More than 300 civilians have been killed in Ethiopia in a suspected ethnically motivated attack, an eyewitness said. On Monday, unknown persons attacked civilians in the Oromia region, mainly of the Amhara ethnic group. “Now the dead are being collected, so far there are 320 bodies, but the full number is not yet known,” the eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, told AMC television.
The population fears further clashes, according to the witness many people are on the run. “Most of the victims are women and children. They killed everyone they could find,” said another eyewitness, Abadu Hassen, of the German news agency. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission on Tuesday called for the “urgent reinforcement” of state security forces in the region, which includes the capital Addis Ababa.
Opposition: insufficient protection for civilians
The opposition party “Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice” also complained that the government did not offer citizens sufficient protection against ethnically motivated violence. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed “the massacre” on social media Monday night, blaming the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebel group.
Already the second massacre in a very short time
A similar incident took place in the same region two weeks ago. More than 100 people died then. The authorities also held the OLA responsible for this incident.
Bloody struggle for self-determination
Ethiopia considers OLA a terrorist group since it allied itself with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). OLA and TPLF are accused of trying to destabilize Prime Minister Ahmed’s government. The OLA, a splinter group of the political party Oromo Liberation Front, calls for greater autonomy and self-determination for the Oromo people.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
