Amhara: Ethiopian Troops Accused of Killing Civilians

Facts

• Multiple witnesses have claimed that Ethiopian soldiers killed over 70 civilians and looted properties in Majete, a rural town in the northeastern Amhara region, since occupying it on Sept. 3.¹
• The alleged atrocities occurred during house-to-house searches after the regional Fano militia reportedly attacked a position of the federal forces, prompting hours-long fighting between both sides.²
• This comes as the UN reported last month that at least 183 people have been killed in violent clashes in Amhara since July.³
• Fighting between the military and Fano has intensified in recent months, pushing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government to declare a state of emergency and block the internet.⁴
• The weeks-long conflict has reportedly caused a shortage of essential goods and reduced healthcare services in several towns across the region.⁵
• Meanwhile, Amhara's newly-appointed Pres. Arega Kebede claims that the security situation is returning to normalcy, adding Fano is no longer in a position to allegedly pose a danger to 'the security of the region.'⁶

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Reuters, ³Africanews, ⁴New York Times, ⁵Voa and ⁶Borkena ethiopian news.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The conversation. The Amhara people have long been treated as foreigners and national enemies. Still, the Abiy government has escalated this decades-long rhetoric to the next level by sanctioning widespread violence against them. If the international community fails to intervene, a Rwanda-style genocide may soon happen in Ethiopia.
• Narrative B, as provided by Addis standard. While it's a matter of fact that innocent lives have been lost and properties destroyed and looted in clashes to liberate areas under the control of the non-state regional Fano militia and restore peace and order in Amhara, only an investigation per the constitutional system can determine who committed these atrocities.

Predictions