Report: Dozens of Civilians Killed by Ethiopian Forces in Amhara

Facts

• Dozens of civilians were extrajudicially killed by Ethiopian federal troops in the Amhara region last month, the state-affiliated Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said on Tuesday.¹
• The EHRC said it had confirmed the identities of 45 civilians who were killed by government forces. 'However, it can be assumed that the number of victims is even higher,' it added.¹
• This is the latest in a string of violence following the 2022 signing of a peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The agreement came after a two-year civil war that was itself heavily criticized over allegations of war crimes committed by both sides.²
• Militias from the Amhara region known as Fano fought alongside government forces during that conflict. However, after the peace deal, the government said the Fano had to disarm, prompting them to argue they would be left vulnerable to attacks from other regional forces. Fighting has since ensued between Fano and the government.³
• This latest incident reportedly took place on Jan. 29 in the town of Merawi. Several witnesses told the BBC that uniformed military officers conducted door-to-door searches and shot civilians, including a pregnant woman, after accusing them of providing support to Fano fighters.⁴
• Last week, the US embassy in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa issued a statement that it was 'deeply concerned' about targeted civilian killings in Merawi. 'We call for unfettered access by independent human rights monitors as well as an impartial investigation to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice,' it added.⁵

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Global Conflict Tracker, ³BBC News (a), ⁴BBC News (b) and ⁵JURIST.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Borkena Ethiopian News. If anyone was still harboring doubts about the authoritarian and ethno-fascist nature of the Abiy Ahmed regime, they will have undoubtedly been shattered by the EHRC's confirmation that federal forces extrajudicially killed dozens of civilians in Amhara. The international community must intervene to halt ongoing genocidal war and prevent a humanitarian crisis in the region.
• Narrative B, as provided by Addis Standard. Though it's obviously tragic that some federal troops have failed to exercise restraint in military operations against the Fano militia, the responsibility for these deaths — and for the ongoing conflict in Amhara — ultimately lies with the fighters who have refused to lay down weapons and engage in dialogue with PM Abiy.

Predictions