Ethiopia says Amhara cities 'freed' after days of fighting

BAHIR DAR - The Ethiopian government said on Wednesday that major cities in the Amhara region had been "freed" after days of fighting between army troops and militia fighters.

There has been no official toll from the unrest, but hospital doctors in two of the affected cities told AFP that many civilians had been killed or injured.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government last week declared a six-month state of emergency in the region after clashes erupted between local fighters and federal army troops.

"These cities have been freed from the threat of these bandits," a statement by a federal government emergency body said Wednesday, listing six towns including the regional capital Bahir Dar and the holy city of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It said security forces were "clearing" members of the "defeated extremist group" from hideouts including heritage and religious sites.

It also announced a curfew had also been imposed in the six cities -- Bahir Dar, Lalibela, Gondar, Shewa Robit, Debre Berhan and Debre Markos, and that 14 people had been arrested in the capital Addis Ababa.

The fresh violence in Africa's second most populous country erupted just nine months after the end of a devastating two-year war in the neighbouring Tigray region that also drew in Amhara fighters.

Tensions have been boiling since April, when the federal government announced it was dismantling regional forces across Ethiopia, triggering protests by Amhara nationalists who said the move would weaken their region.

The United States has expressed concern about the fighting, and several Western nations have advised their citizens against travelling to Amhara.

Amhara's regional administration had said late Tuesday that "relative peace and stability" was being being restored, although some residents reported continuing gunfire Wednesday.

Ethiopian Airlines also announced it was resuming flights to Bahir Dar and Gondar from Thursday after suspending operations on Tuesday.

Access to Amhara is restricted for journalists and it is not possible to independently verify the situation on the ground.

- Situation 'changing' -

Local residents contacted by AFP said earlier that federal troops were pushing back Fano militia fighters in Gondar and Lalibela, which is renowned for its ancient rock-hewn churches.

"Things seem to be changing today," said Simachew, a Gondar rickshaw driver.

The Ethiopian army, backed by tanks and armoured vehicles, "is taking control of most parts of the city after heavy fighting for the past couple of days". 

A Lalibela resident who gave his name only as Ayalew said Ethiopian troops were now based on the airport road.

"Fano has left the city and are in the forest," he said, but added that he could still hear heavy artillery being fired.

- 'Running out of medicine' -

A doctor at Gondar University Hospital told AFP there had been many casualties.

"About 20 died after reaching the hospital and more than 190 people were injured and were brought to the hospital, most of them were civilians," the doctor said on condition of anonymity.

"We also running out of food and medicine," the doctor added. "In this facility patients are dying due to a lack of oxygen and blood."

In Bahir Dar, a doctor at Felege Hiwot hospital said they had received 130 injured civilians and that 10 people had died.

"People are coming here by foot with their families carrying them on their shoulders, taking their own risks on the roads," the doctor said, also on condition of anonymity.

"Ambulances have stopped due to the heavy risk in the city," the medic said, adding that the situation in Bahir Dar appeared calm with Ethiopian troops patrolling the city.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday the violence was affecting humanitarian operations in Amhara, which was caught up in the war between government-backed forces and Tigray rebels.

UK charity Save the Children also warned Wednesday that "children's lives hang in the balance" in Amhara and called on the warring parties to allow access for humanitarian aid.

The November 2022 deal that silenced the guns in Tigray was not welcomed by many in the Amhara community, the second largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, and once its economic and political elite.