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Genocide against Ethnic Amhara’s in Ethiopia (Abebech Shiferaw)

Genocide against Ethnic Amhara’s in Ethiopia

 

Abebech Shiferaw


Ethiopia, a Federal State, is a home for nations and nationalities. The country and its people have been characterized by peaceful coexistence for long. This exemplary intergroup relationship started to deteriorate since 1991 with the coming of a new government in power. Especially, the relation gets worsened the last two years following political changes in the country.

For decades, false narratives were circulated as a policy for the public and statues were erected aiming at breaking social ties and disrupt stability of the country. Political elites/leaders have been doing this tirelessly and their cursed efforts have started to bear devastating outcomes in Oromia Region. Among the many ethnic groups of the country, Amharas are main targets of all forms of human rights violations that are recorded in history thus far.

For instance, in a recent June/July 2020 ethnic and religion based genocidal crime against Amharas, about 300 innocent people (men, women, pregnant, old, young,)were slaughtered, stoned death, put on fire alive, dead bodies were dragged with vehicles in a daylight. Few were miraculously able to escape the situation with lifelong trauma and disturbed psychological conditions. Not only this, businesses, properties and houses owned by ethnic Amharas were selectively turned into ashes in short period of time. Furthermore, large amount of money was looted from the hands of victims. Worse yet, survivors are under continued and organized warning that forced them to leave the Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. These all coordinated genocidal acts happened while security forces were idly watching the event, some others said they are not ordered to intervene and some others reportedly directly or indirectly assisted the killings. 

To a newrecord of the world, genocide based on one’s ethnicity and religion is alive and well with its extreme forms here in this country. After the massacre, instead of ensuring justice, the Government seems mainly busy with reducing number of victims and suppressdissemination of any kind of reports about the well calculated mass killings.Terrorists were reportedly moving in masses house to house with a pre-prepared list of Amharas to be slaughtered and properties to be looted and burned. To honest minds, who did what on who is quite clear. But shamelessly, the Government is muddling to protect names of terrorists and collaborating politicians who actually get involved in fueling and executing the crime. On the contrary, with its devilish aim of confusing the international community and human right organizations, it jailed renowned peaceful political leaders and journalists (Eskindir Nega, Sintayehu Chekol, Yilkal Getnet, Mulugeta Anberbir, Belay Manaye, and many more) who repeatedly reminded the Government to take timely corrective measures in protecting  rights of citizens. To the suspicion of everyone, the Government was seemingly in a snail pace mode with less interest to discharge its duty of protecting citizens. A case in point is targeted places like Addis Abeba, capital city of Ethiopia and Africa is safeguarded from total chaos by a timely public initiated collective action, not by Government.

In short, the recent genocidal crime against Amharas is not a separate horrible incident. It is just one set among a series of ongoing deliberate ethnic cleansing projects seemingly supported by politicians in office with public money. The message is clear, terrorists and their allies have no any reason than claiming others property and lives. So, now on it is legal and fairer for us to say, Enough is Enough! Thus, Ethiopians in and abroad are advised to organize and take holistic measures so as to defend themselves and their country.Also, this terrorist act against Amharas should be taken to international court.The international community and organizations are reminded to seriously pay attention to such a large scale human right violations in the country and stand on the side of victims in the effort to ensure justice thereby ending state terrorism.

 

 

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