Ethiopian authorities report civilian killings in Oromia by Fano militia amid ongoing conflicts in the region.

Ethiopian local authorities have reported that "many civilians" were killed last week by militias in the troubled Oromia region, though they did not provide further details. Oromia, the country’s most populous region, has been experiencing an insurrection by the Oromo Liberation Army since 2018, with peace talks failing to bring about a resolution.

The central region, which includes the capital Addis Ababa, is plagued by various conflicts, including political divisions, land disputes, and ethnic tensions. The attack took place on Friday, approximately 300 kilometers west of Addis Ababa, according to local district administrator Ketema Wakuma, who spoke to AFP. He attributed the killings to "the extremist forces of Fano," referring to the "self-defense" Fano militia. This group has been involved in clashes with government forces in the neighboring Amhara region since April 2023.

The exact number of casualties remains unknown, Ketema said. However, local independent media outlet Addis Standard reported that at least 20 people were killed in the incident, while three others were kidnapped. The Fano militia, which operates largely autonomously without a central command, has intensified attacks on security forces and has, on multiple occasions, briefly seized towns in Amhara.

Armed conflicts continue to destabilize Ethiopia’s two most populous regions, Amhara and Oromia. The country recently endured one of the deadliest conflicts in modern history in the northern Tigray region, where federal forces fought against Tigrayan rebels between 2020 and 2022. That war resulted in at least 600,000 deaths.