Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from BBC Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
BBC Amharic – In one day over 20 residents were killed in two zones of Amhara Region say family members and eyewitnesses
January 24, 2025
In one day at various times reported attacks left 20 civilians killed in Central Gonder and West Gojjam Zones of Amhara Region according to family members of victims and eyewitnesses who spoke to BBC.
On the day after the celebration of the Timket holiday on Monday in Alefa Woreda of Central Gonder and in Quarit Woreda of West Gojjam attacks were carried out on persons celebrating the holiday and people who were gathering fodder for their cattle on farm fields which led to the killings.
BBC spoke to locals, eyewitnesses and family members of victims of the attacks which were carried out over the course of one day across the two zones, however efforts to contact local administrators were unsuccessful.
Among those killed in these incidents was a priest and children say BBC’s sources who said all were innocent civilians.
BBC was unable to independently verify this information.
In addition to the over twenty people reportedly killed across these two incidents, a significant number of people sustained injuries from bullets and physical beatings say residents.
In fighting between government forces and Fano militants which has exceeded one year in various parts of Amhara Region, attacks from both sides have resulted in casualties among residents according to rights groups and reports from various sides.
Alefa Woreda, Central Gonder Zone
On Monday, January 20/2025 (Tir 12/2017 EC) in a small town called Amichaho Kebele 30 in Alefa Woreda of Central Gonder Zone residents said forces which they described as “government soldiers” carried out killings against persons who they brought out of homes and who they encountered on the street, according to two eyewitnesses and one family member of a victim.
Witnesses said at around 10:30 am that day government forces traveling from the woreda’s main town of Shawra were traveling to Delgi carried out an attack on residents who were celebrating the Kana Zegelila holiday.
One eyewitness described the incident saying, “we heard gunshots” and estimated there were more than 100 government forces present in the area.
During the attack “the gunshots were endless. We entered a courtyard...we managed to save our lives” they said explaining how they survived.
The resident said when gunfire broke out there was shock and confusion in the area, “...people panicked. Some returned to their homes, some did not. There were some who they chased and killed, they struck others, they took people out of their homes binding them...which they killed” they said.
A father who opted not to provide their name out of concern for their security and who lost their child who was entering ninth grade said, “they killed him without any reason as he was returning from work” they said speaking bitterly.
“Gunfire broke out. We hid, wondering what it was. After things calmed down and we went out we found bodies scattered on the floor” said the father of a deceased victim explaining what he had witnessed, when they were picking up the bodies, “your child has also fallen, and I picked up my child” he told BBC saying he did not anticipate that his child would be among the killed victims.
Residents suspect the cause of the attack may have been caused by restrictions on motor transportation services.
“’Why are you operating a motor? If there is a motor here, there are Fano’ they said and frustrated by this they carried out the massacre” said one resident explaining that the reason for the attack may have been associated with the restriction on motor transportation.
Another eyewitness which had come to the town by motor for the holiday to visit family said they escaped the attack, “they opened fire at us. They were striking motors and anyone they encountered” they said describing the time of the attack.
While they ran and managed to escape their married friend who was operating the motor vehicle was killed on the spot says the witness who told BBC seven people were killed and another six were injured.
Another witness said they knew the motor operator and confirmed his killing, “they were opening doors and killing people, they only killed motor operators on the roads.”
“When he was traveling for Timket with one of his children, they separated him from his child and killed him. The other was a butcher, they found him at a tela house (bar) and killed him. Another worked as a day worker. They were all poor without much to their name...it was innocent people who were killed” said another resident describing the identities of the killed victims.
“He was a good child” said the deceased victim’s father who was on his third day of mourning and was still crying so he was unable to continue with the interview.
Another resident said among the killed victims was his relative who got engaged the week before, “I knew all of them” they said calling the attack “horrific”.
The eyewitness who was retrieving bodies of victims said seven people were killed and on the following day on Tuesday there was a search for missing persons using a turumba, and another local resident said they found an additional two bodies belonging to a husband a wife.
The witness said the number of victims had reached nine with five being killed by gunshot with injuries from physical beatings.
Government forces set fire to five motor bicycles including their own which was purchased for 125,000 birr and over 13 motors were taken away they said.
“There was no one fighting them” said residents explaining that there was no fighting between the ENDF and Fano militants, “there wasn’t a single Fano. When either the Fano or the ENDF come to our town they pass through” they said explaining that the victims of the attack were civilians.
Residents said burials for the killed victims were held on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 (Tir 13, 2017 EC) in a church called Amichaho Medhanialem.
“Six of the bodies were buried in one church. Their funeral rites were also at once” said one resident, saying the victims were buried in a mass grave which they said, “has never been done before.”
“The funeral was very sad, when five bodies were buried at once everyone was looking at the floor” said a father of one of the killed victims who added three of the victims were relatives of his spouse.
According to information gathered from residents and family members in Amichaho Kebele 30, BBC received names of Temesgen Mebrat, Tigabu Takele, Ayechaew, Adane Biwetta, Tegegne Gebeyaw and Nega Gola as victims who were killed while another two persons came from another place and were killed so their identities were not yet identified.
Quarit Woreda, West Gojjam Zone
In a kebele called Sheba located in Quarit Woreda of West Gojjam Zone over 11 people were killed under similar circumstances while gathering fodder (straw) for cattle according to three eyewitnesses and family members of victims.
On Tuesday, January 21, 2025 (Tir 13, 2017 EC) at 1 am persons gathering fodder under the light of the moon were killed by government forces which were passing through the area.
Victims of the attack included a 35-year-old father of four children who was also a religious leader and adolescents who were middle and late teenagers according to witnesses who spoke to BBC.
One eyewitness who ran away and escaped during the attack told BBC among the victims was a 16-year-old relative who was the fourth child and only son in his family.
“We carry straw together. The children came to help, and we were waiting for the moon to come out when the ENDF happened to arrive. They came and said, ‘what are you?’ to us. When we told them we were gathering straw for the cattle they encircled us...then they asked saying ‘are this many people needed to gather straw? Is straw not gathered in the day rather than night?’”
“The time for barley harvests has arrived. Since the cattle consume the straw, we planned to return in the morning the next day for the harvests” they said explaining why they had gone out at night for work.
“The priest took out his cross and began pleading, he raised and lowered his cross, then they said ‘were you told they would arrive? Were you told to wait for us?’ and they were unwilling to listen to us” they said explaining that their attempt to reason was unsuccessful and instead gunfire was opened on them.
The witness said when the gunfire broke out, he and another person escaped, “there was a low cliff, that is where I tumbled down” they said explaining how they managed to escape while in shock and save their life.
“They fired many more bullets than necessary...from the bottom [of the cliff] I began weeping thinking they slaughtered them and left. I thought they would strike me as well, so I carefully listened when someone came from a different area and shouted. Then as I left, they saw that they had killed and left 11 of them before leaving” they said, explaining what transpired.
Another eyewitness in the area said they came out from their home after hearing the loud noises and when they learned it was the sound of gunfire, they left the area and returned to the site of the attack hours later.
“The neighborhood began shouting and everyone including the women came out from their homes. Finally, we listened and when the sound of gunfire grew further and further away, we went and retrieved the bodies. Everyone gathered," said the witness explaining the circumstance, “the damages to the bodies were very saddening. They were children. They were struck in various areas” they said explaining their injuries.
A witness who escaped the attack said victims of the attack were shot on their foreheads and struck on various other areas, “they didn’t spare anything” they said calling the attacks an “execution.”
One neighbor of the victims heard information confirming that the attack was carried out by government forces or the “ENDF” which would operate in the kebele and pass through the area.
One resident told BBC they were a “close family member” of three family members who were killed and part of a family with four children.
“His mother has been left only to die. The grief has embittered her. She is saying ‘where can I possibly go?’ He was the only male child. He was the one helping me with work. I lost my only child. What do I have left after this? I have been left alone. They did this to my helper and left” they said expressing their sorrow over the loss of their family member.
The victims’ burials were held on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 (Tir 13, 2017 EC) morning in Sheba Giyorgis where Qes Belachew Ambaye serves and where two burials were held said residents.
“If people go out to collect harvests and don’t return, how can we live? If people are killed when they leave for the day, if they are killed when they are found at night how can we possibly live? We have become very embittered” said one resident.
“We are very saddened. We have never seen this kind of attack before. It is very alarming. We have become very troubled; we are under distress” they said explaining the current circumstance of the community.
BBC received video footage which could not be independently verified but which showed mourners encircling a significant number of bodies.
One resident explained that the month of Tir is the season for harvesting and sowing, “we don’t have time” they said saying they worked night and day but since the killing locals have stopped working out of fear.
“We are stressed to do work. Locals are afraid to live let alone work. There is nobody who came out to harvest” they told BBC, explaining how locals have been terrorized.
The Fano operate in Quarit Woreda, however Fano militants were not present in the kebele where the attack took place and there was no fighting between the two forces in the area.
BBC gathered information from residents and family members of killed victims in recent days to obtain a partial list of names of victims killed in the Sheba area of Quarit Woreda.
In accordance Qes Belachew Ambaye, Melak Ambaye, Abebaw Gashaw, Yayesh Gashaw, Derejaw Gashaw, Gizew Gashaw, Temesgen Gebeyaw, Zemene Tesherash, Lakachew Gobeze, Tesfahun Alehubel and Abebe Belay, and these were only the victims known to the sources who said there could have been even more killed victims.
コメント