Leaders of a militia in Ethiopia’s Amhara region have accused the administration in neighbouring Tigray of “beating the war drum” regarding plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans to territories captured by Amhara fighters during a civil war.
The fate of the disputed territories in northern Ethiopia has remained a contentious issue between Tigray and Amhara since the conclusion of the 2020-2022 civil war, during which Amhara militiamen supported the federal government in combating Tigrayan rebels.
During the war, hundreds of thousands of individuals lost their lives, with some of the most severe violence occurring in the two territories, which encompass the southern and western regions of Tigray as per the federal constitution.
Following the conflict, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tigrayans fled, while Amhara fighters established their own governing administration in the area.
The vice president of Tigray’s interim administration, General Tadesse Worede, announced on Wednesday that Tigrayan officials had reached an agreement with the federal government to finalize plans for the return of displaced individuals, with deadlines set for June 7 for one area and July 7 for the other.
Tadesse stated that combatants in the area would undergo disarmament, and new local governing administrations would be established.
This aligns with the previous commitment made by the federal defense minister to dissolve any “illegal administration” existing in these territories.
However, a spokesperson for the federal government did not provide a response to inquiries regarding Tadesse’s statements.
Amhara nationalists assert a historical entitlement to the land, and leaders of the Amhara militia, known as Fano, characterized Tadesse’s remarks as provocative.
Beyene Alamaw, a representative of Fano’s branch in the Gondar area, emphasized during a late Thursday online media briefing, “They are beating a war drum. We won’t tolerate anyone who would try to impose force and invade.”
The briefing featured leaders from three out of four main branches of Fano.
Last month, in the most significant outbreak of violence since the conclusion of the war, clashes erupted between armed Amharas and Tigrayans in one of the disputed areas, resulting in the displacement of approximately 50,000 individuals, according to the United Nations.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: 5 rescued as police arrest two for alleged child trafficking in Nigeria