, in 1978.
Dabat district hosts the Alemwach Refugee Camp, which is reportedly home to more than 20,000 Eritrean refugees. Minale says the refugees are safe. A representative of the refugees, Mulugeta Gebresellassie, also told VOA, "no one is hurt."
Meanwhile, residents in the main Amhara city of Gondar have also reported a third frontline, where government and Fano militias clashed.
A resident in Gondar told VOA that fighting has been ongoing since Monday, with Fano entering parts of the city.
Anteneh Dires, who said he is the head of the Amhara Fano in Gondar Zone, claimed that Fano militia were “active” in Gondar and Wollo zones.
He alleged that government soldiers were to blame for injuries he said were sustained by innocent individuals during the fighting in Gondar.
All the casualties reported were from the town of Debark. Casualty figures from clashes in Dabat and Gondar are not clear.
Attempts to reach the federal government communication office and Amhara regional officials have not been successful.
VOA could not independently verify which side started the fighting.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said last month that negotiations took place with armed militias in the Amhara region to peacefully resolve the ongoing conflict there. A spokesperson for Fano, an ethnic Amhara militia, denied holding talks with the federal government.
Fighting between federal government forces and Fano broke out more than a year ago after reports emerged that the government was planning to disarm regional paramilitary forces to integrate them into other security structures, including the federal army.
This story originated in the Horn of Africa Service.
Credit: Voice of America