Zemene Kassie

Zemene Kassie (Amharic: ዘመነ ካሴ) is an Ethiopian politician, freedom fighter and military commander who is the leader of Gojjam faction of the Amhara Fano militia.
Born in Merawi, near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia on March 14, 1985, Zemene previously worked in various government positions in the early-2010s. Following disagreements with EPRDF's regional leaders in Amhara, he was forced into exile to Eritrea and joined the Ginbot 7 opposition group in order to counter EPRDF government persecution. He then returned to Ethiopia in 2018 after premiership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and worked in various key positions in Amhara Region. He resigned from the office after the 2019 Amhara Region coup attempt.
Zemene organized a Fano faction under the banner of Amhara Popular Force during the Tigray War when Tigrayan rebel forces invaded the Amhara region in mid-2021. It was during the Tigray War that he rose to prominence as a leading figure in the Fano militia.
Zemene was born in Merawi, near Bahir Dar in the North Gojjam Zone of Ethiopia. In addition to his academic achievements, Zemene was also recognized for his artistic contributions, particularly as a poet for Merewa Band, a prominent music and art club in the Amhara region. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Haramaya University, graduating as the valedictorian and gold medalist of the class of 2007. In 2011, he completed his MSc in Urban Planning and Development at the Ethiopian Civil Service University.
Right after completing his studies at Haramaya, he joined the then-ruling EPRDF and held various government positions both as a professional and a leader. His sensational oratory skills and academic achievements quickly set him apart, which led the party to name him as President of Amhara Region Youth League. Citing the injustices faced by the Amhara people under the authoritarian rule of the EPRDF government, Zemene moved to Eritrea in 2013 to join the Ginbot 7 party. There, he became one of the main coordinators of the armed struggle against the EPRDF regime, alongside Andargachew Tsege and Berhanu Nega.
When Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, Zemene returned to Ethiopia Zemene returned to Ethiopia and was shortly given government positions in the Amhara Region administration. However, his popular and critical fiery speeches, which he used to galvanize Amhara youth under the banner of Amhara nationalism, along with his persistent efforts to unite them under a single organization as the chairman of the Amhara Youth Association, were not well-received by Abiy Ahmed and the Oromo factions within the ruling Prosperity Party. Despite this, Zemene continued to serve as an informal advisor to the Amhara Region Peace and Security Bureau under Brigadier General Asaminew Tsige, focusing on regional youth and security matters. In addition to Abiy Ahmed's conspiracy and willful negligence in stopping Amhara massacre in Oromia, Asaminew Tsige's resistance to arresting Zemene and other Amhara nationalist allies became one of the key points of contention between Asaminew and federal governments, which ultimately culminated in the Amhara Region alleged "coup attempt" and the assassination of Amhara president Ambachew Mekonnen, Brigadier General Asaminew Tsige, General Seare Mekonnen, and other prominent political and military leaders on June 22, 2019. Zemene went into hiding following the Amhara region alleged "coup" attempt. to evade window of opportunistic extrajudicial assassinations and purges targeting any opposing Amhara nationalists, orchestrated by Abiy Ahmed under the pretext of maintaining law, order, and justice in response to the alleged "coup" attempt on Amhara regional administration. Zemene was charged in absentia by the Amhara region supreme court in what his supporters described as a politically motivated "witch hunt", but he was later exonerated of all charges.
Zemene gained mainstream recognition after the start of Tigray War in 2020, as a leading figure of the Fano militia. During the incursion of Tigrayan forces in Amhara, he established a Fano faction, Amhara Popular Force, and became its leader. As Tigrayan rebels failed to enter Gojjam, his faction engaged to counter the rebel advance in Western Wollo along with Ethiopian government forces. Zemene was once imprisoned by Bahir Dar police in allegation of killing of a police officer on 11 September 2022. Mulan Tadese, his legal mentor, confirmed that Zemene was released from Bahir Dar prison on 3 June 2023, where the verdict raised a question on absolving his release about the validity of evidence against him. Zemene was used to hiding from government authority amidst crackdowns against Fano members, who alleged that Fano would brought violence and destabilization in the region. In June 2022, Zemene commented the ongoing situation of Tigray War in an interview that "there are thousands of Fano militants presently under my control, and shortly they will shift into millions. We don’t believe the Amhara police forces or the federal army as opposing. But some individuals belong to the Fano who do."
Following the outbreak of the War in Amhara, Zemene re-emerged and aligned with the other Fano factions, including factions led by Eskinder Nega to fight the Ethiopian government. Demonstrating his strategic leadership, Zemene played a key role in uniting the two major Fano factions in Gojjam, including the one led by Major Zinabu Lingerew. This effort culminated in the signing of the Dimama Declaration on Feb 23, 2024, which established the most unified front among the various Amhara Fano commands.