Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Addis Standard2
Published on 2024-02-26 11:35:18
Amnesty International has recently accused the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) of “extrajudicially executing” civilians in the Amhara region and denying families the right to bury their loved ones. This accusation comes in the wake of incidents in Bahir Dar, the regional capital of Amhara, where ENDF soldiers allegedly shot and killed civilians without due process during clashes with non-state militia, Fano, in August and October 2023.
In a new briefing titled “We Thought They Would Fight With Those They Came To Fight,” released on February 26, 2024, Amnesty International detailed the incidents in which ENDF troops reportedly unlawfully killed civilians in the Abune Hara, Lideta, and Seba Tamit neighborhoods. The investigation found that on August 8, 2023, ENDF soldiers executed six civilians in Abune Hara and Lideta, including a trader named Aynew Defresh and his two sons. Two months later, on October 10-11, six men, mostly civilians, were executed in the Seba Tamit area.
Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers fired indiscriminately into residential areas, killing innocent civilians, and even executed a patient inside a health center being treated on October 10-11. Furthermore, ENDF soldiers reportedly beat and threatened health workers at gunpoint in the same health center.
In another incident on October 11, ENDF soldiers entered the home of 69-year-old Tadesse Mekonen and extrajudicially executed three of his sons and a neighbor. The bodies were left in the street for nearly eight hours before the family was allowed to retrieve them for burial, according to multiple witnesses.
Amnesty International called for accountability for these alleged war crimes and violations of human rights law, urging Ethiopia’s partners and the UN Human Rights Council to resume scrutiny of the situation in Ethiopia. The organization emphasized the need for impartial prosecutions to end impunity for any violations committed.
The impact of the conflict in Amhara has been compounded by internet shutdowns, communications blackouts, and restrictions on media and speech. Amnesty International reiterated the importance of an independent investigation into abuses by all sides and holding perpetrators accountable.
The accusations of extrajudicial executions in Bahir Dar have raised concerns about the rule of law and human rights in Ethiopia. Amnesty International’s call for justice and accountability underscores the importance of upholding human rights standards in times of conflict.
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