US condemns “horrible” killings of Amhara civilians in attacks in Ethiopia’s Oromia region

June 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States government has condemned the “horrible” killings of Amhara civilians in attacks carried out over the weekend in the Ethiopian region of Oromia, which left dozens dead and were blamed on the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebel group. ).

“The United States is gravely concerned by the killing of civilians from the Amhara community in the Oromia region over the weekend. We mourn the victims and extend our sincere condolences to the survivors and all those who lost loved ones in this horrific act.” , said the spokesman for the US State Department, Ned Price.

Thus, he has demanded “all Ethiopians” to “reject violence and, instead, seek a peaceful dialogue to resolve differences.” “National reconciliation must entail comprehensive and inclusive justice for victims and accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses and violations,” she stressed.

In this sense, Price has emphasized that the “continued” incidents of this type in Ethiopia “underline the urgency of ending the current armed conflict in Ethiopia”, referring to the war unleashed in November 2020 between the Army and the Tigray Popular Liberation Front (TPLF) in the Tigray region (north).

According to local media, at least 80 civilians were killed in the town of Tole Kebele, while the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) confirmed “clashes between government forces and OLA militiamen” in the area and stated that they had resulted in “many civilian casualties”.

The area of ​​Oromía in which the attack was carried out is close to the Gambela region, where dozens of people have died in recent days in an attack also blamed on members of the OLA, which has increased its activities in recent months.

The OLA, split from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) after the 2018 peace agreement, has claimed responsibility for several attacks –especially in Oromia– in recent months. The OLF fought for decades for the secession of the Oromia region, but in 2018 it announced that it was giving up the armed struggle, accepting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s offer of amnesty.