severe in Bale Robe, Ziway, and Negele Arsi. In Ziway, Amharic speakers were labelled as "neftenya" (, lit. "rifle-bearer", connoting a settler) and were targeted for assaults, according to multiple witnesses. In its literal meaning, neftegna means “gun bearer.” It refers to military occupiers who settled in Southern Ethiopia, including today's Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Gambela Region, and Benishangul-Gumuz Region from the late 19th century onwards. This was a historical development that came to an end in 1974 with the fall of Emperor Haile Sellasie’s monarchy and the rise to power of the Dergue communist regime. However, Neftengna is a name often related to the ethnic Amhara, the second most populous ethnic group in Ethiopia. Interfaith tensions add another layer of complexity. Some Oromo nationalists portray the Orthodox Christian church as part of the predominantly Amhara power structure under the old imperial regime, which they accuse of suppressing their identities and culture for centuries. During October 2019 Ethiopian clashes, Orthodox Christian leaders reported mobs targeting their congregants and churches, while demonstrators also attacked a mosque in Adama, in central Oromia. Indeed, the targeting of Orthodox churches as a symbol of the old establishment is a problem not limited to Oromia; protesters attacked churches in the Somali Region in August 2018 and in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region in July 2019. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed established civil society groups such as the Inter-Religious Council and elders from the various ethnic groups to stimulate dialogue among elites and the grassroots. Following these efforts, community members among the Ethiopian diaspora community were calling for tolerance and coexistence among followers of the two major religions in Ethiopia. Amhara–Oromo fighting at several universities has sharpened tensions. Mounting religious tensions risk edging a political dispute over Amhara–Oromo federal power-sharing into a sectarian contest. Similarly, violence between Amhara security forces and militia comprising Qemant people left tens dead. The Qemant are a minority in Amhara pursuing greater autonomy. TPLF leaders are also angry at the displacement of around 100,000 Tigrayans, mostly from Amhara and Oromia regions, during and after the 2015–2018 anti-government protests. Since Abiy's rise to power, trends in Amhara are as troubling as those in Oromia and recent mass unrest occurred when Amhara nationalist militias attempted coup d'état. The Oromo have themselves long faced marginalisation and exclusion at the hands of the central government; in this instance, those targeted have largely