Disputed Ethiopia Welkait Area Could Play Critical Role in Ethiopia Peace Talks
Ethiopia's Amhara conflict: Warning: This report contains descriptions of rape and sexual violence.
Warning: This report contains descriptions of rape and sexual violence. Names of victims have been changed and identifying details omitted to protect their privacy and safety. Enat was at home with her eight-year-old niece when the soldiers came one Sunday morning, she says. The Ethiopian army was carrying out searches of homes in the Amhara region on 5 January this year, as part of a crackdown on a growing rebellion launched by local militias known as Fano. Enat says three men, dressed in army uniform, entered her home in South Gondar and began asking questions about her family background and whether Fano fighters had visited the beer hall where she worked. Enat, 21, said they had. "How could we lie? How can we hide the truth?" Enat says, noting that Fano - an Amharic word loosely translated as volunteer fighters - is made up of locals. Things quickly escalated. After asking questions about her family background, Enat says the soldiers began insulting her, th...
