Addis Abeba– The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has reported widespread extrajudicial killings, including those of pregnant women and children, amid the ongoing militarized conflict in the Amhara and Oromia regions, according to its quarterly report released yesterday.
Covering the period from mid-September to December 2024, the report documents extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, destruction of property, and other violations, particularly in conflict-affected Amhara and Oromia regions.
In the Amhara region, the report details incidents where government security forces allegedly killed eight civilians in South Gondar Zone, Libo Kemkem district, Agid kebele, in an area known as Wusha Tirs, following confrontations with non-state Fano militias after regaining control of the area.
According to the Commission, the victims were accused of being “Fano family members” or “supporting Fano.” Among the victims were a nine-month pregnant woman, three other women, and a child. EHRC further stated that two civilians were injured, and six individuals were detained, with their whereabouts currently unknown.
In North Gondar Zone, Dabat town, government security forces reportedly killed at least four civilians, including women and children, through indiscriminate gunfire. Five others, including three children, were injured.
Local residents told EHRC that during the burial of the deceased, three more civilians, including a hearing-impaired individual, were killed by security forces.
The report also accuses Fano militias of killing eight civilians in West Gondar Zone, allegedly for “supporting the Prosperity Party government” or “fighting Fano alongside the military.”
Additionally, a drone attack in West Gojam Zone, Dega Damot Woreda, reportedly killed a four-year-old child and caused minor damage to a nearby Commercial Bank of Ethiopia branch.
In Oromia, EHRC documented the killing of two residents of Lalo Geleta Kebele, Saja Welel district, kellem Wollega Zone. The victims, identified as Dagim Igezu and Tsega Tekle, were reportedly detained by government forces on accusations of “supporting the Oromo Liberation Army (referred to as ‘OLF-Shene’ by the government)” and killed on September 25, 2024. Their bodies were reportedly left on the roadside.
The Commission noted that three days later, in Southwest Shewa Zone, Ameya district, Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) fighters allegedly killed five civilians, accusing them of “supporting local government security forces.”
Previously, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) had reported forced conscription, arbitrary detentions, and extortion in Oromia, with victims as young as 11. Families were coerced into paying between 20,000 and 100,000 birr to secure the release of detainees.
EHRC also raised concerns over mass detentions, stating that in the Amhara region, over 6,000 individuals, including government officials, security personnel, teachers, traders, and journalists, are being held in temporary detention facilities in towns such as Dangla, Chilga, Kombolcha, and Shewa Robit.
The Commission, in October 2024, had reported ongoing arrests in the Amhara region, particularly in Gondar and Bahir Dar, since mid-September. At the time, EHRC noted that those detained included government employees, political figures, media personnel, and civil society members, stating that many of the arrests had “not followed due legal process.”
The Commission called for the expansion of the recent peace agreement in Oromia. It urged all parties involved in the conflicts in Amhara and Oromia, including the government, to “cease attacks unconditionally” and work “diligently towards a peaceful resolution.”
EHRC further stressed the need for transparency and accountability in addressing human rights and humanitarian law violations. It called on the government to launch credible, human-rights-compliant investigations and prosecutions against those responsible for such violations, including armed groups, officials, and individuals.
The report emphasized assessing the conflicts’ impact on “human lives, physical and mental well-being, and property,” ensuring victims receive reparations and necessary support for recovery. AS
