A new report from the Amhara Association of America (AAA) alleged that thousands of Amhara civilians have been killed or injured since the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region and other Amhara-populated areas on Aug. 4, 2023.
The report, released on Tuesday, accuses the Prosperity Party regime of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of committing widespread atrocities against the Amhara people, including massacres, extrajudicial killings, and rapes.
Ethiopia’s northern region was under a state of emergency after fighting erupted there between federal forces and the Fano “self-defence” militia in August 2023.
The report, which covers the period from Aug. 4, 2023, to Aug. 4, 2024, alleges that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and allied forces have committed the following acts:
- 3,283 civilian casualties, including 2,592 civilians killed and 691 injured, in over 200 massacres across 16 zones and city administrations in the Amhara Region, Addis Ababa city, and other Amhara-inhabited areas.
- At least 53 confirmed drone strikes targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, resulted in 551 civilian casualties, including 433 deaths and 118 injuries.
- The rape of at least 269 people, including predominantly young girls, women, and in some cases male priests and young boys.
- Attacks on educational and health facilities, leaving more than 4.1 million children out of school and forcing the shutdown of 4,178 schools in the Amhara Region.
- Arbitrary stop-and-search operations targeting ethnic Amharas across Ethiopia, with widespread extortion, mass arrests of thousands of Amharas, and reports of detainees facing physical and psychological torture, denial of family visits, inadequate medical attention, and unsanitary conditions.
- An unknown number of Amhara employees, particularly in Addis Ababa, were terminated under accusations of sympathizing with or spying for Fano.
- Imposed telecommunications and internet blackouts in the Amhara Region to obstruct reporting on ongoing human rights violations.
- Forced relocation of survivors of the ongoing Amhara Genocide from the Oromia Region to areas outside the Amhara Region.
- The blockage of aid to the Amhara Region, where nearly 2 million people urgently need life-saving humanitarian assistance, with dozens—possibly hundreds—already dying from starvation, according to estimates from regional humanitarian authorities.
The AAA maintains that the documented atrocities constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as an extension of the decades-long Amhara Genocide in Ethiopia.
The report emphasises that the documented atrocities represent only a small fraction of the true scale of the violence due to telecommunications blackouts and security challenges that hinder investigations and access.
The report criticises the international community’s response to the crisis in the Amhara region, contrasting the vigorous pressure applied during the conflict in Tigray with the muted response to the situation in Amhara.
“Despite overwhelming evidence of gross human rights violations, Western powers remain reluctant to condemn the atrocities committed by the Abiy Ahmed regime,” the report states.
Instead, the AAA said that Western powers continue to provide financial and military support to the Ethiopian government through diplomatic relations, loans, and direct budgetary aid. Meanwhile, countries like the UAE, Turkey, China, and reportedly Iran continue to supply drones and weapons to the Ethiopian government, which are deployed directly against civilians.
“The actions of the Abiy Ahmed regime continue to pose a grave threat to the stability of Ethiopia and the broader region. The Amhara people continue to urge those with influence over Abiy Ahmed to take decisive measures to stop the atrocities and prevent further loss of life in the Amhara Region and elsewhere in Ethiopia,” the AAA said in a press statement.
Despite the international community’s perceived inaction, the AAA argues that the Amhara people remain resolute in determining their own future. “They are steadfast in their commitment to end the ongoing genocide and ensure their survival and self-determination, with or without external support.”
In July, Human Rights Watch said that Ethiopian forces have committed “widespread attacks amounting to war crimes against medical professionals, patients, and health facilities” in the conflict-torn Amhara region.
In a 66-page report based on interviews with 58 people, including victims and eyewitnesses, global rights watchdog HRW said it had documented attacks by federal forces and a pro-government militia against “medical workers, healthcare facilities, and transports in at least 13 towns”.
