Three young men were reportedly killed after being accused of belonging to the Fano armed movement in Abeshge Woreda of Central Ethiopia, according to local sources cited by outlet Meseret Media.
The victims have been identified as Temesgen Getachew, Yitagesu Asegidew, and Gizaw Girmaye, who were reportedly traveling aboard a public transport vehicle when security personnel stopped the vehicle and allegedly singled them out on suspicion of being Fano members.
Fano is a loosely organized Amhara armed movement that emerged from local self-defense groups and volunteer militias. Since 2023, it has been engaged in an armed insurgency against Ethiopia’s federal government, particularly in the Amhara Region.
Witnesses cited by Meseret Media claim the three men were forced to disembark before being killed near Agena, a town in Abeshge Woreda.
Local sources further alleged that government security forces acted in coordination with members of the local police and militia during the incident.
Ethiopian federal or regional authorities had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication.
The reported killings come amid continuing security tensions across several parts of Ethiopia, where accusations of affiliation with armed groups have frequently resulted in arrests, detentions, and allegations of extrajudicial killings.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over reports of abuses committed by Ethiopian federal and regional authorities and other parties to Ethiopia’s various armed conflicts and have called for independent investigations into alleged violations.
The report quickly sparked strong reactions on social media, where many users expressed outrage and called for an independent investigation.
Many commenters condemned the reported killings as another example of extrajudicial violence, arguing that merely being suspected of links to an armed movement should never justify the summary execution of civilians.
Others questioned how passengers could be removed from public transportation and killed without due process.
Some users also warned that incidents of this nature risk deepening ethnic mistrust and fueling further cycles of violence. They urged Ethiopians to reject collective blame based on ethnicity or political affiliation and called on authorities to hold those responsible accountable regardless of rank.
Human rights advocates online renewed calls for independent monitoring, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law, arguing that sustainable peace cannot be achieved while allegations of extrajudicial killings continue to emerge from different parts of the country.
Originally published on UMD Media Facebook on 2026-08-10T09:00:00-06:00. Source: https://www.facebook.com/getachew.UMDMedia