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| date = {{start date|2022|06|18|df=y}}
| date = {{start date|2022|06|18|df=y}}
| partof = the [[Oromo conflict]]
| partof = the [[Oromo conflict]]
| image =<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Associated Press Information.jpg|{{deletable image-caption|Thursday, 7 July 2022|F7}}]] -->
| image = <!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Associated Press Information.jpg|{{deletable image-caption|Thursday, 7 July 2022|F7}}]] -->
| fatalities = 351 (witness claim)<ref name="The Defence Post">{{cite news |title=Witnesses Accuse Rebels of Killing Hundreds in Ethiopia |url=https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/06/20/ethiopia-oromia-massacre/ |access-date=21 June 2022 |agency=The Defence Post}}</ref>
| fatalities = 554+ (per witnesses)<ref name="AAA massacre">{{cite news |title="It Seems Like The Whole Population Was Killed"|url=https://www.amharaamerica.org/_files/ugd/e494ca_a4fb7b2180774e8c9d4370cf1dfecc8b.pdf|access-date=21 June 2022 |agency=Amhara Association of America}}</ref>
| victims = [[Amhara people|Amhara]] civilians
| victims = [[Amhara people|Amhara]] civilians
| perpetrators = [[Oromo Liberation Army]] (denied by OLA)
| perpetrators = [[Oromo Liberation Army]] (denied by OLA)
| map ={{Location map|Ethiopia
| map = {{Location map|Ethiopia
|float = center}}
|float = center}}
| coordinates ={{coord|9.066269824024126|36.100787072783426|relief=1}}
| coordinates = {{coord|9.066269824024126|36.100787072783426|relief=1}}
}}
}}
{{Terrorism}}
{{Terrorism}}
On 18 June 2022, the [[Oromo Liberation Army]] (OLA) was accused of [[massacring]] over 200 [[Amhara people|Amhara]] [[civilian]]s in the [[Gimbi]] county of [[Oromia]], [[Ethiopia]]. Witnesses said that the OLA intentionally targeted ethnic [[Amhara people]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-19 |title=Witnesses say more than 200 killed in Ethiopia ethnic attack |url=https://apnews.com/article/ethiopia-africa-kenya-government-and-politics-race-ethnicity-8313964aace8621130ecdf75917818cc |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2022 |title=Over 200 civilians killed as rebel group, government troops clash in Ethiopia |work=UPI News |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/over-200-civilians-killed-as-rebel-group-government-troops-clash-in-ethiopia/ar-AAYFFKg?ocid=uxbndlbing}}</ref>
On 18 June 2022, the [[Oromo Liberation Army]] (OLA) was accused of [[massacring]] over 500 [[Amhara people|Amhara]] [[civilian]]s in the [[Gimbi]] county of [[Oromia Region]], [[Ethiopia]]. Witnesses said that the OLA intentionally targeted ethnic [[Amhara people]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-19 |title=Witnesses say more than 200 killed in Ethiopia ethnic attack |url=https://apnews.com/article/ethiopia-africa-kenya-government-and-politics-race-ethnicity-8313964aace8621130ecdf75917818cc |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2022 |title=Over 200 civilians killed as rebel group, government troops clash in Ethiopia |work=UPI News |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/over-200-civilians-killed-as-rebel-group-government-troops-clash-in-ethiopia/ar-AAYFFKg?ocid=uxbndlbing}}</ref> This attack is part of a series of Amhara massacres that occurred in 2022.


A witness told the [[Associated Press]] he had counted at least 230 bodies and said he was "afraid this is the deadliest attack against [[civilian]]s we have seen in our lifetime" and that [[mass grave]]s were being dug for victims.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-19 |title=More than 200 people killed in Ethiopia ethnic attack, witnesses say |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/more-than-200-people-killed-in-ethiopia-ethnic-attack-witnesses-say |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |agency=Associated Press |date=2022-06-19 |title=Ethiopia: more than 200 Amhara people killed in attack blamed on rebels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/19/ethiopia-more-than-200-amhara-people-killed-in-attack-blamed-on-rebels |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> One resident told reporters that the death toll surpassed 260 people , while others placed it higher at 320.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Attack in Ethiopia's Oromiya region kills at least 260 |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-709884 |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 19, 2022 |title=Gimbi Ethiopia : Over 200 massacred in Oromo region |work=Borkena |url=https://borkena.com/2022/06/19/gimbi-ethiopia-over-200-massacred-in-oromo-region-of-ethiopia-over-200/}}</ref>
A witness told the [[Associated Press]] he had counted at least 230 bodies and said he was "afraid this is the deadliest attack against [[civilian]]s we have seen in our lifetime" and that [[mass grave]]s were being dug for victims.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-19 |title=More than 200 people killed in Ethiopia ethnic attack, witnesses say |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/more-than-200-people-killed-in-ethiopia-ethnic-attack-witnesses-say |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |agency=Associated Press |date=2022-06-19 |title=Ethiopia: more than 200 Amhara people killed in attack blamed on rebels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/19/ethiopia-more-than-200-amhara-people-killed-in-attack-blamed-on-rebels |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> One resident told reporters that the death toll surpassed 260 people, while others placed it higher at 320.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Attack in Ethiopia's Oromiya region kills at least 260 |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-709884 |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |date=20 June 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 19, 2022 |title=Gimbi Ethiopia : Over 200 massacred in Oromo region |work=Borkena |url=https://borkena.com/2022/06/19/gimbi-ethiopia-over-200-massacred-in-oromo-region-of-ethiopia-over-200/}}</ref>


The OLA denied that their troops were present and accused the [[internally displaced people]] of carrying out a [[counterattack]] in [[Tole (woreda)|Tole]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sabes |first=Adam |date=2022-06-19 |title=Ethiopia ethnic attack leaves over 200 killed, witnesses say |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/ethiopia-ethnic-attack-leaves-over-200-killed-witnesses-say |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref> The Government of Oromia however confirmed that an attack had occurred.<ref>{{Cite web |title=More than 100 killed in Ethiopia’s Oromia region: Witnesses |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/20/hundreds-killed-in-ethiopias-oromo-region |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[government of Ethiopia|government]] was accused of not eliminating threats as OLF due to involvement in scheme.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 19, 2022 |title=Over 200 people dead, after attack by Oneg Shena an ethnic separatist group. |work=The Low Ethiopian Reports |url=https://lekreports.com/over-200-people-dead-after-attack-by-oneg-shena-an-ethnic-separatist-group/}}</ref>
The government blamed rebels, and witnesses accused the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) for carrying out the attack in [[Tole (woreda)|Tole]] and surroundings, but the OLA denied that their troops were present, and put the blame on the government forces.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feleke |first=Bethlehem |date=2022-06-20 |title=At least 200 civilians killed in western Ethiopia, say reports and officials |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/20/africa/ethiopia-civilian-deaths-oromia-region-intl-afr/index.html |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=CNN News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sabes |first=Adam |date=2022-06-19 |title=Ethiopia ethnic attack leaves over 200 killed, witnesses say |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/ethiopia-ethnic-attack-leaves-over-200-killed-witnesses-say |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref> The Government of Oromia however confirmed that an attack had occurred.<ref>{{Cite web |title=More than 100 killed in Ethiopia's Oromia region: Witnesses |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/20/hundreds-killed-in-ethiopias-oromo-region |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[government of Ethiopia|government]] was accused of not eliminating threats as OLF due to involvement in scheme.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 19, 2022 |title=Over 200 people dead, after attack by Oneg Shena an ethnic separatist group. |work=The Low Ethiopian Reports |url=https://lekreports.com/over-200-people-dead-after-attack-by-oneg-shena-an-ethnic-separatist-group/}}</ref>

== Background ==
In the 1990s, the [[Tigray People's Liberation Front|TPLF]], a predominantly [[Tigrayans|Tigrayan]] militia, overthrew the Ethiopian government and held power until 2018, when ethnic [[Oromo people|Oromo]] [[Abiy Ahmed]] won the election. Tensions between the TPLF, now a political party in the Tigray region, and Ahmed's government grew until it reached a boiling point in late 2020 that began the [[Tigray War]]. Since then, both the Ethiopian government and TPLF have been accused of war crimes in the Tigray region, with spillovers in the [[Amhara Region]] and [[Oromia]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-06-29 |title=Ethiopia's Tigray war: The short, medium and long story |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54964378 |access-date=2022-07-08}}</ref>

The TPLF went on an offensive in summer 2021, allying with the [[Ethnocentrism|ethnocentrist]] [[Oromo Liberation Front]] against the Ethiopian government. This heavily increased the OLA's participation in the war, and the OLA has been accused of persecuting ethnic Amhara in the Oromia region.<ref>{{Cite web |last=VINCENOT |first=Aymeric |title=Ethiopia's Abiy Accuses OLA Rebels Of New 'Massacre' |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/ethiopia-s-abiy-accuses-ola-rebels-of-new-massacre-01656969007 |access-date=2022-07-08 |website=www.barrons.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Massacre ==
Around June 17, residents said that security forces in Tole left the area without explanation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2022-08-31 |title=Ethiopia: Civilians in Western Oromia Left Unprotected |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/31/ethiopia-civilians-western-oromia-left-unprotected |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}</ref> On the morning of June 18, the OLA, allegedly aided by ethnic [[Oromo people|Oromo]] in the area, sought out ethnic Amhara in ten villages across [[Gimbi (woreda)|Gimbi woreda]] in Western Oromia. The perpetrators predominantly used machine guns to kill their victims, but machetes, mass executions, and [[Death by burning|immolation]] were also used. 55 people were executed in a village outside the village of Chefie, and two massacres took place in the village of Silsaw; 14 women and children were killed in a vacant home in the town, and over 48 people were killed in the town's mosque. Similarly, 13 Amhara were charred in the villages of Gutin Sefer and Silsaw.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2022 |title=An Interim Report on the June 18th, 2022 Amhara Massacre in the Tole Kebele, Gimbi Woreda, West Wollega Zone of Ethiopia's Oromia Region by Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) militants |url=https://www.amharaamerica.org/_files/ugd/e494ca_a4fb7b2180774e8c9d4370cf1dfecc8b.pdf |access-date=July 8, 2022 |website=Amhara Association of America}}</ref>

Looting also occurred in the aftermath of the massacre, with one witness stating "everything was damaged."<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2022 |title=An Interim Report on the June 18th, 2022 Amhara Massacre in the Tole Kebele, Gimbi Woreda, West Wollega Zone of Ethiopia's Oromia Region by Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) militants |url=https://www.amharaamerica.org/_files/ugd/e494ca_a4fb7b2180774e8c9d4370cf1dfecc8b.pdf |access-date=July 8, 2022 |website=Amhara Association of America}}</ref>

The Gimbi massacre is the deadliest massacre in the [[West Welega Zone]] of Ethiopia in recent years, and was harshly criticized by the Ethiopian government.

Witnesses told [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] that the perpetrators spoke [[Oromo language|Oromo]] and some had a distinctive hairstyle common among OLA fighters. They said the attackers wore a mix of civilian clothes and uniforms worn by the Oromia regional special forces and local militias as well as outdated [[Ethiopian National Defense Force|Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF)]] uniforms. Government security forces arrived in the area after the perpetrators had left despite multiple calls for assistance. The massacre took place over the span of eight hours.<ref name=":0" />

Satellite imagery confirmed the burning of at least 5 villages and 480 civilian structures.<ref name=":0" />


== Reaction ==
== Reaction ==
=== Foreign governments===
=== Foreign governments===
==== US ====
==== US ====
⚫
The spokesperson for the US State Department, [[Ned Price]], issued a statement on the victims of the attack and urged peaceful solutions and accountability on human rights. The Embassy of United States to FDRE reiterated the message which the State Department's spokesperson issued.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Civilians Killed in Ethiopia |url=https://www.state.gov/civilians-killed-in-ethiopia/ |access-date=June 21, 2022 |website=State.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Civilians Killed in Ethiopia |url=https://et.usembassy.gov/civilians-killed-in-ethiopia/ |access-date=June 21, 2022 |website=et.usembassy.gov}}</ref> The US Ambassador to the United Nations, [[Linda Thomas-Greenfield]], also issued a separate messaging condemning the attacks on civilians and urging a peaceful solution. She said "We continue to call for all Ethiopians to choose peace, not violence. And we continue to call for comprehensive, inclusive justice for victims and accountability for those who have carried out human rights abuses and violations."<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield |url=https://twitter.com/USAmbUN/status/1539276209405714432 }}</ref>
[[File:Abiy Ahmed.png|thumb|The Prime Minister's condemnation of the attacks.]]
⚫
The spokesperson for the US State Department, [[Ned Price]], issued a statement on the victims of the attack and urged peaceful solutions and accountability on human rights. The Embassy of United States to FDRE reiterated the message which the State Department's spokesperson issued.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Civilians Killed in Ethiopia |url=https://www.state.gov/civilians-killed-in-ethiopia/ |access-date=June 21, 2022 |website=State.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Civilians Killed in Ethiopia |url=https://et.usembassy.gov/civilians-killed-in-ethiopia/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 21, 2022 |website=et.usembassy.gov}}</ref> The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, also issued a separate messaging condemning the attacks on civilians and urging a peaceful solution. She said "We continue to call for all Ethiopians to choose peace, not violence. And we continue to call for comprehensive, inclusive justice for victims and accountability for those who have carried out human rights abuses and violations."<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield |url=https://twitter.com/USAmbUN/status/1539276209405714432 |url-status=live}}</ref>


==== Iran ====
==== Iran ====
Line 30: Line 45:


=== Ethiopia ===
=== Ethiopia ===
The [[Prime Minister of Ethiopia|Prime Minister]] [[Abiy Ahmed]] condemned the attacks on innocent civilians calling it "unacceptable."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pandey |first=Nikhil |date=June 21, 2022 |title=320 people killed in Ethiopian gun attack, witnesses claim |work=[[WION]] |url=https://www.wionews.com/world/320-people-killed-in-ethiopian-gun-attack-witnesses-claim-490079}}</ref> Two days after the attack famous Ethiopian singer [[Teddy Afro]] released a song "Na'at" ("unleavened bread") which reflects "the dark time of Ethiopia".<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Teddy Afro released new song "Unleavened Bread" ናዕት (እያመመው ቁጥር ፪) after Gimbi Massacre in Oromia: timed? |work=The Low Ethiopian Reports |url=https://lekreports.com/teddy-afro-released-new-song-unleavened-bread-%e1%8a%93%e1%8b%95%e1%89%b5-%e1%8a%a5%e1%8b%ab%e1%88%98%e1%88%98%e1%8b%8d-%e1%89%81%e1%8c%a5%e1%88%ad-%e1%8d%aa-after-gimbi-massacre-in-oromia/ |access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Solomon |first=Abiy |date=June 23, 2022 |title=Teddy Afro bashes government with a critical new single |work=Addis Zeybe |url=https://addiszeybe.com/featured/addis-ababa/art/currentaffairs/teddy-afro-bashes-government-with-a-critical-new-single |access-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref>
The [[Prime Minister of Ethiopia|Prime Minister]] [[Abiy Ahmed]] condemned the attacks on innocent civilians calling it "unacceptable."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pandey |first=Nikhil |date=June 21, 2022 |title=320 people killed in Ethiopian gun attack, witnesses claim |work=[[WION]] |url=https://www.wionews.com/world/320-people-killed-in-ethiopian-gun-attack-witnesses-claim-490079}}</ref> Two days after the attack famous Ethiopian singer [[Teddy Afro]] released a song "Na'at" ("unleavened bread") which reflects "the dark time of Ethiopia".<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Teddy Afro released new song "Unleavened Bread" ናዕት (እያመመው ቁጥር ፪) after Gimbi Massacre in Oromia: timed? |work=The Low Ethiopian Reports |url=https://lekreports.com/teddy-afro-released-new-song-unleavened-bread-%e1%8a%93%e1%8b%95%e1%89%b5-%e1%8a%a5%e1%8b%ab%e1%88%98%e1%88%98%e1%8b%8d-%e1%89%81%e1%8c%a5%e1%88%ad-%e1%8d%aa-after-gimbi-massacre-in-oromia/ |access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Solomon |first=Abiy |date=June 23, 2022 |title=Teddy Afro bashes government with a critical new single |work=Addis Zeybe |url=https://addiszeybe.com/featured/addis-ababa/art/currentaffairs/teddy-afro-bashes-government-with-a-critical-new-single |access-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref> According to HRW, as of 31 August 2022 the government had failed to provide adequate shelter, food, medical care, and security for the affected communities. Residents said little had been done to investigate the massacre and bring perpetrators to justice.<ref name=":0" />


=== United Nations ===
=== United Nations ===
The [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]] [[António Guterres]] condemned the [[genocide]], which in itself is [[terrorism]] that occurred in Ethiopia, which killed mostly Amharas. The UN issued this statement "The secretary-general condemns the reported killing of scores of civilians in Oromia this weekend," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for Guterres."<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2022 |title=UN chief condemns civilian massacre in Ethiopia's Oromia region |work=Big News Network via Xinhua |url=https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/272592585/un-chief-condemns-civilian-massacre-in-ethiopias-oromia-region |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>
The [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]] [[António Guterres]] condemned the massacre stating, "The secretary-general condemns the reported killing of scores of civilians in Oromia this weekend," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for Guterres."<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2022 |title=UN chief condemns civilian massacre in Ethiopia's Oromia region |work=Big News Network via Xinhua |url=https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/272592585/un-chief-condemns-civilian-massacre-in-ethiopias-oromia-region |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Qelem Wollega massacre]]
* [[Hachalu Hundessa riots]]
* [[Gawa Qanqa massacre]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}{{Oromo conflict}}


[[Category:2022 mass shootings in Africa]]
[[Category:2022 mass shootings in Africa]]
[[Category:2022 murders in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:2022 murders in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:21st-century mass murder in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Massacres of the OLA insurgency]]
[[Category:June 2022 crimes in Africa]]
[[Category:June 2022 crimes in Africa]]
[[Category:Mass shootings in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Mass shootings in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Massacres in 2022]]
[[Category:Massacres in 2022]]
⚫
[[Category:Massacres in Ethiopia]]
⚫
[[Category:Oromia Region]]
[[Category:Oromo Liberation Front]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2022]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2022]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Ethiopia in the 2020s]]
[[Category:Massacres of Amhara people]]
[[Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2022]]
[[Category:Mosque massacres in Africa]]
[[Category:Attacks on mosques in Ethiopia]]
⚫
[[Category:Arson in Ethiopia]]
⚫
[[Category:Arson in 2022]]
[[Category:2022 fires in Africa]]
[[Category:Nationalist terrorism]]
[[Category:June 2022 events in Ethiopia]]
[[Category:21st-century attacks on mosques]]

Latest revision as of 18:35, 8 January 2025

Gimbi massacre
Part of the Oromo conflict
Gimbi massacre is located in Ethiopia
Gimbi massacre
Gimbi massacre (Ethiopia)
LocationTole, Gimbi, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Coordinates9°03′59″N 36°06′03″E / 9.066269824024126°N 36.100787072783426°E / 9.066269824024126; 36.100787072783426
Date18 June 2022 (2022-06-18)
Deaths554+ (per witnesses)[1]
VictimsAmhara civilians
PerpetratorsOromo Liberation Army (denied by OLA)
Part of a series on
Terrorism and political violence
By ideology
Religious
Special-interest / Single-issue
Related topics
Organizational structures
  • Methods
  • Tactics
Terrorist groups
Relationship to states
State terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism
Response to terrorism

On 18 June 2022, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) was accused of massacring over 500 Amhara civilians in the Gimbi county of Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Witnesses said that the OLA intentionally targeted ethnic Amhara people.[2][3] This attack is part of a series of Amhara massacres that occurred in 2022.

A witness told the Associated Press he had counted at least 230 bodies and said he was "afraid this is the deadliest attack against civilians we have seen in our lifetime" and that mass graves were being dug for victims.[4][5] One resident told reporters that the death toll surpassed 260 people, while others placed it higher at 320.[6][7]

The government blamed rebels, and witnesses accused the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) for carrying out the attack in Tole and surroundings, but the OLA denied that their troops were present, and put the blame on the government forces.[8][9] The Government of Oromia however confirmed that an attack had occurred.[10] The government was accused of not eliminating threats as OLF due to involvement in scheme.[11]

Background

[edit]

In the 1990s, the TPLF, a predominantly Tigrayan militia, overthrew the Ethiopian government and held power until 2018, when ethnic Oromo Abiy Ahmed won the election. Tensions between the TPLF, now a political party in the Tigray region, and Ahmed's government grew until it reached a boiling point in late 2020 that began the Tigray War. Since then, both the Ethiopian government and TPLF have been accused of war crimes in the Tigray region, with spillovers in the Amhara Region and Oromia.[12]

The TPLF went on an offensive in summer 2021, allying with the ethnocentrist Oromo Liberation Front against the Ethiopian government. This heavily increased the OLA's participation in the war, and the OLA has been accused of persecuting ethnic Amhara in the Oromia region.[13]

Massacre

[edit]

Around June 17, residents said that security forces in Tole left the area without explanation.[14] On the morning of June 18, the OLA, allegedly aided by ethnic Oromo in the area, sought out ethnic Amhara in ten villages across Gimbi woreda in Western Oromia. The perpetrators predominantly used machine guns to kill their victims, but machetes, mass executions, and immolation were also used. 55 people were executed in a village outside the village of Chefie, and two massacres took place in the village of Silsaw; 14 women and children were killed in a vacant home in the town, and over 48 people were killed in the town's mosque. Similarly, 13 Amhara were charred in the villages of Gutin Sefer and Silsaw.[15]

Looting also occurred in the aftermath of the massacre, with one witness stating "everything was damaged."[16]

The Gimbi massacre is the deadliest massacre in the West Welega Zone of Ethiopia in recent years, and was harshly criticized by the Ethiopian government.

Witnesses told Human Rights Watch (HRW) that the perpetrators spoke Oromo and some had a distinctive hairstyle common among OLA fighters. They said the attackers wore a mix of civilian clothes and uniforms worn by the Oromia regional special forces and local militias as well as outdated Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) uniforms. Government security forces arrived in the area after the perpetrators had left despite multiple calls for assistance. The massacre took place over the span of eight hours.[14]

Satellite imagery confirmed the burning of at least 5 villages and 480 civilian structures.[14]

Reaction

[edit]

Foreign governments

[edit]

US

[edit]

The spokesperson for the US State Department, Ned Price, issued a statement on the victims of the attack and urged peaceful solutions and accountability on human rights. The Embassy of United States to FDRE reiterated the message which the State Department's spokesperson issued.[17][18] The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, also issued a separate messaging condemning the attacks on civilians and urging a peaceful solution. She said "We continue to call for all Ethiopians to choose peace, not violence. And we continue to call for comprehensive, inclusive justice for victims and accountability for those who have carried out human rights abuses and violations."[19]

Iran

[edit]

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the attack calling it a "terrorist" attack by armed insurgent groups.[20]

Ethiopia

[edit]

The Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed condemned the attacks on innocent civilians calling it "unacceptable."[21] Two days after the attack famous Ethiopian singer Teddy Afro released a song "Na'at" ("unleavened bread") which reflects "the dark time of Ethiopia".[22][23] According to HRW, as of 31 August 2022 the government had failed to provide adequate shelter, food, medical care, and security for the affected communities. Residents said little had been done to investigate the massacre and bring perpetrators to justice.[14]

United Nations

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The Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres condemned the massacre stating, "The secretary-general condemns the reported killing of scores of civilians in Oromia this weekend," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for Guterres."[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ ""It Seems Like The Whole Population Was Killed"" (PDF). Amhara Association of America. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Witnesses say more than 200 killed in Ethiopia ethnic attack". AP NEWS. 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  3. ^ "Over 200 civilians killed as rebel group, government troops clash in Ethiopia". UPI News. June 20, 2022.
  4. ^ "More than 200 people killed in Ethiopia ethnic attack, witnesses say". PBS NewsHour. 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  5. ^ "Ethiopia: more than 200 Amhara people killed in attack blamed on rebels". the Guardian. Associated Press. 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  6. ^ "Attack in Ethiopia's Oromiya region kills at least 260". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  7. ^ "Gimbi Ethiopia : Over 200 massacred in Oromo region". Borkena. June 19, 2022.
  8. ^ Feleke, Bethlehem (2022-06-20). "At least 200 civilians killed in western Ethiopia, say reports and officials". CNN News. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  9. ^ Sabes, Adam (2022-06-19). "Ethiopia ethnic attack leaves over 200 killed, witnesses say". Fox News. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  10. ^ "More than 100 killed in Ethiopia's Oromia region: Witnesses". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  11. ^ "Over 200 people dead, after attack by Oneg Shena an ethnic separatist group". The Low Ethiopian Reports. June 19, 2022.
  12. ^ "Ethiopia's Tigray war: The short, medium and long story". BBC News. 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  13. ^ VINCENOT, Aymeric. "Ethiopia's Abiy Accuses OLA Rebels Of New 'Massacre'". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  14. ^ a b c d "Ethiopia: Civilians in Western Oromia Left Unprotected". Human Rights Watch. 2022-08-31. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  15. ^ "An Interim Report on the June 18th, 2022 Amhara Massacre in the Tole Kebele, Gimbi Woreda, West Wollega Zone of Ethiopia's Oromia Region by Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) militants" (PDF). Amhara Association of America. July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  16. ^ "An Interim Report on the June 18th, 2022 Amhara Massacre in the Tole Kebele, Gimbi Woreda, West Wollega Zone of Ethiopia's Oromia Region by Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) militants" (PDF). Amhara Association of America. July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  17. ^ "Civilians Killed in Ethiopia". State.gov. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  18. ^ "Civilians Killed in Ethiopia". et.usembassy.gov. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  19. ^ "Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield". June 21, 2022.
  20. ^ "Iran condemns terrorist attack in Ethiopia". Mehr News. June 21, 2022.
  21. ^ Pandey, Nikhil (June 21, 2022). "320 people killed in Ethiopian gun attack, witnesses claim". WION.
  22. ^ "Teddy Afro released new song "Unleavened Bread" ናዕት (እያመመው ቁጥር ፪) after Gimbi Massacre in Oromia: timed?". The Low Ethiopian Reports. June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  23. ^ Solomon, Abiy (June 23, 2022). "Teddy Afro bashes government with a critical new single". Addis Zeybe. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  24. ^ "UN chief condemns civilian massacre in Ethiopia's Oromia region". Big News Network via Xinhua. June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
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