“As of February 16, 2020, some 920 households are said to have reached Semera where they are seeking protection and humanitarian assistance.”
EHRC
February 18,2022
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is monitoring the latest reports of further displacement and injury to civilian populations due to continuing hostilities in parts of Afar and sporadic conflict in areas of Amhara region bordering Tigray. The Commission is receiving reports of alarming numbers of displacement from eight woredas of Kelbati Resu (Zone 2) in Afar, including Megale, Abala, Erebti, Berhale and Koneba. Reports show that residents are fleeing shelling and the internally displaced persons who have reached Semera indicate having had to walk several hundreds of kilometres from Berhale, Abala and Erebti Woredas. Recalling that the Regional Disaster Control and Food Security Bureau estimates the total number of displaced persons from these woredas to be between 300,000 and 400,000, EHRC Deputy Chief Commissioner Rakeb Messele said “As of February 16, 2020, some 920 households are said to have reached Semera where they are seeking protection and humanitarian assistance. Several of them also indicate being separated from family members who got stranded on the way.”
Many more people from Dallol and Koneba Woredas are reported to have been stranded on Berhale road which is said to be cut off. It is further reported that among the displaced are Eritrean refugees from refugee camp in Berhale Woreda.
EHRC is also receiving reports of people fleeing “alleged shelling and forced conscription, labor and harassment by Tigrayan forces” from parts of Amhara region that remain under their control, including from Addi Arkay (North Gondar Zone), Abergele and Tsagbji Woredas in Wag Hemra Zone, and Alamata in Tigray.
The Commission reiterates its call for the cessation of hostilities and urges all parties to the conflict to implement the recommendations of the joint EHRC-UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) investigation report and other human rights monitoring and investigation reports by EHRC on the conflict in Northern Ethiopia. EHRC will continue to monitor the situation.
For more, check out ECRC report here
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A friend called me this afternoon and told me about the latest speech Debre. In his speech he had outlined what will and will not be up for discussion. The disarming or scaling down of his army is non-negotiable. In fact, he said, that his army will be increased in size and firepower. I am not concerned about the size but what shot my antennas up is the talk about bulking up his army’s firepower. That can take a number of several dimensions and a few of them can be cataclysmic nobody would be able to reverse. If bullies/despots like this are left alone to their device that may not sound a good idea. Someone better resolve this conflict soon peacefully or otherwise, preferably with peace accord amicable to both sides. Again, Debre and cabals should not be left alone to their device for too long.
The main cause of the displacement, endless war that lacked leadership skill and the staggering massacre of Amharas in Oromia region is Abiy Ahmed and the Prosperity Party formerly known as the Repressive EPRDF with its backward agenda. The party is immersed in ignorance, hate and backward ethnic divisive agenda that it could not pull itself out of EPRDF/TPLF policy. Of course it is stupid to expect Abiy or OPDO or the Property Party to by any different from EPRDF/TPLF that molded, shaped and created them.
Unless the country quickly got rid of those old stale in ignorance, greed for power and money and cruelty groups holding power in the name of a government the country will keep sliding down in more death, poverty, Amhara massacre, and all out civil war.
Tigre, Amhara, Afar Oromo, South and etc,,, people do not have problems with each other. The problem it is the Party that calls itself Prosperity Party/EPRDF government, parliament, city and town administrations and kebelles that are creating poverty, instability, division and problem in the country.