Reuters quoted Ethiopian government spokesman Legesse Tulu today (November 8) denying reports that the army and Fano militia were fighting in Ethiopia's sacred town of Lalibela. Accordingly, Lalibela and the surrounding area are "very peaceful".
The statement came after four local residents told Reuters they heard gunfire, suspected to be from fighting between the army and Fano.
"Fighting broke out (in Lalibela) an hour ago and I am hiding in my house now," the source said by phone as gunfire rang out in the background.
Worshippers attend morning prayers at the Saint George rock church in Lalibela
Meanwhile, a deacon at one of Lalibela's 11 churches said fighting broke out around 8am across the area. A shelter built to protect one of the churches was hit three times by stray bullets, he said: "They are using all kinds of weapons. I can feel the shaking."
Lalibela is famous for its many World Heritage Sites, including the 11 churches mentioned above that were built between the 12th and 13th centuries. It is a major attraction for Coptic Orthodox believers and tourists alike.
Lalibela has been under a state of emergency since August, after Fano had been fighting the army since late July, according to Ethiopia's Borkena news agency.
The Fano are a militia with no formal command structure, and are concentrated mainly in the Amhara region (northern Ethiopia). In August, the group captured Lalibela, but was soon repelled a few days later.
The fighting, which left hundreds dead, was the biggest security challenge Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has faced since the civil war in the Tigray region ended a year ago.
The Fano forces have supported the Ethiopian army in the two-year-old civil war in Tigray, but relations have been strained as the sides disagree over who should control western and southern Tigray. The government’s announcement that it would integrate regional forces into the federal police and army has also fueled the conflict.
The federal army and the Amhara regional government have not commented on the information.
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