Eyewitnesses and residents reported that in the North Shewa and North Gojam zones of the Amhara region, “government forces” killed civilians from house to house and on the road.
The attacks took place on Monday, June 24, and Wednesday, June 26, 2024. It is stated that more than 27 innocent people were killed in the attacks.
Residents told the BBC that at least 15 people were killed and four others were injured in an attack by government forces on June 24 in a small rural town called Shola Meda, located outside of Debre Sina city in the Tarma Ber district of the North Shewa zone.
A witness who survived the attack said it took place around 5:30 in the evening in a neighborhood called ‘Agam Ber Megentheya’.
He mentioned that mostly farmers from different kebeles were killed in the attack. The eyewitness said that about nine to twelve soldiers “came directly and started shooting at the shop.” Farmers who were waiting to load fertilizer, including him, said they were victims of the attack.
They said that “government forces” entered a tea house called Mamush Tea House and killed eight people who were drinking tea and coffee.
“We were there to load fertilizer. Eight people fell in that tea house,” said the witness. He and a few others escaped by jumping through a cave.
“They came suddenly and finished us off,” said another eyewitness who was in the house where the attack took place.
“They came at 6:00 and there was a line called Agam Ber Meggentheya; there they started firing. They threw [killed] five or six people on the road. They killed those who survived while entering the tea house and they were sitting on the floor,” he explained.
The witness said that 11 people were killed in the tea house where he was. Although he managed to escape with about three people through the closet door and save their lives, his brother, in his 20s, was found dead on the road.
A father said that his 14-year-old son, who lives with his grandparents, was killed on a road near their house in the attack. He told the BBC that they were at Mount Sinai.
A local resident who heard gunshots confirmed that 11 people he knew were killed. He said that the wounded were admitted to Shola Meda and Debre Berhan Hospitals.
Another witness, who collected the names of the 11 dead, said that the next day, June 27, four more bodies were found, bringing the death toll to 15.
They believe the attackers were following three Fano militants who were said to have come to the area to mourn. The attackers were identified as the “national defense army” by their uniforms and by setting up a camp in a nearby area called Sinai.
In another similar attack in the North Gojam Zone, Yilmana Densa District, Adet City, on Monday, June 24, 2024, residents reported that innocent people were killed. Residents said that 11 innocent people were killed by government forces in the attack, which they associated with revenge.
Residents said the attack took place around 3:00 a.m. following hours of “heavy fighting” between Fano militants and government forces.
They said that one woman and ten men were killed. The killing took place on the road and house to house in a settlement called 02 Kebele Farm Crop after the Fano militants left the city. They said that the killing was done because “you will give information to Fano.”
A resident of Adet said, “When Fano took control of the city, they were hit by a lot of force, so they were beating everyone they found.” He said that 11 people were killed, including people who were engaged in labor.
Another resident who spoke about the attack said, “Two children were hit outside [on the street], but they killed the other while taking them out of the house.” He said most of the dead, including a teenager under 18, were young.
Another resident pointed out that the death toll would rise, saying that the day after the killing of 11 people, on June 25, four more people were killed in an area called Bale Ribrib on the outskirts of the city. They said that a father and a son were among the dead.
The residents said that the burial of the deceased took place that day and the next day at a church called ‘Kelemo Gabriel’. Following the killing, the town of Adet, located 43 km from the regional capital, Bahir Dar, was “overwhelmed with grief,” they said.
“The city is deeply saddened. It wept when she saw each person’s face. It’s a tear. There was crying yesterday. You can’t identify who is the family of these children,” one resident said, adding that the community is in deep mourning.
A resident said that following the killing, commercial establishments are also closed, including transportation restrictions in Adet City.
They pointed out that they have experienced such attacks before. “The hotels are closed; no work activity. The driveway is closed. Even Bajaj transport is closed,” said one resident, adding that there is tension in the city. A seven-day prayer and justice program has been announced in the church from Tuesday,” said another resident.
Attempts by the BBC to speak to regional government officials about the killings were unsuccessful.
More than 20 people were killed in an attack allegedly carried out by “government forces” in West Gojam and East Gojam zones in the Amhara region in the early days of June.
In the region’s “armed conflict” that began in July last year, following the battle between Fano and government forces, advocacy organizations have repeatedly announced that “peaceful people” will be victims of violence.
