Benishangul Region
The first wave of attacks against Amharas in Benishangul Region took place in 1992 (E.C. 1984). In May 1992 (E.C. Ginbot 1984), war broke out between fair skinned and dark-skinned people and lasted until 1994 (E.C. 1986). In Metekel Zone, where the majority of residents belonged to the Amhara ethnic group, Government bodies began activities to cleanse Amharas from the Region. On the dark-skinned side of the conflict were members of the Gumz, Berta and Shinasha ethnic groups whilst the Amharas and Agews were categorised on the fair skinned side. It is hard to individually count the number of people killed as there are thousands of people whose whereabouts are unknown. There is also a shortage of witnesses because many people were displaced from the region. As witnesses informed data collectors from the Moresh Wogene Amhara Organisation, more than 10,000 Amharas lost their lives because of the conflict that lasted for more than a year in the various Woredas in Metekel and Asosa city.
The second wave of attacks against Amharas took place in 2002/2003 (E.C. 1995) in the form of forced displacement. Following on from similar forced displacement in Wollega, Benishangul Region also decided to root out and cleanse Amharas in its own region. In 2002/2003 (E.C. 1995) all Amharas were ordered to leave the region. During this forced displacement, those who remained said they had nowhere to go were beaten. Many people died as a result of the beatings.
The third wave of attacks took place in 2012 (E.C. 2004) again in the form of forced displacements. On 14/06/2012 (E.C. Sene 7, 2004) Woreda Administration officials declared that Amharas living in Bulen Woreda must leave the area. The Amharas were made to leave in 4 rounds. The total number of people listed by the Woreda was more than 5200 heads of households and their families. Displaced Amharas appealed to Chagni City Administration, Guangua Woreda Administration, Awi People’s Zone, and Office of the Head of the Amhara National Regional Government, Ethiopian Human Rights Council, Human Rights Commission, The Federal Ombudsman and The Federal Affairs Minister but received no response at the time. The displaced residents faced a range of difficulties and discrimination during their displacement and lateras returnees.
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The fourth wave of attacks took place in 2015 (E.C. 2007) in Metekel Zone. Members of the Gumz ethnic group living in the Zone slaughtered and horrifyingly ate the flesh of Amharas. Incited by the Woreda Government officials and filled with ethnic hatred of Amharas, they were able to commit this heinous act.
Around 160 people were slaughtered with knives and Machetes in Wembera Woreda, especially Melkan Kebele on 16th and 17th of May 2015 (E.C. Ginbot 8 and 9 2007). People were slaughtered in their homes with no surviving witnesses. Those trying to run away and escape were shot dead. The bodies of individuals, including pregnant women, were dismembered. Human kidneys and livers were cut out by the killers and fed to each other marinating with chilli powder (Mitmita). On 19/06/2015 (E.C. Sene 12, 2007), there were more killings in Bulen Woreda “Aygali Mozambique" Kebele where two people were slaughtered. Similarly, their kidneys and livers were eaten spiced with chilli powder.
Some Kebeles in Wembera Woreda have completely killed off all Amharas and displaced any survivors. Amharas in Bulen Woreda were hunted and arrested. During the farming season starting in 26/07/2015 (E.C. Hamle 19, 2007), many escaped to the forests to live with the wild animals. More than 222 families have been displaced. The cattle of many Amharas were left behind to be pillaged or slaughtered by anyone. Pregnant women were beaten in Dobi and Baroda. Around 28 Special Forces Officers came to Bulen Woreda to beat up Amharas.
Afar
Amharas in Abay Negeso, Afar Region, Zone 5 Semu Robi Woreda live with the daily threat of death. The number of Amharas living in Abay Negeso village had dwindled as a result of them being killed, forcibly displaced and migrating away from the area. There are currently less than 250 heads of households left. 52 people [Amharas] were killed by the Afar people. 96 people have fled via the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia and other countries. 200 people (50 from Abay Negeso and 150 from Sedeche Village) have been displaced to Gura Fereda (in the Southern Region). Many survive working as day labourers in Shewa Robit and large cities. Many Amharas have also been attacked by the Afars using weapons known as gille (known as machete or Mencha by Arsis). Amharas routinely have their weapons confiscated. Then the Afars killed the unarmed Amharas as they desired. In a year, more than 20 Amharas are killed by Afars and this happened just in one Kebele. In neighbouring villages, the number of Amharas killed since 1991 (E.C. 1983) is estimated as being over 2000 according to participants of the study. Residents of Abay Negeso Village have spent many years appealing to the government authorities regarding the killings, confiscation of land and discrimination that they have faced without any resolution.
Amhara Region
It has not been within the scope of this study to focus in detail on killings and attacks against Amharas in Amhara Region. The study has identified as two notable incidents of mass killings. The first mass killing against Amharas took place in Gondar in September 1993 (E.C. Nehase and Puagme 1985). TPLF soldiers attempted to arrest a monk serving in Adebabay Eyesus church and were stopped by the local residents/church goers. The soldiers went on to attack the churchgoers, killing children, women and the elderly. Hence, the conflict between local residents and the soldiers brought the death of more than 65 people and the injury of 300 members of the public.
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The second massacre was committed in Bahir Dar by Fekadu Nasha, a Federal Police Officer belonging to the Gumz ethnic group on 12 May 2013 (E.C. Ginbot 4 2005), who killed 16 people in a killing spree lasting for 45 minutes. Whilst it has not been possible to ascertain his exact motivation the trigger for his actions seems to have been a fight with his ex-girlfriend. The main complaint of the families of the victims and residents of Bahir Dar has been the deliberate inaction of the Police and other armed forces present during the attack. This attack took place in an area that was full of Regional Special Police Forces and the Federal Police who took no action to stop the killer. Instead, the attack came to an end when
Ato Ambachew’s testimony (his name has been changed for security reasons) – Berji Kebele:
Berji Kebele was one of the targets of the campaign that begun in Kometa Kebele to displace and massacre Amharas in October 2014 (E.C. Meskerem 2007). It is located 7 kilometers outside the Woreda. The plan was to be executed simultaneously at the same time and on the same day. However because the killing and forced displacement started before the set time our Kebele was spared. The displacement of Amharas in this Kebele started since 2005/2006 (E.C. 1998). We were displaced in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 (E.C. 2003 and 2004) because it was claimed that we were illegal settlers. They confiscated our legal papers of land ownership to make us look like illegal settlers. They were raping married women. The Amhara men whose wives were raped could not just watch silently. When conflict would arise, as a result they would say, “You are trouble makers who can’t live in peace with the local population”. As a result, we became fully displaced. When questioned by investigators appointed by the Federal Government their claims of us being illegal settlers, troublemakers and being responsible for setting forest fires were accepted.
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Priest Nebiyu, the Administrator of the Woreda Church, (a participant in the displacement activity) representing the religious establishment said, “We are not suffering anything. We are being judged fairly. The only people displaced are those who couldn’t live together peacefully with the local residents and criminals who destroy forests.” As a result, we Amharas had no legal or religious support.
If we need anything resolved, we would have to give bribes from the Kebele to Zone levels. The officials would claim, “It is our land that made you so rich” and take money from us at every opportunity. When the coffee we planted with hard labor and effort was ready for picking, they would claim that it was illegal and confiscate the yield. Alternatively, the official would ask that we share the profits. If we disagreed, they would confiscate it saying that it was illegally planted.
No Amhara could go to court against a “native”. No matter what wrong was committed against us, the only answer we would receive was “if you can’t live peacefully then you can leave as empty handed as you arrived.” Pastoralists for the sake of the feed of their livestock would burn the forests starting in Tir. The Woreda officials would record the burning forests and claim, “the Amharas burnt it”. All the footage would only show the burning forest never the fire being set. It was customary in Bench Maji Zone to burn the forests starting in January (E.C. Tir) otherwise it would not be possible for good quality grass to grow for the consumption of cattle. However, they would still claim, “Forests touched by Amharas or fires cannot survive”.
The Farmers’ Training Centers have become Amhara prison centers. If you go to the training centre at any time, you will not fail to find an imprisoned Amhara. Once imprisoned they make us pay money to release us. They would take married women to private homes and rape them. All this became the norm.
Ato Kurabachew’s testimony (his name has been changed for his safety) – Kuja Kebele:
Kuja Kebele is located 17 kilometers outside of the Woreda capital. Many Amhara people settled in this area as a result of the settlement programme during the Derge regime. Many settlers originally moved here from the Debark Region in Gondar and the Kebele was unofficially known as “Debark”. However, recently it was decided that it could not be known with an Amhara name and it was named Kuja. There are also settlers from different Amhara areas that arrived in 2000/2001 (E.C. 1993). In order to allow Gura Fereda to gain Woreda status, they wanted to encourage settlers, so newcomers from any area would be granted land along with legal papers proving ownership. These farmers started to jointly plant coffee on land over 2 hectares. There were no problems when they were growing and cultivating the coffee. When it was ready to be picked, the Woreda officials brought charges against them claiming, “They are illegal settlers who deforested the land and planted illegally”. Their coffee was confiscated and all the farmers were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment even though they all held legal ownership papers. Recently they all paid 22,000 Birr each and were released.
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Amhara suffering in Otowa Kebele
Otowa Kebele is located 7 kilometers outside the Woreda’s capital. On 24/07/2015 (E.C. Hamle 17, 2007) in this Kebele, a drunken individual belonging to the Meinit people tried to stab an Amhara with a spear saying, “I hate Amharas, get out of my land you refugee ‘neftegna’ Amhara”. The Amhara man managed to run away and escape. As a result of this incident all the Amharas in the Kebele were rounded up and arrested. Relatives who tried to visit were arrested and told, “You are informers”. 16 Amharas were jailed in the police station and suffered.
In total, no less than 600 Amharas lost their lives in October 2014 (E.C. Meskerem 2007) as a result of the unrest in Bench Maji Zone. Those killed included pregnant women, children, the elderly and young people. In addition to the Amharas, 18 police officer and members of the defense forces were also killed. In terms of property 5 mills, an unknown number of rice and sesame seed warehouses and more than 250 homes were burned down. Many cattle were scattered. They also forefully took many cattle for themselves.
One elderly Amhara worked with members of other ethnic groups to displace and kill many Amharas in Maji Zone. It has not been possible to discover his name at this time. This individual had lived in the area for more than 20 years. He worked with the militia while they pillaged and slaughtered the cattle of Amharas and passed on information to them. His deeds had gained him temporary favour with the Woreda officials. He was useful as an instrument to damage his own people. He was one of the leading perpetrators when Amharas were being burned down. He pillaged their homes. However after all the killing and displacement and there were no more Amharas left in the area, as this was an ethnic conflict this Amhara was not spared. They slaughtered him with a machete. His corpse was found 25 days later by which point his body had decomposed and only his head remained identifiable.
Announcements made about Amharas - Biftu Kidus Medhanialem Church, 19/06/2015 (E.C. Sene 12, 2007)
A plea for help announced by an individual at the church:
I had a lovely family and good wealth. I had 4 children. Because of the ethnic conflict that turned Kometa Kebele into a bloody land in October 2014 (E.C. Meskerem 2007), I do not know the whereabouts of my wife and one of my children. I searched everywhere for 10 months. I asked people but I have not been able to discover their whereabouts. All my possessions are destroyed. I cannot feed my three children and myself.
Another individual came to the stage with his two children