Amhara Genocide: Ongoing Ethnic Cleansing in Ethiopia

We have evidence that a systematic genocide against the Amhara people is currently taking place in Ethiopia. The Amhara genocide is a complex operation with multiple actors, all with the common goal of reducing the Amhara population. It is clear that the Amhara people, particularly those residing in western Oromia, are facing a relentless campaign of violence and intimidation on a daily basis. The massacre of 370 innocent Amhara civilians on 25 June 2022 is clear evidence that a genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Amhara people is ongoing.

Please accept our condolences for the families and friends of the victims of the Amhara genocide. Please accept our condolences during this difficult time. The ongoing series of massacres against the Amhara people is deeply troubling and those responsible must be held to account. The brutal and cold-blooded murder of innocent Ethiopians simply because they are Amhara is a situation that requires collective action and a unified response.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the targeting of vulnerable members of the community for violent attacks is becoming a routine occurrence in Ethiopia. It is imperative that decisive action be taken to put an end to the bloodshed.

The incident took place in the Gimbi district of the western Wollega zone, situated in the western part of the Oromia region. Two sources provided differing figures for the number of casualties: one resident gave a figure of 360, while the other said 420. The residents requested anonymity due to concerns for their personal safety.

To date, 370 individuals have been laid to rest, with my own involvement extending to the collection and interment of the bodies. The deceased were interred on the premises of a local agricultural enterprise. One resident stated that between 50 and 60 bodies were buried in single graves.

He stated that he had survived by taking refuge in a ditch, but had lost four siblings and three cousins in the attack.

The other resident stated that the attackers were members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an ethnic Oromo group.

“It was a massacre of Amharas,” he stated, adding that he had survived by hiding in a forest and had heard the attackers speaking in the Oromo language.

The local Amhara community is urgently requesting relocation before further mass killings occur. They also allege that ethnic Amharas who settled in the area about 30 years ago in resettlement programmes are being killed en masse.

The massacre was perpetrated by the regime’s military and local militia as they retreated from their camp in Gimbi following an offensive by the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).

They proceeded to an area designated as Tole, where they launched an attack on the local population and destroyed their property in retaliation for what they perceived to be support for the OLA.

Ethiopia is currently facing significant ethnic tensions in several regions, largely driven by historical grievances and political tensions. The Amhara people, the second-largest ethnic group among Ethiopia’s more than 110 million population, have been the target of frequent attacks in regions like Oromia.

The Ethiopian government has been unable to guarantee the safety of its citizens and is now colluding with militias to perpetrate murder. How can Ethiopians maintain their dignity and pride when their fellow citizens are being systematically eliminated?

Security operatives have been conducting door-to-door arrests of students, political leaders (including the woreda’s branch head of the opposition party, the National Movement of Amhara), and individuals believed to be involved in coordinating demonstrations calling for an end to the Amhara genocide. Despite calls from students for the release of their colleagues, the government has instead resorted to lethal force, resulting in the deaths of several individuals.

It is imperative that we do not cherry-pick genocides for condemnation; rather, we must condemn and call for an end to all genocides in Ethiopia. The Amhara genocide is being overlooked due to an institutionalised xenophobic tendency towards the Amhara people. However, this should not deter us from calling for an end to the Amhara genocide, as otherwise the Amhara people will perish.

Ethiopia Autonomous Media