Thousands took part in coordinated pro‑government demonstrations this past Sunday across key towns in the Amhara region as Addis Ababa escalates efforts to pressure Fano militia forces into laying down arms. While organizers billed the events as grassroots calls for “peace and development,” critics say many participants—especially public servants—were compelled to attend under threat of losing jobs or vital safety‑net benefits.
According to local reports, the Prosperity Party government dispatched senior defense‑force commanders to Bahir Dar, Debre Markos, Dessie, Debre Berhan, Sekota, Gondar and several other cities, exhorting residents to denounce the Fano as “proxy forces in the service of foreign interests.” Local administrators circulated notices warning non‑party members that failure to appear at the demonstrations would jeopardize their continued enrollment in government‑run social programs and even their jobs. The gatherings, replete with banners reading “Peace and Development Now,” drew large crowds—but observers say many came under duress, standing alongside uniformed security personnel to avoid reprisals.
While Prosperity Party spokespeople trumpet a surge to 16 million registered members nationwide, independent voices question whether such numbers reflect genuine support or the impact of mandatory recruitment drives. In Amhara’s hospitals, schools and civil‑service offices, employees report explicit directives to join the marches. Social‑media images circulated over the weekend showed official warning posters pasted on workplace bulletin boards, threatening disciplinary action for non‑attendance.
Later Sunday, the Amhara Regional Police Chief’s Office issued a terse statement, describing the rallies as entirely voluntary and problem‑free: “The people’s demonstration…has ended peacefully. It was held under the slogan ‘Peace for all, all for peace.’ Participants cooperated fully with security forces, and the community played its role in ensuring the success of the peace work. We thank the people of the region, organizers, and federal and regional security agencies for prioritizing peace and security despite difficult weather conditions. We call on the Amhara people to maintain this spirit of peace and security.” Regional President Arega Kebede, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, and other senior Prosperity Party leaders issued statements echoing the police chief’s praise, urging citizens to stand united behind federal operations aimed at “restoring stability.”
The rallies come amid the 20‑month military campaign in Amhara, originally billed by the federal government as a short “clean‑up” operation. Despite repeated offensives—including deployment of mechanized brigades and drone strikes—Fano fighters remain active in rural strongholds, buoyed by deep local networks and popular sympathies. Addis Ababa insists these operations have restored “relative peace” to many areas, yet Fano commanders claim the government’s tactics have only hardened local resistance.
As the federal government prepares what it calls a “final” offensive against remaining Fano units, both sides increasingly look to public opinion in Amhara. Whether this weekend’s mass rallies represent genuine calls for peace or a coerced display of unity may prove decisive in an unfolding conflict that shows little sign of abating.
