Displaced and Forgotten? The fate of displaced Amhara IDPs in Ethiopia
June 6, 2021 (Ginbot 29, 2013 EC)
GPE Public Relations Department
In recent months, Genocide Prevention in Ethiopia (GPE) has reported on the worsening and under reported humanitarian situation in Western and Central Ethiopia. As the international media and human rights organizations have reported almost exclusively on the crisis in Tigray, atrocities being faced by ethnic Amhara civilians and other regional minorities has been severely neglected. Last month, GPE published a review of the groundbreaking investigative report on massacres against the Amhara people for the first quarter of 2021 prepared by the Amhara Association of America (abbrev. AAA; @AAA_Amhara). This groundbreaking investigative report detailed the ethnic based atrocities faced by ethnic Amhara civilians in the Oromia, Benishangul-Gumuz (BSG), Amhara, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ (SNNP) regions and the federal capital of Addis Ababa.
In their press release regarding the statement, AAA estimated the following:
“…since July 2020, more than 1,700 Amharas have been killed and 800,000 displaced from ethnically targeted massacres across the country.”
In recent days and weeks, articles from a select few news outlets have amplified this impending humanitarian disaster including Fox News (Caitlin McFall), AFP Africa (Robbie Corey-Boulet) and genocidewatch.
While these publications reflect excellent progress, it should be highlighted that the AFP Africa article was the first report on the complete obliteration of the town of Ataye (Efeson) located in Efratana Gidim (Efrata and Gidim) woreda (district), Semien (North) Shewa zone, Amhara region which was virtually ignored by non-Ethiopian medias despite the scale of damage which was corroborated by witness accounts, photographic and video evidence and more. GPE previously reported on the unprecedented invasion, ensuing massacre and complete obliteration of the town of Ataye caused by invading ethnic Oromo militias. This destruction which took place over the span of multiple attacks in this area, contributed to one of numerous mass displacement events which created tens of thousands of ethnic Amhara internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Ethiopia.
While international aid organizations and regional administrations have made promises of meeting the needs of these IDPs, investigations and interviews have revealed the lack of preparedness of the ruling Prosperity Party under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, lack of public acknowledgement of the ethnic nature of the attacks, and little to no commitment of holding perpetrators of atrocities accountable for their heinous crimes.
In recent weeks, disturbing photographs and IDP accounts have emerged from several of the IDP camps particularly those located in Chagni (located in Guangua woreda, Agew Awi zone, Amhara region) and Hayk towns (Debub/South Wollo zone, Amhara region) which highlight worsening conditions for the IDPs which are expected to be extremely dangerous as the coming rainy season risks destroying makeshift shelters. This is compounded by lack of preparedness by local officials and insufficient efforts to alleviate the underlying issues causing the mass displacements including continued and worsening ethnic based massacres.
Each IDP camp hosts displaced residents from various regional massacre events. For example, Amhara IDPs from Metekel zone faced harsh ethnic based massacres from a combination of ethnic Gumuz, Oromo and Tigrayan militias tied to various groups including the BSG regional admin, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The local BSG administration has admitted to supporting the militias and has taken measures to reward them causing great dismay from onlookers who have been wanting perpetrators of atrocities in Metekel to be held accountable. Below is a thread with captioned clips of survivors from Metekel detailing their horrific encounters.
The IDPs numbering in the tens of thousands have faced horrific conditions with little to no support from the government. Recent emerging photographs have shown how flooding has destroyed makeshift tents leaving mothers and children without shelter. This has been on top of reports of dangers facing vulnerable families including children who face risk of starvation and illness including risk of exposure to COVID-19 as shelter conditions are often meager and contaminated. There have also been previous reports of food storage centers being burned to add to the worsening food shortage crisis.
The BSG regional administration has also failed to implement relocation of IDPs as there has been no evidence of arrangements taking place as the rainy season approaches, prompting fears of shelters being destroyed which would expose the IDPs to further challenges. Photographs have emerged of tents in the Metekel zone which were supposedly arranged for relocation purposes, however this plan has yet to be implemented.
The IDPs in Hayk are largely displaced residents from the Misraq (East) Wollega, Mirab (West) Wollega and Horo Guduru Welega zones of Oromia region. A recent thread is shared below showing subtitled clips from a special program prepared by Ashara Media.
Interviews with IDPs from Ataye town which was destroyed in recent months as a result of massacres from invading ethnic Oromo militias have revealed concerns as well. IDPs have stated their concerns over shortage of food and clothing items. They have also expressed that local administrators are allegedly loading donated goods into trucks in the middle of the night and moving them elsewhere. Although many concerned citizens have donated, the Ataye IDPs are at risk of starvation.
GPE calls on the ruling Prosperity Party of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to take responsibility for protection of all civilians and provide adequate support to all IDPs in addition to holding perpetrators of ethnic massacres accountable for crimes.
