Ethiopian gov’t forces killed 27 civilians in the Amhara region

 Ethiopian gov’t forces killed 27 civilians in the Amhara region

Ethiopian government forces this week reportedly killed 27 civilians, in two separate incidents,  in a latest string of extrajudicial killings in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.  The forces allegedly carried it out in a coffee shop and in the streets. 

It took place on Monday and Wednesday in North Shoa and Gojjam areas.

BBC Amharic said it spoke to residents from the area from the areas where the killings took place.  

The place where Ethiopian forces carried out the latest string of extrajudicial killings is close to Debre Sina town along the Addis Ababa-Dessie road. (Pic : Debre Sina/ file/ Wikimapia)

On June 26 , In North Shoa Tarma Ber district – which is close to Debre Sina town – at least 15 were killed and four others were injured, according to residents who happen to be eyewitnesses and a survivor. It happened around 5:30 P.M in Agam Ber locality of the district.

The victims were, according to the eyewitnesses, mostly peasants who came to the kebele to get fertilizer. They estimate the soldiers who carried out the extrajudicial killings to be between nine and twelve. 

“They came and directly started shooting at the store,” the eyewitnesses said.  In the Mamush Coffee shop in the kebele, they killed about eight people who were having coffee. 

“We were close by [the coffee shop] to load fertilizer. Eight people were killed inside the tea [coffee] shop,” an eyewitness who said he managed to escape through the back door  told BBC Amharic. 

Another eyewitness is cited as saying “They suddenly came massacred us and left.” 

The soldiers started the killing spree in a junction known as Agam Ber where they executed about five to six civilians, according to another witness. “I do not know what they have seen. It was in the evening and they usually do not come that time…” he is quoted as saying. 

Among the victims from the killing in Shoa is a 14 years old boy who was reportedly killed in the street nearby his grandparents house. The family is grieving in Debre Sina. 

The victims were laid to rest on the same day and the day after the incident in several locations. 

The source said the government forces were looking for three Fano fighters who came to the area to visit grieving families.  

The residents who spoke to BBC Amharic say the perpetrators of that attack were government soldiers because they were in their defense force uniforms. 

Gojjam

There was a similar execution in Adet, Gojjam two days before the incident in Shoa. At least 11 civilians were killed. One of the victims is a female while the remaining are male. 

Two of them were killed in the street while the remaining were taken out 

It came after the Fano force conducted a military operation and left the city. They were fighting government forces for hours during which government forces reportedly suffered severe losses. 

The extrajudicial killings of civilians came around 3 p.m. in the afternoon of June 24. 

A BBC Amharic report published on Friday said the government  forces allege that the civilians they killed “give information to Fano forces.” 

The victims were laid to rest on the same day. 

There has been a recurring extrajudicial killings of civilians in the Amhara region of Ethiopia since Abiy Ahmed started an official military operation in the region in August 2023. 

This week, the defense force commanders had been having a public engagement in different cities in the region on the security situation in the region and the fighting against Fano forces. The last meeting was held in Bahir Dar branded as “peace conference.” The Defense Chief of Staff said he is ready to negotiate with Fano forces anywhere and anytime.  

The government has lost, evidently, credibility in the region and the prospect of peace notation appears to be at least questionable. Meanwhile, more and more youth are reportedly joining Fano forces as the massacre of civilians in the region is increasing.