According to reports that have surfaced over the last three days, fighting has broken out in the border Kebeles of the North Shewa and Oromo Special Zones in the Amhara regional state.
The violence happened in Bete Kebele of Jile Tumuga Woreda in the Oromo Special zone and in Arso Amba or Zembo Kebele of Efratana Gdim Woreda.
Various reports have surfaced detailing what started the present conflict. According to some reports, the altercation started when cattle were purposefully let loose into the adjacent farmers’ croplands.
According to some stories, the altercation started when cattle were purposefully let loose into the adjacent farmers’ croplands.
The claim that the conflict started because cattle were purposefully unleashed onto cropland is denied by locals who speak Amba Digital.
The resident claims that the Amhara Regional forces and the Wollo Oromo community are at war right now, not the communities and farmers in Arso Amba, Zembo Kebele, Bete Kebele, or Efratana Gdim Woreda.
The resident also mentioned that Amhara and Wollo Oromo ethnic groups reside in the Bete and Arso Amba areas and that despite the frequent small-scale conflict over the previous four years, the surrounding areas have been mainly peaceful.
According to another resident, Amhara Special Forces and Fano have been planning to disarm residents of the Oromo Special Zone. According to him, locals in the region resisted Amhara special forces’ attempts to attack the area across Zembo Kebele.
According to residents, the fresh violence began after Amhara Special Forces opened fire following the Eid-Al Adha celebration.
Sources claim that more than 30 soldiers have died so far in the skirmishes.
Timuga Woreda’s chief administrator, Ahmed Mohammed, told Al-Ain media that there are still gunfights taking place in nearby locations.
Ahmed asserted that the region is unstable and that he is coordinating with the relevant authorities to deploy additional forces into the area of hostilities.
Tadesse Gebretsadik, the chief administrator of the North Shewa Zone, claimed that the conflicts had sparked in various areas of the zone.
In recent years, fighting has been common in both North Shoa and Oromo Special Zones of the Amhara regional state.
The entire village of Molale in the region of Efratana Gidim was destroyed by a similar attack that took place there two months ago. Ataye city was recently destroyed by yet another conflict in the region.
