Fano vs. ola Shenee

This paper aimed to scrutinize the deviating paths of two predominant armed resistance groups in Ethiopia—Fano and ola -Shenee, under the context of Ethiopia’s ethnic-based federal system. Based on the findings, Fano, mainly an Amhara armed militia, has come as a group that strategically positions itself in resistance to both the federal regime and the ethnic-based disintegration of the country, seeking a more united Ethiopian national values. In opposition, the ola -Shenee, which stands for the Oromo Liberation Army, is firmly aligned with a separatist political orientation, a struggle for the absolute self-determination and secession of the Oromo people, and highly challenging Ethiopian national identity. By examining their philosophically established military strategies and political goals, this article contrasts these two armed groups’ causes and actions. It argues that while Fano adopts a more realistic and measured approach aimed at protecting national unity through ethnic authorization within the country, the ola -Shenee’s opposition is frozen in an extremist opposition of Ethiopian national identity and unity, viewing ethnic federalism as a tool of oppression. The paper further investigates how these diverging political orientations cause their dealings with the regime and other ethnic groups, highlighting the complexities of armed-military struggle in an ethnically divided country.