DIASPORA URGED TO DEFEND ETHIOPIA’S AMHARA

These are dark days for Ethiopia’s Amhara people - one of the country’s largest ethnic communities. In mid-February, government troops allegedly conducted a series of extra-judicial killings, going door-to-door and massacring dozens of civilians in the Amhara region.

It follows a rebellion by the so-called Fano group - an Amhara militia that fought with the army in the civil war against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (a war that ended in November 2022). Fano is angered over government plans to disarm militias and state repression against the Amhara people following the end of the war with the TPLF.

The conflict - between Fano and the Ethiopian National Defense Force - has seen the destruction of property, sexual violence, arson, looting and mass killings. A state of emergency has just been extended in the region. Activists say this only justifies a curtailment of media freedoms, Internet shutdowns and communication blackouts.

The Amhara diaspora - understandably - is extremely concerned by developments at home and has been shocked into activism. In Santa Barbara County, California, the Amhara Association of America welcomed a resolution supporting the struggle of the Amhara people of Ethiopia passed on February 27th. In this clip, a representative urges the diaspora at large to do more to ensure the safety of her people.

If you agree, please share - and please also share your insights into the situation in the Amhara region.