As it made a plea for a halt to the deaths, violence, and rights abuses, the United Nations announced Tuesday that at least 183 people have been murdered in conflicts since July in Ethiopia’s Amhara region.
After the end of a catastrophic conflict in a neighbouring province of Tigray that also attracted fighters from Amhara, tension in the northern region grew this year.
Marta Hurtado, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, told reporters in Geneva, “We are very worried about the deteriorating human rights situation in several parts of Ethiopia.
“The situation significantly deteriorated in the Amhara area following a flare-up in confrontations between the Ethiopian military and the local Fano militia on August 4.
The move triggered protests by Amhara nationalists who said it would weaken their region.
According to data acquired by the UN Human Rights Office, at least 183 people have died in conflicts since July.
After the end of a brutal battle in adjacent Tigray that also attracted fighters from Amhara, tension in the northern area grew this year.
Regional troops around the nation are being dismantled, the federal administration declared in April.
Early July clashes between the national army and neighbourhood militants known as Fano led to the declaration of a six-month state of emergency by Addis Abeba’s government on August 4.
According to Hurtado, the status provides the government the authority to make arrests without a warrant, set curfews, and forbid public meetings.
“According to accounts we’ve heard, this law has resulted in more over 1,000 arrests across Ethiopia. According to reports, many of those arrested were young individuals of Amhara ethnicity who were thought to be Fano sympathisers, she claimed.
“Massive house-to-house searches are said to have been occurring since the beginning of August.
“We demand that the authorities put an end to mass arrests, ensure that any deprivation of liberty is subject to judicial review, and free those who have been detained without cause.”
We urge all performers to put an end to killings and other forms of abuse, she continued.
