Elements of the Ethiopian forces after earlier taking control of the towns of Dessie and Hayek in Amhara (Anatolia)
Amnesty International said, in a report issued - today, Monday - that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces extrajudicially executed civilians in Bahir Dar, the regional capital of Amhara state, and in some cases deprived their family members of the right to bury their loved ones.
She stressed that these field killings "may amount to war crimes, which are considered a crime under international law," noting that extrajudicial executions represent "violations of the right to life protected by international human rights law."
The brief report documents that Ethiopian National Defense Forces soldiers extrajudicially executed 6 civilians in the Ebonyi Hara and Ledita neighborhoods of Kebele 14 on August 8, 2023.
The report added that two months later, on October 10 and 11, members of the Ethiopian forces extrajudicially executed 6 more men, including at least 5 civilians, in the Siba Tamit neighborhood of the city.
The organization urged the government of Ethiopia to “urgently open effective, independent investigations into human rights violations in the context of the ongoing armed conflict in Bahir Dar and throughout the Amhara region.”
It called for those suspected of committing violations to be tried “in trials that meet international standards for a fair trial without resorting to the death penalty.”
The organization justified the fact that these serious crimes were not exposed until after a long period of time, by cutting off the Internet and cutting off communication.
“The impact of the conflict in the Amhara region on human rights has been slow to emerge due to internet shutdowns, partial communications blackouts, an ongoing comprehensive state of emergency affecting freedom of expression and media, and fear of reprisals,” said Tiger Chagota, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. .
Source: Al Jazeera