Stop the forced relocation. Amhara displaced persons need protection now.

Re: Forced Relocation of internally displaced people

During the current regime that brought Ethiopia to unprecedented turmoil, the worst of its kind in recent memory, ethnic division and violence have gripped the country.

Amhara people, one of the largest ethnic group in the country, have especially been a subject of persecution for the past 32 years.

Unfortunately, this heinous genocide has intensified in the past 5 years after the current regime took power and systemic ethnic cleansing of the Amhara people has become an integral part of it. Amhara people have been driven out of places they have lived for generations in harmony with other ethnic groups, their homes burnt down, their possessions looted and destroyed, and they are forced to flee for their lives.

The Amhara IDPs are in various camps in the country, fleeing horrific attacks and killings in parts of the Oromo, Benishangul, and southern regions. Their only crime is belonging to Amhara ethnic group. They were gunned down, attacked with knives, machetes, and spears, and burned alive in their homes. The IDPs are surviving victims who lost their belongings and most or all of their family members. The perpetrators of these heinous crimes were emboldened enough to post horrific images and videos of their actions on social media. Most of these attacks against innocent Amhara victims were not even acknowledged by the Ethiopian regime.

According to Human Rights Watch, surviving Amhara victims have repeatedly confirmed that regional police and militia in the named regions above have actively participated in these crimes. The regime does not allow independent media or any investigation of such activities including the relentless war in the Amhara region or the ongoing displacement of non-Oromos from towns surrounding Addis Ababa. There is evidence that confirms that the regime not only has been complicit or failed to prevent these attacks but also, in some instances, supported them.

With this in mind we call for immediate actions.

1. Provide emergency food aid: the camps of IDPs are facing serious lack of resources.
2. Document and report: The stories of these victims must be investigated, documented and reported in order to reveal the humanitarian tragedy to the world and raise international awareness in view of preventing further acts of violence and to obtain support of the international community.
3. Provide medical and psychological support: The victims of the ethnic cleansing have gone through traumatic experiences and need medical and psychological care. Treating the after-effects is essential to their recovery and well-being.
4. Restore the rule of law: We call for a concerted campaign to establish the rule of law in Ethiopia to guarantee the protection of the innocent lives and property of all citizens.
5. Eradicate hatred of the Amhara people: Efforts must be taken to eradicate the politics of hatred that fuelled these atrocities, shattered harmony and social cohesion.

Considering the seriousness of these problems, we call upon international governments, human rights defenders and aid organisations to intervene and prevent the irresponsible Abiy regime from forcibly repatriating refugees and provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the victims.