Addis Ababa: Fighting between the Amhara Fano National Movement (AFNM) and Ethiopia’s federal government was reported in approximately 90 locations across the Amhara region on June 1, the day the country held its seventh general election, according to a report by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).
According to the report, the clashes disrupted voting in several parts of the region, with some polling stations forced to suspend operations as the security situation deteriorated. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) also acknowledged that voting was disrupted in some areas of the Amhara region.
On June 1, AFNM launched an operation dubbed “Ayisha Seid,” named after a young girl who was killed in an ethnically motivated attack in Oromia’s Wollega few years ago. The operation was conducted across multiple parts of the region.
ACLED reported that fighting in the Kuta Ber area of South Wollo temporarily interrupted the voting process before polling later resumed. In Arabaya, a locality in West Belesa district of Central Gondar Zone, AFNM fighters reportedly captured three election executives.
In a letter addressed to the African Union and the international community, AFNM claimed that elections were conducted in only 3% of the Amhara region, while voting did not take place or was significantly disrupted in the remaining 97%. Horn Frequency could not independently verify the claim.
The conflict in the Amhara region has continued into its third year, employing heavy weaponry, including artillery, drones and other forms of aerial support.
