By Sadik Kedir
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) — The Amhara regional government has signed a “sustainable peace agreement” with a faction of the Fano militia, a move officials say could help chart a path toward ending the two-year insurgency in northern Ethiopia, state-run regional media reported.
The agreement, signed Thursday in the regional capital Bahir Dar, was mediated with the involvement of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Amhara Regional President Arega Kebede hailed the deal as a “foundation for lasting relief,” noting the deal marks a test for the federal government’s new strategy of pursuing piecemeal reconciliation with a decentralized insurgency active primarily in the Amhara and Oromia regions.
The accord was signed specifically with the Amhara Fano People's Organization (AFPO) and represented by its leader, Captain Masresha Sete.
The Fano movement, which lacks a unified central command, became active in April 2023 after the federal government attempted to disband regional special forces.
What began as scattered resistance quickly coalesced into a potent armed movement that seized control of rural areas and challenged federal authority across large parts of the region.
Thursday’s peace deal is significant for its potential to disrupt the insurgency’s momentum by drawing a faction leader into formal negotiations, according to the report.
Still, the deal’s impact on the broader conflict remains uncertain, as Fano divisions in Gojjam and Wollo continue to fight federal troops, and it is unclear whether Captain Masresha’s faction controls enough territory or fighters to shift the security landscape on its own.