Fano militiamen fighting the Ethiopian army in the Amhara region over-ran Lalibela and Gondar for several days in August marking Ethiopia's most serious security crisis since a two-year civil war in the neighbouring region of Tigray ended a year ago. Lidetu Ayalew, an Amhara politician based in the United States who grew up near Lalibela, said he feared the churches could be harmed. "The churches risk being struck and destroyed due to careless firing of heavy weapons," he said in a statement on Monday. The UN in August said in the latest round of fighting in Amhara at least 183 people had been killed in the first month. Ethiopia's federal government and Amhara region's government had no immediate comment to Reuters' requests for comment.

Source: Ethiopian News November 07, 2023 15:01 UTC