The United States Department of State released a press release on June 21, 2022 regarding the genocidal act committed on hundreds of Amhara residents in Oromia Regional State, West Wollega Zone-Ghimbi Woreda of Tole Kebele, where until now close to six hundred dead bodies of children, women and men are buried and many more unaccounted are yet to be buried. The National Movement of Amhara (NaMA) appreciates the concern, the mourning, and the condolence the United States Department of State extended to the victims and survivors who lost loved ones in the genocidal act of terrorists and genociders. However, NaMA is concerned in the characterization of the genocidal act as an “incident” and as an “extension of the armed conflict undergoing in the Oromia Regional State between the warring parties” of which solution comes through the political deliberations such as a national dialogue. NaMA is convinced such characterization of genocidal acts is unhelpful to the victims, an impediment for the peace and stability of our country and provides a political leverage for terrorists and genociders.
Tole Kebele Amhara residents are not party to the conflict undergoing between the warring parties in Oromia region. The genocide committed on Amhara residents of Tole Kebele is not an incident. It is a well-planned, orchestrated and executed by the Oromo Liberation Army (Shene OLF), their official ally terrorist TPLF and their clandestine-partners-in-crime operating in the civil and security apparatus of the federal and regional governments. It is not an incident, rather an episode of serial atrocious crimes against the people of Amhara that happens with pattern and sequence. To mention a few of them in just last two years alone, Gawa Qanqa village in Guliso District of West Wollega, Boka and Nechlu village of Eastern part of Oromia, Horo Gudru Wollega Zone, Bulen District in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ataye, Shashmene, Maikadra, Chenna, Kobbo, Agamsa and several other localities, where thousands of ethnic Amharas were killed, millions are evicted and dispossessed their fruits of labor. The methods of executions are equally abhorrent that children and women are burned alive being locked in a closed house, pregnant women being cut half in a machete and civilians summarily executed in a machine gun.
Please take note that these genocidal acts have been executed with a well identified pattern. In most cases, before the execution starts armed Amharas are required to hand over their arms to local authorities and members of law enforcement agencies abruptly leave the areas where the atrocious crimes are planned to be executed. And the cries and calls of the victims for help before and during the executions are often times unanswered with deaf ears of the security apparatus of the state. These are atrocious crimes carried out in a cold blood masterminded, financed and directed by organized terrorists and genociders by the name of TPLF, OLA/OLF-Shene/ and their clandestine partners, who designed and deployed genocide as a weapon to achieve their hate-driven political agendas against the people of Amhara. All concerned parties should note that terrorist and genocidal TPLF had decades old grand plan to execute a full-scale genocide against the people of Amhara, which OLA /OLF Shene/ and its clandestine partners also adopted and are practicing as a showcase in several places. In any international law, such atrocious crimes with pattern and sequence can’t be considered as an “incident” and can’t be attributed to as a “consequence and extension of armed conflicts” of which solution to be sought in a dialogue.
Therefore, NaMA opposes the characterization the United States Department of State attributed to the genocidal act committed on the people of Amhara and its proposed solution as a bargaining chip of the National Dialogue. Such statements can only embolden the assailants and subject the victims for perpetual and unabated abuses. The National Movement of Amhara appreciates the United States’ sustained efforts to contribute to the peace and stability of our country, Ethiopia. And NaMA believes the United States can still contribute a lot to the security of the Ethiopian people, in particular to the people of Amhara who are undergoing through horrific cycle of atrocious crimes and help to prevent a full-scale genocide against the people of Amhara. Hence, NaMA calls on the United States and the Department of State to call the crimes and its actors by their name i.e., genocide and genociders. NaMA also calls on the United States to treat and handle terrorists and genociders none other than except as terrorists and genociders. NaMA mourns for the victims, extends its condolences to the people of Amhara and all peace-loving Ethiopians.
National Movement of Amhara (NaMA)
Addis Ababa, Shewa
June 22, 2022
Am deeply ashamed of this situation