Hundreds of innocent civilians reportedly massacred in many towns in Amhara region after Abiy Ahmed’s administration declared a state of emergency under the guise of restoring order and to reverse armed resistance from Fano group
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Five countries released a joint statement about “recent violence in the Amhara and Oromia regions, which has resulted in civilian deaths and instability.”
Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States joined hands to write a 78 word statement in connection with the instability in Ethiopia.
The statement expressed concern over “recent violence in the Amhara and Oromia regions, which has resulted in civilian deaths and instability.”
It further said, “We encourage all parties to protect civilians, respect human rights, and to work together to address complex issues in a peaceful manner. The international community continues to support the goal of long-term stability for all Ethiopians.”
There has been a recurring massacre of ethnic Amharas in the Oromo and Benishangul Gumuz regions of Ethiopia for more than five years now which has claimed tens of thousands of civilian lives. Also, a radical ethnic Oromo nationalist group, that is believed to have clandestine support from within the government structure, has been battling with the Federal and regional government in the region for several years now.
The Amhara region is also experiencing instability long after TPLF’s military campaign to Amhara and Afar regions was reversed. This time the confrontation is between the Fano, volunteer militia that provided military and logistic support to the Ethiopian Defense Force during the war with Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian Defense Force.
Emerging reports indicate that the Ethiopian Defense Force deployed tanks in major cities like Gondar and Bahir Dar to reverse the armed resistance from Fano and at least hundreds of civilians are reportedly killed.
Last week, the Federal government imposed state of emergency in Amhara region and internet has been blocked for several weeks now. However, troop deployment to the region was started at least four months ago.
There have been calls – from local and international actors – for the Ethiopian government to resort to peaceful dialogue with the FANO group. Many tend to view that Abiy Ahmed’s determination to squash legitimate demands of the Fano and attempting to demonize the movement rather as a hooligan enterprise will have undesirable consequences. Some fear extended civil war but again see that Abiy Ahmed wants to make the Amhara region a war zone intentionally to devastate the region. The TPLF appears to be positioning for the next military campaign garnering “international support” for its cause and there is a possibility that it might be even used to attack Eritrea.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has forged a new military and political alliance with the TPLF, is after disarming FANO combatants in Amhara region. Getachew Reda, whom Abiy Ahmed appointed as Interim president of Tigray, hinted during a recent speech to a diaspora community in Denver that the Federal government ( Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration) is working to demolish structures in Amhara region. Implicitly, he hinted that the government will give Wolkait and Raya to the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The U.S. government has been, through the numerous statements that state department has been issuing since the TPLF started war, advocating for the return of Wolkait and Raya – areas the TPLF incorporated to Tigray after its military victory over Colonel Mengistu’s government in 1991 – to the Tigray region.
The last two weeks witnessed heightened diplomatic and/or “humanitarian assistance” engagement with the government of Ethiopia and some regional states.
Japanese Prime Minister, Hayashi Yoshimasa, visited Ethiopia last week and met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. And a few days later the Korean counterpart did meet with PM Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.
This week, the UK government sent a delegation to Mekele, under the leadership of Sarah Montgomery, UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea & Horn of Africa, where they met and held discussion with the TPLF leaders. UK officials remark during the meeting with TPLF leaders seems to have offended the state of Eritrea. Eritrea has summoned a British Diplomat in Asmara for an explanation regarding what it calls UK’s endorsement of TPLF’s irredentist claim.
USAID director traveled to Jijiga, seat of the Somali region of Ethiopia, where he met with Mustafa Mohammed, president of the region.
The statement borkena received from the U.S. Embassy, regarding the situation in Amhara and Oromia region of Ethiopia, is featured below :
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 August 2023 -The governments of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America are concerned about the recent violence in the Amhara and Oromia regions, which has resulted in civilian deaths and instability.
We encourage all parties to protect civilians, respect human rights, and to work together to address complex issues in a peaceful manner. The international community continues to support the goal of long-term stability for all Ethiopians. “
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QUOTE: 11 August 2023 -The governments of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America are concerned about the recent violence in the Amhara and Oromia regions, which has resulted in civilian deaths and instability.
We encourage all parties to protect civilians, respect human rights, and to work together to address complex issues in a peaceful manner. The international community continues to support the goal of long-term stability for all Ethiopians.
“UNQUOTE
Humble Commentary, 11 Aug 2023
1) Well said!!!
2) What remains is serious ACTION — not just simple words reflecting the usual DIPLOMATIC sayings about
eternal underdeveloped Black African Countries — at the mercy of the old colonial powers with a change of facial
artificial gesture.
3) Poor Black Africa!!!
4) It is destined to be the the play ground of colonial powers for time immemorial.
5) Poor! Honest! Black Africa >>> destined to be the ‘play’ grounds of the so-called civilized Europeans and Others
6) Poor Black Africa: It has countless children educated, by and under the institutions of colonial powers, ADMIRABLY
and DESERVING gaining the top most DOCTOR of PHILOSOPHY DEGREES FROM WELL KNOWN EUROPEAN
AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES.
7) The sad result is well know. We Black Africans are still under the EFFECT of the old Europeans and Others. Deeply
‘look’ at our own dear Black African Continent from South to North; from East to West. WE ARE UNDER PATHETIC
SITUATION — WITHOUT HOPE FOR CHANGE.
8) What has been done in our Black African Continent is nothing less than an UTMOST CRIME of CRIMES PERPETRATED
OVER PEACEFUL HUMAN BEINGS — SIMPLY FOR BEING BORN WITH BLACK SKIN!!! IT IS INDEED ETERNAL CRIME.
—————— THE END ———————-
I second the call by these 5 concerned friends of the people of Ethiopia. Such nonsense violence begets more violence. It is a natural outcome for many to protect themselves when they see their colleagues in government offices being shot and killed. We have read news of assassinations of officials in Amhara region for months now. That shows an atmosphere of killings at will because of the subjects’ association to this or that group. When friends and colleagues realized that they are outgunned and outnumbered then they called for external assistance. Now they have the help they requested and it is becoming a show of revenge. It is becoming uglier and uglier by the day. It is reported that thousands of civilians suspected of being members or sympathizers of the armed groups are being rounded up and thrown in jail without court issued warrants.
My question is what the jailers are going to do with those they imprisoned. The culture of avenging your murdered relative in comparative terms is deeply imbedded in the psyche and culture of the two largest groups of people in that country: Amharas and Oromos. Those who have relatives on the outside who can access the media and talk about them may be safe and spared but those who do not have such means ‘luxury’ can be in grave danger now. What I am hearing is there is an atmosphere of vengeance in the Amhara region now. You kill someone’s cousin his other cousin will come after you. So the cycle of killings will continue. It could be a bloodshed the region never experienced and that has been depriving me of sleep lately. I call upon all humanitarian organizations to demand a full count of individuals thrown in jails after the State of Emergency was declared and make sure all are accounted for, dead or alive.
Peace y’all!!!