This article maps the disturbing surge of such inhumane incidents, spotlighting a few chilling episodes to shed light on the extent of the crises. Looking at instances like the abduction of 17 Amhara students at Denbidolo University, the kidnapping of 9 Dembi Dolo Amhara students in West Wolga, and brazen hostage incidents involving gunmen and public buses, we explore the terrifying reality many Amharas face in Ethiopia today. Supported by shocking figures from the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
Notable Cases of Kidnappings and Killings
Birtukan Temesgen’s Story
Background and Early Life
Birtukan Temesgen, an Amhara resident, grew up in a challenging situation in Senan of Gogam due to her mother’s untimely death and her father’s migration. Despite facing adversity since her childhood, her life took a more dreadful turn when she became one of countless Amhara victims of kidnapping and subsequent brutalities.
Circumstances of Her Abduction
Birtukan’s ordeal embodies the harrowing reality ethnic Amharas in Ethiopia have been enduring. While specific details surrounding her abduction remain obscure due to the prevailing climate of terror and suppression, her story mirrors the experiences of numerous other Amhara individuals who were unjustly targeted and whose lives were irrevocably altered.
Mass Kidnappings of Students and Passengers
Denbidolo University Students
On a haunting day in November 2012, as per the Ethio-calendar, armed individuals abducted 17 Amhara students from Denbidolo University. Forgotten amidst the cacophony of violence, these students have yet to be reunited with their distressed families. Despite repeated pleas from the families seeking to hear the voices of their children, their cries have largely fallen on deaf ears.
Dembi Dolo Amhara Students
The year 2015 brought more despair for the Amhara community when nine students from Dembi Dolo University were kidnapped in West Wolga. They were on their way to Addis Ababa, but their journey ended in the clutches of their captors. Reports of other unidentified students being kidnapped have also surfaced, signaling the widespread scale of the crisis beyond what’s immediately visible.
Debarak University Students
In 2016, a group of about 100 students from Debarak University fell victim to another mass abduction. They were travelling by bus from the Amhara region to Addis Abeba in the Gerbe Guracha district of the North Shewa Zone in the Oromia region when the gruesome incident unfolded. The BBC reported that the gunmen made an indiscriminate selection, sparing none.
Public Bus Passengers in Oromia
In a shocking incident in 2017, gunmen kidnapped all 60 passengers aboard a public bus in the Were Jarso area of the North Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, consolidating the pattern of mass kidnappings. The perpetrators demanded an exorbitant ransom of 1.5 million ETB per individual, highlighting the grim commercial aspect of these heinous crimes.
These alarming instances of kidnap and violence represent only a fraction of the atrocities perpetrated against the ethnic Amharas. The cruelty extends far beyond these events underlying the urgent need for international condemnation and intervention.
In the year 2023, the “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia” outlined the devastating situational landscape in Ethiopia, noting a marked increase in violent incidents targeted against the Amharas since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali took power. The reports documented at least 1,688 killings and 62 abductions in 2021 alone, conducted by the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). In parallel, the Oromia Special Forces (OSF) were held accountable for at least 37 Amhara deaths, showing support for the OLA forces in some instances. This data, whilst disheartening, crucially shines a spotlight on the severity of the crisis.
