Ethiopia rights body accuses gov forces of Amhara abuses
Fighting erupted in Amhara in early July between Ethiopia's national army and local militia fighters known as Fano
Ethiopia’s human rights body on Saturday accused federal government forces of carrying out extra-judicial killings and mass arbitrary detentions in the Amhara region.
Fighting erupted in Amhara in early July between the national army and local militia fighters known as Fano. The unrest prompted Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to declare a six-month state of emergency, giving authorities sweeping powers to arrest people, impose curfews, and ban public gatherings.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said in a statement it had been told by witnesses, residents, and victims' families of "extra-judicial killings committed by government security forces in various parts of the region" which it described as "very concerning.”
The state-backed body said "many civilians" had been killed and wounded, and property destroyed in the fighting across Amhara. It also said there had been widespread "arbitrary arrests" not only in Amhara but the neighboring region of Oromia and the capital Addis Ababa.
"EHRC calls for the necessary investigations to be made and accountability to be ensured on those entities that committed killings and arbitrary arrests on civilians,” it said.
The UN Rights Office said in August that at least 183 people had been killed in the Amhara unrest since July. The situation is impossible to verify on the ground, as the federal authorities restrict access to the region.
The Amhara clashes revived worries about the stability of Africa's second most populous country, months after a peace deal in November 2022 ended a two-year conflict in the neighboring region of Tigray. Amhara was also caught up in the Tigray war, with its regional forces fighting alongside federal government troops against Tigrayan rebels.