Relatives of Ethiopian Israeli aliyah activist Aselachao Ababa are living in fear amid escalating violence in Ethiopia's Amhara region, where residents face restricted movement, gunfire, and kidnappings, Ababa told Walla on Sunday.
Ababa, 39, a Lod resident and longtime aliyah activist in the Ethiopian Israeli community, has struggled to reach relatives who remain in the Gondar area of Amhara. He described constant fear, limited movement, homes damaged by gunfire, and a sense that those left behind are paying the price of the escalation in northern Ethiopia.
Gondar, a major city in northwestern Ethiopia, was once the capital of the Ethiopian Empire and is considered one of the most important historical centers of the Beta Israel community. The city itself is not the main focus of the fighting, but it has been affected by broader instability in the Amhara region, where clashes between the Ethiopian military and militias have continued since 2023.
Roads and villages in the surrounding area are not always safe, and residents have reported movement restrictions, arrests, gunfire, and harm to civilians. Last week, seven armed groups in Ethiopia, including the Fano movement in Amhara and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, announced an alliance against the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
"They are afraid. They can't move around freely," Ababa said. "There is a war now between the government and the forces and militias. Yesterday, they told me about a neighbor of theirs who was killed, and they sent me pictures of a house that was completely damaged by gunfire."
Ababa, who has relatives in Gondar and in a village in the Amhara region, said the security situation was affecting large areas. "The Tigray region and parts of Amhara, there's nothing to talk about. There are concerns in Gondar too," he said.
Relatives have been kidnapped, ransomed, Ababa says
For Ababa, the concern is not merely from afar. He said his relatives had previously been kidnapped and that family members were forced to collect money and pay a ransom to secure their release.
"My relatives were kidnapped, and we had to pay a ransom from the whole family," he said. "We are very worried about them."
Ababa immigrated to Israel 25 years ago and has not returned to Ethiopia since. "I'm a village person, and if I travel, I want to get to my village. But there is no public transportation there, and people are stopped on the way. Especially if they know you are coming from Israel or suspect that you support Fano," he said.
He said he still has extended relatives in Ethiopia, including his relative Estaol Agen, whose parents are already in Israel and who is the only member of his immediate family left behind.
"He has been left alone for more than 25 years, and because of the fear of kidnappings, they move him from place to place."
No aliyah made from Ethiopia in four years
Ababa said the family has sought to advance the aliyah of additional relatives but has encountered prolonged difficulties. "There has been no aliyah for four years. We have a group, and we work day and night, but we don't get a response," he said.
Ababa, who lives in Lod and works to promote aliyah for members of the community, said many families in Israel remain deeply concerned about relatives living in areas affected by the fighting.
"People here are worried, and the people there are still waiting."