Report on Gross Human Rights Violations and Violations of International Humanitarian Law in Amhara Region and Surrounding Areas of Ethiopia
For the 12 Month Period Since the Declaration of the State of Emergency (August 4, 2023 to August 4, 2024)
Updated September 17th, 2024
Overview
For the 12-month period since the declaration of the State of Emergency (SoE) on August 4, 2023 up to August 4, 2024, the Amhara Association of America (AAA) has documented 3,283 civilian casualties including 2,592 civilians killed and 691 injured across 200 civilian massacres including 53 deadly drone attacks across 16 zone and city administrations in the Amhara and Oromia Regions of Ethiopia.
The documented human rights abuses were carried out both by state and non-state armed groups though the majority of abuses were carried out by state forces, primarily the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) often outside active conflict. Other state forces which have fought closely alongside the ENDF include regional riot dispersal, militias and police. Other implicated groups include the Oromo Liberation Front / Army (OLF/A), Oromia Region Special Forces (OSF), and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). In many instances, many of these armed groups have carried out joint attacks which resulted in civilian casualties.
The Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP) regime’s allied forces including the ENDF (regime forces) have also caused widespread violations of other forms including:
Sexual violence against hundreds of victims including women and young.
Looting and significant damage to both private and public property, with the full monetary impact yet to be assessed.
Enforced a telecommunications blackout in the Amhara Region, cutting off both mobile and internet communications to hinder the reporting of ongoing violence.
Incited ethnic-based violence and discrimination against Amharas nationwide, including arbitrary stop-and-searches and demands for exorbitant bribes to avoid imprisonment.
Dismissed an unknown number of Amharas from their jobs (particularly within the Addis Ababa city administration) under accusations of supporting or spying for Fano.
Carried out forced relocations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled genocidal massacres in the Oromia Region and sought refuge in the Amhara Region.
Attacks on educational and health facilities (essential services) which have left more than 4.1 million children out of school and 4,178 schools shut down in Amhara Region.
Blocked aid from reaching the Amhara Region, where, according to the regime’s estimates, nearly two million Amharas urgently need lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and dozens (possibly hundreds) have already died from starvation.
The report reveals that ongoing violations, including entrenched hatred, institutional disenfranchisement, and targeted massacres, qualify as war crimes and crimes against humanity. It highlights that the genocidal attacks against Amharas, previously documented in various regions, have now spread to areas where they are the majority, such as the Amhara Region and Addis Ababa city.
The report underscores the severe underreporting of these atrocities in the media and by human rights organizations, indicating a significant failure or complicity among those responsible for protecting human rights.
AAA urges international policy makers and relevant stakeholders to raise alarm over the rising atrocities against Amhara civilians in Ethiopia.
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