Statement by Eskinder Nega, Chairman of AFPO about News of Negotiation

Toronto – We would like the people and the international community to know that government news “that an agreement was reached between the Amhara regional state and Amhara Fano Popular Organization (AFPO) is absolutely false,” Eskinder Nega, one of the key leaders of AFPO announced on Thursday.

In a brief audio message, which was widely shared across Ethiopian media outlets, Eskinder stated that the claim that the African Union and IGAD were “mediators” during the negotiation is false.

They were not even present, Eskinder said.

However, the African Union on Thursday released a statement saying  “African Union Hails Landmark Peace Agreement in Ethiopia, Welcomes Signing Between Amhara Region and FANO-AFPO”

It went on to state that “The signing ceremony, held in Addis Ababa, was attended by H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, who represented the continental body, and Mr. Mohamed Abdi Ware, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).”

It sees the development as “an inch closer to peace.”

Ethiopian activists and political observers are criticizing the organization for alleged “propaganda work” for the Ethiopian government.

State media projected an image that the agreement was made between AFPO and the government. Eskinder trashed it as false.

It was between Masresha Setie, one of the leaders of AFPO who surrendered to government forces earlier this week, and the regional government.

However, the Fano organization announced earlier this week that Masresha had been “suspended from leadership” after investigation into his clandestine contact with the government.  The Organization has released a report about it this week.

Eskinder Nega emphasized that “Masresha was not only suspended as a member of the leadership of the AFPO but also he was dismissed as member.”

There was another claim on the part of the government. It said it has been in contact with AFPO and that negotiation has been underway for sometime now.

“As well, what we want to make clear to our people and to the international community is that  AFPO has never , since its establishment, at no time or place even for a microsecond met with the regime or negotiated,” Eskinder said in his brief audio message.

AFPO is one of the two umbrella Fano organizations operating across the Amhara region of Ethiopia. The two Fano organizations have been holding political talks to merge the organization with the aim to bring it under a single command.

The conflict in the Amhara region of Ethiopia started in August 2023 when the government declared a statement of emergency for a military operation with a stated objective of “disarming fano forces. “

The war is still raging in many parts of the region.

__