Over 200 Feared Dead In Ethiopian Massacre

An ongoing civil war threatens to tear apart Ethiopia, Africa’s second-largest nation. The latest event is a massacre of over 200 members of the Amhara ethnic group on Sunday, 19 June. Witnesses to the massacre claim it was the Oromo Liberation Army (O.L.A.) that committed the atrocity. It is a rebel terrorist group that the Ethiopian government accordingly has so designated. However, the O.L.A. denied that they carried out the killings and claimed it was committed by a militia group aligned with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his regional government.
 
The northern region of Tigray saw a rebellion in their area in 2020. This recent massacre is the worst since that time. No one is innocent in this ongoing civil war. Both sides have committed war crimes, including mass killings, sexual violence, and ethnic cleansing. The Tigray Liberation Front has joined forces with the O.L.A. against the government on many occasions. Mr. Abiy has faced many challenges trying to consolidate power among the many ethnic groups. He has particularly had trouble with the nation’s second-largest ethnic group, the Amharas, and thousands have been arrested in regards to their fighting in the war in Tigray. Thirteen journalists have been arrested in Amhara. After Sunday’s massacre, Daniel Bekele, the chief commissioner for the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission urged authorities to take all “necessary measures” to protect civilians.