The air raids have resumed.

An open appeal to United Nations agencies, international humanitarian organisations, human rights monitors, regional bodies and policy institutions regarding the resumption, after the 2024 rainy season, of Ethiopian regime air strikes and drone attacks on civilians in the Amhara region.

Addressed to

United Nations agencies

  • Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
  • United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
  • Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • World Food Programme (WFP)
  • Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue
  • Human Rights House Foundation
  • Geneva International Justice Centre

International humanitarian organisations

  • International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
  • Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
  • International Rescue Committee
  • Oxfam International
  • Save the Children

Human rights monitoring organisations

  • Human Rights Watch
  • Amnesty International

Conflict resolution and peacebuilding

  • International Crisis Group
  • The Carter Center

Regional organisations

  • African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
  • Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

Research and policy institutions

  • Africa Center for Strategic Studies
  • Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
  • Genocide Watch

Re: Renewed air raids and drone strikes

At the peak of our relentless campaign against inconsiderate and indiscriminate shelling and attacks as well as well documented reports of collective punishment, indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians, deliberate destruction of homes and properties by air strikes and drone attacks, the Ethiopian regime's forces paused air strikes in June 2024. We were cautious about the pause as it could have been due to the start of the rainy season.

Now that the rainy season has finished, reports are emerging yet again that the regime has started its air raids and drone attacks in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

The regime has demonstrated that it has no regards to any international laws or respect to international norms and standards. Just like it has done in the war against Tigray region of Ethiopia, it is repeating the same genocidal tactics this time in the Amhara region. It's more than a year long campaign of indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, destruction of properties and infrastructure, a complete blockade of the region, unrelenting air raids and drone attacks, mobilising military personnel of millions in number that destroys everything on its path and giving the military campaign an ethnic dimension continues with impunity.

We bring these acts of aggression to your attention in the hope that you would press the Ethiopian regime to stop these acts of violence and terror unleashed against its own people and obey its obligations of protecting innocent civilians and their properties.

Yours sincerely,

Federation of Amhara Associations in Europe

Sources cited in this letter

  1. East African Review, Thousands of civilian deaths reported in Ethiopia’s Amhara region amid escalating conflict, 17 September 2024. eastafricanreview.com
  2. Amhara Association of America, War updates from Amhara region, Ethiopia — September 16th to 22nd, 2024. amharaamerica.org
  3. Amhara Association of America, Acts of aggression documented in Amhara region, briefing PDF. amharaamerica.org (PDF)