Open Letter from the Amhara Fano National Movement Calling on the African Union to Address “the Genocidal War in Amhara and the Threat to Regional Stability” at the Ongoing AU Summit
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Date: February 14, 2026
H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço
President of the Republic of Angola
Chairperson of the African Union
H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf
Chairperson of the African Union Commission
African Union Headquarters
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Re: Urgent Appeal Regarding the Genocidal War in Amhara and the Threat to Regional Stability
Your Excellencies,
We write to draw Your Excellencies’ urgent attention to the grave and deteriorating situation in Ethiopia, specifically the ongoing war against the Amhara people and its serious implications for regional stability.
The war waged by the Ethiopian government against the Amhara people, which began in 2023, is now approaching its third year and continues to be marked by severe violations of international humanitarian law and African human rights instruments by government forces.
After exhausting all peaceful avenues to have our legitimate concerns addressed, the Amhara people, under the leadership of the Amhara Fano, have been compelled to defend themselves against what they view as a repressive administration.
While we continue to express a preference for a peaceful and negotiated resolution, the government’s response has been characterized by indiscriminate killings, aerial bombardments, and widespread terror against civilian populations.
The situation in the Amhara region has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, including civilian casualties, large-scale displacement, food insecurity, the breakdown of health and education services, and the erosion of social cohesion.
Recent escalations under the administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have reportedly involved actions that constitute grave breaches of international law, including allegations of sexual violence and gang rape used as instruments of war.
Reports indicate that, within close proximity to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, government forces killed more than 100 civilians in a single incident. Women and children have been disproportionately affected by these military operations.
The current leadership has, in our view, failed to manage the internal crisis effectively. While high-profile development initiatives are promoted in Addis Ababa, many regions of the country, particularly Amhara, face destruction rather than development. As a result, public trust has significantly eroded, and the government’s effective control over parts of the country has reportedly diminished.
Beyond the internal crisis, the government’s external posture has raised additional concerns. Efforts to project domestic instability outward through assertive or provocative foreign policy actions risk destabilizing the Horn of Africa. Tensions involving neighbouring countries, including Eritrea and Somalia, have heightened regional anxieties at a time when cooperative security approaches are most needed.
Furthermore, developments related to the crisis in Sudan have intensified fears of broader regional spill over. While the Amhara Fano maintains that it seeks to prevent any expansion of the conflict beyond Ethiopia’s borders, the continuation of the current strategy of military escalation renders regional stability increasingly fragile.
Your Excellencies,
Given the escalation of hostilities and the deepening humanitarian catastrophe, we respectfully submit that the situation in Amhara warrants urgent consideration at the forthcoming African Union Summit.
Such action would be consistent with the AU’s foundational mandate to promote peace, security, stability, and respect for human rights across the continent.
We are concerned that recent engagements with individuals not reflective of the current realities on the ground risk mischaracterizing the situation and may unintentionally undermine efforts toward accountability and peace.
Accordingly, the Amhara Fano National Movement respectfully calls upon Your Excellencies’ leadership to:
Include the situation in Ethiopia, particularly the ongoing war and reported atrocities in the Amhara region, as a priority agenda item at the upcoming Summit.
Establish an independent fact-finding mission to assess the situation in the Amhara region and across Ethiopia.
Publicly condemn violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed against civilians.
Support the creation of an independent international accountability mechanism, free from the control or influence of the Ethiopian government.
Urge humanitarian actors and the broader international community to facilitate immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations.
Call upon the Ethiopian government to cease hostilities, withdraw national forces from the Amhara region, and support the establishment of an inclusive and democratic transitional process.
Encourage restraint in regional affairs and prioritize internal reconciliation and stability.
We thank Your Excellencies for your urgent attention to this matter and respectfully request decisive action in accordance with the African Union’s commitment to “Silencing the Guns” and safeguarding the rights and dignity of all African peoples.
Please accept, Your Excellencies, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Arbegna Zemene Kassie
Chairman
Amhara Fano National Movement
