(Following is a translation of a report by the BBC Amharic about the outbreak of violence in the Amhara region between government forces and Fano militias, and the profound tragedy and human impact of the situation, published on the news website on August 12, 2023. The text was translated from the original text, Amharic into English by Ismaël MOUSSA. )

On Monday night, the Amhara regional capital was rocked by a violent clash, involving gunfire and artillery explosions between the federal army and local militias, known as Fano.

The accounts from residents paint a distressing picture of the situation. The sound of heavy machine-gun and automatic fire could be heard from multiple directions. As the night progressed into the morning, the intensity of the conflict lessened, with the sound of exploding shells gradually subsiding.

Since the day was the beginning of the Felseta fast, also known as the Assumption Fast, which holds special significance for Orthodox Christians, some flocked to nearby churches for the observance.

Although the absence of traffic on the mostly empty road due to the circumstances, some people ventured out to church.

Ayenew Defershim, a resident of Kebele 14 and a red pepper trader, left his home with his two sons to go to the nearby Abune Hara Church at around 8 am on Tuesday.

“I wanted to attend church too but my husband advised me to stay home, and he went out with the older children,” says Ato Ayenew’s wife, Abeba Ghoshu.

“When they took time to return home, I was alarmed and called my eldest son and a stranger picked up the phone and said, “They’re fallen here. Come and collect them!”

According to Abeba’s account, her husband and their two children were killed not far from the neighborhood.

“My oldest son was supporting his wife and his child. My second child was newly married. We were all living in the same compound,” she said.

The residents say they found five people’s bodies, including those of Ayenew and his two children, Kassahun and Abraham, in one location. Their funerals were held on the same day at the Church of the Abune Hara. Witnesses say 32 victims’ bodies were found near the Abune Hara church on that same day.

Among those killed were a pregnant woman who went out of her house to look for her child, as well as an expectant mother who was on her way to the hospital for childbirth carried by neighbors in a makeshift bed in the Abay Mado area, and those carrying her, according to witnesses.

The city was heavily impacted by heavy arms, resulting in houses being demolished, destroyed, and severely damaged, according to the residents.  

The city of Bahir Dar, having experienced such devastating loss of life and destruction, is now in a state of mourning.

The clashes have ceased in recent days and no more gunfire has been heard in the city. The federal forces were deployed in many parts of the city. However, Bahir Dar has not fully returned to its normal operations, according to residents.

Fighting has continued to intensify and spread between local militias and the military since ten days ago. The situation escalated notably on Monday and Tuesday nights in the regional capital, Bahir Dar, during which heavy arms were used, causing the city to experience a significant level of turmoil and violence. The most intense confrontations occurred in Kebele 14, in an area commonly known as Muller Real Estate, Kebele 13 and Kebele 16.

While the exact number remains unspecified, reports from residents and hospital sources suggest that a significant number of civilians have lost their lives in the clashes.

A medical doctor at Bahar Dar Felege Hiwot said that several civilians had to be admitted to the hospital due to gunshot injuries, including a 5-month-old baby.

The violence seems to have extended beyond the regional capital, affecting other towns as well. Reports indicate that several civilians were also killed in the historic town of Gondar and the industrial city of Debre Berhan, where the clashes spilled over.

According to hospital sources cited by the BBC, at least 20 people have lost their lives, and more than 200 people have been injured in the city of Gondar and its surrounding areas. Among those who were shot and injured in Gondar were a 16-year-old man and an elderly 50-year-old woman, a doctor told the BBC.

On Friday, the head of a command post established to oversee a state of emergency decree admitted of innocent lives were being lost, property being destroyed, and looting occurring.

The decision by the federal government to integrate the regional special forces into the federal army has led to significant unrest and protests in the Amhara region. The call from the head of the Amhara region, Yilkal Kefale, for the federal government to intervene due to the difficulties in maintaining security using regular law enforcement mechanisms has become indicative of the severity of the situation.

The government said on Wednesday that six major towns in the Amhara region had been “liberated” after days of fighting between the army and local militias. The General Directorate of State of Emergency claimed that six major towns, Bahir Dar, Lalibela, Gondar, Shewa Robit, Debre Birhan, and Debre Markos had been “freed from the threat of bandits.”