Amnesty International says tens to hundreds of civilians have been slaughtered in the fighting in northern Ethiopia. That is said to have happened two days ago, at the place May Cadera in the northwest of the Tigray region. The human rights organization relies on photos and videos of bodies lying here and there on the ground or being carried away.
“We can confirm that a large number of civilians have been murdered. It appears that they were day laborers who were in no way involved in the fighting,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty’s director for East and Southern Africa. “This is a horrific tragedy. Only time will tell what the real extent is, because communication with Tigray is still down.”
Yawning wounds
Witnesses told Amnesty International that the bodies they saw showed gaping wounds, believed to have been caused by knives or machetes. Witnesses further said that militias fighting with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) are responsible for the massacre.
They seem to have turned their backs after suffering a defeat by the government army, which launched an offensive against the TPLF last week. According to a witness, the victims belonged to the Amhara people. Amhara militias would join the fight on the side of the government army.
May Cadera is now in the hands of the government army. Amnesty International wants the Ethiopian government to immediately conduct an impartial and transparent investigation and bring those responsible to justice.
Amnesty International expects the TPLF to make it clear to fighters and allies that attacking civilians is a war crime.
Army base attack
The Ethiopian army went into battle against the Tigray region last week. The government is in the hands of the Liberation Front. That has been at odds with the federal government in Addis Ababa for some time.
Last week, TPLF fighters attacked a government army base in Tigray. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy then announced an offensive against the TPLF. It is feared that neighboring countries will also become involved in the conflict.