Keep Up with Addis Insight
Add us to your Google Preferred Sources to see updates first.
The United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recently reported that drone strikes by Ethiopian forces in the Amhara region have killed at least 20 civilians. The targeted areas included a school and a bus station, heightening concerns over human rights violations during the ongoing conflict. These strikes occurred amidst rising tensions between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and allied militias, and the Amhara ethnic militia, Fano.
Investigations uncovered some of the most lethal attacks in early November. On November 9, a drone strike at a bus station in Waber resulted in 13 civilian deaths. Nearby, Fano militia were attacking ENDF camps. On November 6, a government-operated drone struck a primary school in Wadera, killing seven, including three teachers. It’s believed that Fano members had been using parts of the school.
Another attack on November 4 saw government forces shell Chuahit town, killing six and injuring 14, many in their homes. Earlier, Fano militia attacks on October 9 and 28 led to 21 deaths, including officials, in Alem Ber and the Jibayt district.
The UN Human Rights Office expressed deep concern over the impact of these attacks on civilians in Amhara. It stresses the need for all parties to avoid unlawful attacks and protect civilians, and for ENDF’s operations to adhere to Ethiopia’s human rights obligations.
Mengistu used to test his new toys of MiG fighter/bomber jets on our Eritrean brothers and sisters, the regime that followed him became experts in attack helicopter gunships using them on every rural uprisings in the country and now drones are the craze at the hands of the military. We should all expect more and more news of such wanton killings using these deadly weapons raining bombs from the sky, I share the concerns of the US government and the UN on the direction the current conflicts in both Amhara and Oromia are taking. Very troubling!!!
This flooding disaster is happening in the 3 countries of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, the deadly disaster is happening both in Somali and Oromia regions. There is also the opposite side of flooding; serious drought has been taking place in some localities in the Amhara region where scores have died from starvation already. Not only drought and flooding, epidemic diseases like malaria, dengue and typhoid are also killing scores of people in Ethiopia. All these calamities are taking place in our old country on top of deadly stupid wars started by totally stupid individuals that have already killed more than a million people and still killing hundreds.
We and all of us in the Diaspora are extremely fortunate enough to live thousands of miles away from such deadly calamities. But this opportunity should come with responsibility and expectations. We should abstain from all acts that will make the dire situation back in the old country getting worse. We should use the last spare penny we have in our pocket to help those noble people who are thrown into the calamities at no choice of their own. It seems Mother Nature and wicked humans are ganging up on them. We will be blessed for that! Let’s go!!!