Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE) has repeatedly called for an end to violence against civilians in various parts of the country. However, this act is widening its horizon and expanding to different parts of the country and endangering the rights of citizens to live, own property and live in peace and other basic rights.
Although the government has repeatedly condemned these acts and has stated that it is trying to control the attacks, it has not been able to fulfil its responsibilities in identifying the responsible parties and holding them accountable to the law.
In particular, following a call on social media by activist and media owner Jawar Mohammed, claiming to be surrounded by government assigned security forces, following the death of singer and rights activist Hachalu Hundesa and the repeated attacks by armed forces in the region, Frequent identity and ethnic-based attacks in Benishangul-Gumz region, identity-based conflicts and attacks in the southern region, horrific identity-based attacks in a place called Maikadra, in Tigray region, as well as thousands killed, injured, displaced, and destroyed in clashes on Somali-Afar boarder, but individuals, groups, and government agencies are not held accountable for their level of involvement and actions. Furthermore, in some parts of the country survivors of certain attacks are being subjected to other attacks. As a result, both the victims and the entire community state the lack of legal and educational action against the perpetrators of this heinous crimes as the cause for the ongoing racial and identity-based violence in the country.
In addition to the attacks mentioned above, members of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society told various media outlets that more than 220 people were killed in an identity-based attack in Bukji Kebele, Bulen Woreda, Benishangul-Gumz Region, around 04:00pm on December 22,2020. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC, on its part, claimed that based on the follow-ups it did with concerned parties, the death toll was 207. Meanwhile, in December 16, 2013 study, EHRC stated that 66 people were killed in clashes in the Konso zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) from November10-20, 2013.
Therefore, Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE) calls for regional governments, federal government and international community to take the following remedial measures.
- The concerned federal and regional governments must hold accountable those who perpetrated long-term those who perpetrated long-term identity-based attacks on civilians and those who are involved in these acts at Various levels.
- The lack of meaningful attention from the international community for the repeated identity-based attacks in various parts of the country, specially, on the current identity-based attacks on civilians in Benishangul-Gumz zone has caused the atrocities to intensify. Therefore, the international community should condemn this heinous crime against humanity and fulfill its responsibilities in supporting the efforts to hold the perpetrators accountable.
- The government along with other responsible parties must address and stop ethnic-based attacks on citizens that are causing loss of life, displacement, and destruction of property. In particular, the ongoing attacks in the Benishangul-Gumz must be stopped once and for all by taking the proper legal and political measures.
- The government along with other responsible parties must take immediate legal and political action to stop once and for all.
