Coordinated Attacks Leave Dozens Dead in Oromo

Summary:

• In the Oromo special zone of the Amhara region, coordinated attacks by the Fano militia and regional police have left 27 dead and over 40 injured since March 9th. Villagers report targeted violence against ethnic Oromo residents, with ongoing clashes prompting a federal state of emergency declaration.

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Multiple fatalities and numerous injuries have been reported in the Oromo special zone of the Amhara region, described by local residents as a series of “coordinated attacks” carried out by the Fano militia and uniformed regional police forces.

According to local sources, since March 9th, a total of 27 individuals have lost their lives and over 40 have been wounded in the assaults in the Jille Dhumuga district of the zone. An anonymous resident from Kolashi village disclosed that the initial attack on March 9th resulted in one fatality and two injuries.

The violence has since escalated across various villages in the district, leading to additional casualties, as well as the burning, looting, and destruction of properties, as stated by the resident. Victims include women, children, and the elderly.

Approximately 20 of the injured individuals are presently undergoing treatment in Adama, with some forced to travel through the Afar region due to road closures between Addis Abeba and Dessie, incurring substantial expenses. Those unable to make the journey are receiving medical care in Sambate and Bate towns.

Although footage of the attacks and injured victims has circulated on social media platforms, its authenticity remains unverified. Concurrently, online fundraising initiatives have been initiated to aid the affected individuals.

A villager from Karra Abba Karcho village, one of the impacted areas, accused the perpetrators of targeting ethnic Oromo residents with the intention of forcing them out, claiming that the land rightfully belongs to the Amhara.

Efforts by Addis Standard to obtain comments from local authorities regarding the ongoing attacks have been unsuccessful.

The Oromo Special Zone and adjacent North Shoa zone of the Amhara region have been recurrently embroiled in violent confrontations involving the Fano militia, government security forces, and local armed residents.

In recent history, similar clashes in November of the previous year resulted in numerous casualties, while January 2023 witnessed further violence in the Jille Dhummuga district. Additionally, incidents in July 2022 and April of the same year inflicted significant harm on civilians, prompting federal authorities to declare a state of emergency in the Amhara region, initially imposed in August of the preceding year and subsequently extended.

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