The ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has claimed another innocent life, with the death of a woman named Asbera Mohamednur in a brutal attack by the Ethiopian military. Eyewitnesses, speaking anonymously out of fear of retaliation, described the heartbreaking scene in Shoa Asager Woreda, Soten Kebele, where Mohamednur was killed. They reported seeing her lifeless body with bullet wounds to the face and neck, while her two-year-old child sat beside her, miraculously unharmed but deeply traumatized.
The witnesses described the incident as part of a broader pattern of violence targeting ethnic Amharas, with numerous reports of attacks, massacres, and ethnic cleansing. They detailed military operations involving drone strikes on civilian populations in towns like Finote Selam, Qora , Alem Ketema, Quarit,Metema ,and Dembecha, resulting in significant casualties, including women and children.
The conflict in Ethiopia’s northern region escalated in August 2023, with fighting erupting between federal forces and the Fano “self-defence” militia. The Fano militias claim to represent an armed manifestation of the longstanding grievances of the Amhara people, citing continued massacres, displacements, and discriminatory treatment of their group across Ethiopia. They point to the recent mass arrest of Amharas in Addis Ababa by the federal police as an example of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s continued mistreatment of their group. Families demanding information on the whereabouts of imprisoned relatives are also facing harassment.
Over the past week, drone attacks have been carried out in the North Shewa Zone, targeting schools and killing civilians, including farmers and teachers, according to eyewitnesses.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has reported killings, bodily injury, property loss, and displacement of civilians in the Amhara Region. The conflict has led to the obstruction of goods passage, internet shutdowns, looting, and attacks on civilians, commercial institutions, and infrastructure.
The international community’s silence on the situation has been met with criticism from those on the ground, who say that despite overwhelming evidence of atrocities, institutions that champion human rights have failed to respond adequately, allowing the violence to escalate unchecked.
The conflict has seen a rise in:
Extrajudicial Killings: Door-to-door searches have led to executions without trial, targeting individuals suspected of supporting opposition groups.
Mass Arrests: Thousands of Amhara individuals have been detained, often without proper legal basis, leading to overcrowded detention facilities and inadequate healthcare.
Persecution of Christians: The burning and destruction of over 30 churches between 2018 and 2019, and recent violent incidents against Christians, have exacerbated ethnic and religious tensions.
In response to the escalating violence, human rights advocates have called for accountability. “The Ethiopian government and military must be held accountable for their actions, and those responsible for these atrocities must face justice,” said one anonymous witness. “The world cannot stand by while innocent people are massacred for their ethnicity. Sanctions and international pressure must be applied to stop the violence and protect the Amhara people.”
The cries of Mohamednur’s two-year-old child left alone beside his mother’s lifeless body, demand justice, humanity, and action.
In October, human rights group Amnesty International accused Ethiopia’s army of conducting “mass arbitrary detentions” in the Amhara region. Amnesty’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, alleged that hundreds have been detained, including members of the academic community, in major towns across the Amhara region since Sept. 28.
