Getiye Yalew
At least dozens of Amhara civilians are reportedly killed in a series of attacks in Gida Ayana district of Ethiopiaโs East Wollega Zone, Oromo regional state according to local residents, eyewitnesses and community sources, as violence in the area continues.
The attacks are concentrated in Endode Dicho and Tulu Lencha kebeles, where residents say armed groups are carrying out killings, burning homes and looting property.
Local sources accuse the Ethiopian regime -affiliated โGeda Commandoโ forces, members of the Oromo regional militia, recently surrendered fighters from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), also known as Shene, and other armed groups participating in the attacks.
Clergyman Tadese Mekonnen, a church administrator, at Kidist Selassie (Holy Trinity) Church in Endode Dicho is among those killed innocent Amharas.
Witnesses say armed men enter the church while Tadese is serving and drag him from the sanctuary. They allegedly force him to remove his clerical robes, beat and torture him, and filmed the incident before killing him.
A video reportedly showing the incident is later circulated on social media.
Residents say they find Tadeseโs body in a nearby forest five days later, after the armed men leave the area. The community subsequently buries him at the church where he served.
In a separate incident, witnesses say armed men intercept and shoot dead Priest Addis, a relative of Tadese, while he is traveling to the church to conduct Mass.
Residents also report a deadly attack on civilians sheltering inside St. Michle Church. According to eyewitnesses and survivors, armed attackers kill about 20 Amhara civilians inside the church.
Survivors further allege that attackers kill a pregnant woman and her young child outside the church after the woman pleads for her life.
The reported violence extends beyond the killings. Residents say armed groups burn homes belonging to Amhara civilians in Endode Dicho, Tulu Lencha, Village 22, Village 3 and Chbech kebeles.
Civilians fleeing the violence toward the Abay River gorge and surrounding forests also face attacks. Witnesses allege that military personnel pursue, detain and, in some cases, execute civilians attempting to escape.
Residents additionally report widespread looting of livestock, household belongings and other personal property.
Local residents and community representatives are calling for immediate intervention to protect civilians, stop further killings and establish the whereabouts and fate of people who remain missing.
