Falls Church, Virginia (04/22/2021)—OLLAA condemns in the strongest possible terms the killing of civilians in the Amhara and Oromia regions and calls for all parties to immediately end hostilities.
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In the Amhara region, at least 328 Oromo civilians have died in Wollo and North Shewa Zone since late March. On April 20 in Gori Meeda, seven injured people were ambushed and killed while traveling to a hospital. That same day, 50 Amhara civilians were killed in Ataye, reportedly including women and children. Additionally, six members of the Argobba ethnic group were murdered by a mob yesterday in Karaa Qorree, targeted for their connection to the Oromos.
On Sunday, April 18, the Amhara regional government declared a state of emergency in South Wollo and North Shewa Zone due to the continued violence.
The fighting in the Special Oromo Zone (Wollo) and North Shawa Zone began on March 24, when Amhara regional forces and Ethiopian federal soldiers launched a military campaign inside Wollo zone. The attack was ostensibly a counteroperation against the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). However, as the BBC and other media outlets have reported, the Amhara and EDF soldiers instead massacred innocent non-combatants.
Alongside these atrocities in Amhara, government forces continue to commit extrajudicial killings in Oromia. On April 20 in Horo Guduru Wollega Zone, Wayyu town, five innocent Oromo youth were taken from police custody and killed by authorities.
As an organization dedicated to peace and human rights, OLLAA is outraged by the murder of innocent people. We urge the following:
- Community leaders in Wollo and North Shawa Zone must immediately stop the fighting.
- The Ethiopian federal government must establish a national dialogue between all ethnic groups so that the people of Ethiopia can collaborate on building a peaceful and democratic future for all.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that represents dozens of Oromo communities around the world.