A bloody conflict between the Ethiopian army and rebels from the country’s northern Amhara region has escalated in 2025. Videos circulating online claim to show a well-known Ethiopian pastor calling on Amhara rebels to take over the government. However, the video was AI-generated.
The Amharic text accompanying the post reads: “Watch what this religious leader saying, ‘The Addis Ababa government is not working for the people’.”
Shared more than 200 times, the clip appears to show Tizitaw Samuel, a Protestant pastor and former Ethiopian Orthodox Church singer who lives in the United States.
Preaching before a large crowd, he appears to say in Amharic: “The Addis Ababa government is not able to work for the people.”
“Today, we want the Amhara Fano to come and overtake the government,” he adds.
Fano is a militia group that has been fighting against the Ethiopian army since April 2023.
The crowd then responds with loud shouts of “Amen”, raising their hands in unison. Two people even appear to perform handstands.
Online users posting comments under the video seem to believe it is genuine, and their reactions reflect the country’s divisions.
“This is crazy. How come all these people say Amen to such evil calls? When will our people become aware of evil missions?” writes one user. “Amen! Amen!! Fano will come soon,” comments another.
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