Fano (militia)

Fano
ፋኖ
LeadersZemene Kassie
Mihretu Wodajo
Baye Kengaw
Meketaw Mamo
Dates of operation2018–present
Active regions Ethiopia
IdeologyAmhara nationalism
Size15,000–20,000 (2024)
Allies Eritrea
 Ethiopia (until 2023)
Opponents Ethiopia (from 2023)
TPLF
OLA
Battles and wars

Fano (Amharic: ፋኖ) is an ethno-nationalist Amhara militia and former protest movement. It has engaged in violent clashes throughout Ethiopia in the name of neutralizing perceived threats to the Amhara people. Fano has absorbed many units and personnel of the Amhara Regional Special Forces that did not integrate into the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). Fano militias have been involved in armed conflicts with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and the ENDF. They have also clashed with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on the border of Ethiopia and Sudan.

During the Tigray War, Fano supported the ENDF against rebels aligned to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Since the outbreak of the War in Amhara during April 2023, Fano has been fighting the ENDF. The movement presently consists of several insurgent factions that operate independently, without a unified command. These factions are organized locally, each with its own leader in different parts of the Amhara region.