Updated: March 14, 2025
March 14, 2025
Borkena
Toronto – As fears of another round of war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and the potential for conflict with Eritrea dominate headlines in mainstream media, the devastating war in the Amhara region has been largely forgotten or ignored. There have been instances where the motives of the international community have been questioned for overlooking the conflict in this region.
Ethiopia’s Dialogue Commission, despite facing a public trust crisis due to suspicions about its neutrality, is now calling for a ceasefire in the Amhara region and the release of political prisoners. Notably, the mandate of the commission expired last month, but the Ethiopian parliament extended it by one year.
Mesfin Araya, the Commissioner, and his team on Friday traveled to Bahir Dar, the seat of the Amhara regional state. The commission announced that they held talks with Arega Kebede, head of the regional administration, and other senior officials.
According to the commission, the purpose of the trip to Bahir Dar was “to discuss enabling conditions for agenda-gathering work” for the national dialogue. The commission has been unable to carry out this work due to the ongoing security challenges in the region.
Regional officials were reportedly informed that the commission’s immediate work plan is to undertake agenda gathering and identification in the region.
Among the enabling conditions requested by the commission is the release of political prisoners. The regional administration has been asked to take steps in this regard and to put pressure “on others,” as the commission phrased it, to achieve the same outcome. Outside the region, many ethnic Amhara politicians, including members of parliament, have been arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa, and elsewhere in connection with the armed struggle in the region. Many have labeled these arrests as politically motivated.
The commission also emphasized, with strong language as reported, the need for the government to take the first step in declaring a ceasefire in the region. This move is seen as crucial for creating an enabling environment for national dialogue.
Regional authorities have reportedly stated that they will “do their part” to address the commission’s requests. However, it appears that declaring a ceasefire may not fall within the jurisdiction of the regional government. The federal government declared war in the Amhara region in August 2023, citing the need to “disarm Fano forces” as a pretext. Initially intended to last a few weeks, the conflict continues to rage across much of the region.
The humanitarian crisis in the region is worsening, with over six million students out of school and reports of famine emerging in some areas. Thousands of civilians, including women and children, have been killed in the area as the government forces intensify drone attacks and shelling civilian areas. Government denies that it targeted civilians.
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