AAA Reports Systematic Abuses Across Multiple Regions, Calls for International Intervention!
The Amhara Association of America has released a comprehensive statement, on November 25, 2025, detailing what it describes as an escalating humanitarian crisis targeting ethnic Amhara populations and members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church across multiple regions of Ethiopia.
The diaspora advocacy organization’s report documents incidents spanning several zones within Amhara Region, as well as Oromia Region and the capital city of Addis Ababa, alleging systematic violations by government forces and allied armed groups since April 2023.
Sexual Violence Crisis Reaches Alarming Proportions
Among the most disturbing findings highlighted in the statement is the prevalence of conflict-related sexual violence. According to data referenced from a BBC World Service investigation, approximately 2,700 rape cases were reported across 43 health facilities in South Gonder and West Gojjam Zones between July 2023 and May 2025. The report indicates that nearly half of documented victims were minors, with a significant percentage testing positive for sexually transmitted infections.
The organization alleges that sexual violence continues unabated, citing a recent incident on November 20 in which a 14-year-old girl was killed in Gishabay town, West Gojjam Zone.
Regional Breakdown of Reported Incidents
Amhara Region: The statement documents multiple categories of alleged violations including extrajudicial executions, aerial bombardments, forced disappearances, and attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools and healthcare facilities.
In West Gonder Zone, the organization reports that three family members, including two children, were killed on November 19 in Metemma Woreda. Security forces allegedly fired on student demonstrators at Debark University the following day, resulting in multiple injuries requiring hospitalization.
North Shewa Zone has experienced a wave of detentions, according to the statement, with at least seven individuals arrested on November 19 in Enewari city, allegedly due to suspected family connections to opposition fighters.
North Wollo Zone: The AAA statement highlights targeting of medical personnel and religious officials in Alamata city. The head of Alamata City Hospital was temporarily detained on November 10, while church officials from Holy Kidane-Mihret Church were arrested on November 14. Healthcare workers have reportedly faced ongoing intimidation and pressure to vacate their positions.
Displacement has affected residents of Bugna Woreda, where military operations on November 20 allegedly forced civilians from Ayna-Bugna town to flee to surrounding areas.
Oromia Region: The statement asserts that violence against Amhara communities in Oromia has intensified markedly in recent years. Mass casualty events have been documented in East Arsi Zone over the past month, with religious affiliates specifically targeted. In Horo-Guduru-Wollega Zone, military operations during the week of November 19 resulted in detentions and displacement in Abe-Dongoro Woreda.
Addis Ababa: The capital has seen implementation of employment policies that the advocacy group characterizes as discriminatory. More than 1,500 educators at technical and vocational institutions were reportedly suspended during the week of November 10 under a workforce restructuring initiative.
Accountability Mechanisms Questioned
The Amhara Association of America’s statement expresses concern about what it describes as institutional failures in documenting and addressing human rights concerns. The organization points to statements from government-affiliated bodies that have disputed the ethnic or religious dimensions of reported violence.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, the country’s official monitoring body, has significantly reduced its public reporting on conflict-affected areas, according to the advocacy group’s assessment.
Pattern of Identity-Based Targeting
Analysis provided in the statement suggests that the majority of documented incidents involve federal or regional security forces, with victims predominantly from ethnic Amhara communities. The organization contends that authorities frequently justify operations by alleging civilian connections to armed opposition groups known locally as Fano.
In areas where forces aligned with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front are implicated, the statement suggests attacks aim to displace Amhara populations from disputed territories and facilitate administrative takeovers of public institutions.
International Community Urged to Act
The advocacy organization is calling on foreign governments, international organizations, and human rights monitoring bodies to implement concrete measures in response to the documented patterns. Specific recommendations include:
- Direct condemnation of alleged violations by Ethiopian government forces
- Suspension of military aid and equipment transfers that could facilitate further abuses
- Implementation of targeted sanctions against military and civilian officials implicated in human rights violations
- Increased international monitoring and documentation of conditions in affected regions
The statement emphasizes that current trends reflect systematic impunity and pose ongoing threats to civilian populations across multiple areas of the country.
Context and Verification
The conflict in Amhara Region erupted in April 2023 following tensions between federal authorities and regional security forces, subsequently expanding to involve various armed factions. Access restrictions in conflict zones have made independent verification of reported incidents challenging.
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have previously documented serious violations by multiple parties to the conflict, including government forces, regional militias, and armed opposition groups.
The Ethiopian government has consistently rejected characterizations of its security operations as targeting civilians, maintaining that military actions are directed against armed insurgents threatening national stability and territorial integrity.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on allegations contained in a November 25, 2025 statement from the Amhara Association of America, a diaspora advocacy organization. The claims have not been independently verified by this publication. Readers are encouraged to consult multiple sources when evaluating reports from conflict zones with limited press access. The Ethiopian government’s perspective on these allegations was not available at the time of publication.
About the Amhara Association of America: The AAA is a diaspora advocacy organization focused on issues affecting ethnic Amhara communities in Ethiopia. The organization regularly issues statements and reports on human rights conditions in Ethiopia.
