Falls Church, Virginia (9/15/2023) — On September 15, a reliable source confirmed to OLLAA that Amhara Fano had killed over 30 people in the Gida Ayyana district in the East Wallaga zone of the Oromia region of Ethiopia. This attack appears to be ethnically motivated. The tragic, deadly killing started on September 14th, when a disgruntled ethnic Amhara member of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) deserted, left his base, and engaged in rampant killings. His first victims were an Oromo farmer and his family. He also killed two local militias that stopped to ask who he was and what he was doing in the area.
The following day, on September 15, Amhara Fano stopped three minivans traveling from Naqamte to Gida Ayyana in Gara Dicho. This stop resulted in the killings of the male travelers, plus rapes and injuries of unknown numbers. That same evening, outraged residents took to the streets to Potests in Gida Ayyana. Despite public outcry, the Ethiopian Government has not yet released an official statement. This last attack by Amhara Fano follows weeks of escalated targeting of Oromo civilians by Amhara Fano in response to fighting with the federal army. OLLAA will continue to monitor the situation and release updates as events unfold.
OLLAA condemns this latest attack by Amhara Fano against civilians in the Oromia region. We have noted the normalization of organized Amhara Fano attacks against Oromo civilians in retaliation against the Government. While the violence throughout the country is seriously concerning, we are notably disappointed that Oromo citizens continue to be singled out by federal forces, Oromia regional forces, and Amhara Fano. These groups have previously been accused of ethnic cleansing by the U.N. and U.S.
Under international law, the Ethiopian federal Government must protect its citizens by launching independent investigations into attacks and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable. However, OLLAA is gravely concerned that the Ethiopian Government has consistently failed to meet its international obligations; times, the alleged perpetrators are State agents. Therefore, we call on the international community, including the U.N. International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, to renew and independently investigate these attacks and all allegations of human rights abuses committed throughout the country. We further ask the Ethiopian government to take appropriate action against Fano and their supporters.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that works in collaboration with dozens of Oromo communities around the world.