We can finally say his name: Amir Aman Kiyaro.
During the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, Kiyaro was instrumental in AP’s coverage, helping the East Africa bureau win several Best of the Week honors and ultimately the 2021 Gramling Award. But he did it all anonymously, out of fear of reprisal from the Ethiopian government.
Despite his precautions, Ethiopian security forces discovered his contributions and imprisoned him for four months. After his release, Kiyaro relocated to Hamburg, Germany, with his wife and child. But he wasn’t finished reporting on Ethiopia.
From more than 3,000 miles away (over 5,000 kilometers), Kiyaro produced an exclusive, all-formats report on the conflict unfolding in Ethiopia’s Amhara region.
The Amhara are the country’s second-largest ethnic group. Rebels in the region, including the Fano militia, seek a return to the political power they once held and say Amhara communities are being targeted in areas where they are minorities. The conflict—largely hidden from the international spotlight—has pitted the Fano against Ethiopia’s military.
Despite the region being nearly inaccessible to journalists, Kiyaro developed sources on the ground. He secured a rare interview with a Fano leader, whom he memorably introduced in his lead as a lawyer-turned-rebel.
With the support of Khaled Kazziha, assistant news director for East Africa, Kiyaro remotely trained local residents in photography and video to gather compelling, exclusive visuals. The result was a vivid, character-driven story rich with essential context on a brewing conflict that threatens to plunge Ethiopia into war once again.
The judges were impressed by Kiyaro’s tenacity and ingenuity in delivering a story that is both accessible to general audiences and highly informative to those following the region closely.
For his exclusive, all-formats, and remote reporting on the Amhara conflict—finally under his own byline—Kiyaro is this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
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