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Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers bath in the Fasilides Bath during the celebration of Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Epiphany, in Gondar on January 20, 2024. Timkat is the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian festival which celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river. A sense of dullness marred the celebrations this year due to unrest and clashes plaguing the wider Amhara region - and the city of Gondar in particular, failing to attract the usual multitude of worshippers that flock at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The conflict in the region sees the Ethiopian National Defense Force battling an ethnic Amhara militia known as “Fano”. Although these fighters fought alongside federal troops in the past, tensions boiled over after Addis Ababa announced in April 2023 that it was dismantling all regional armed forces across Ethiopia. (Photo by Michele Spatari/AFP Photo)
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