Wednesday, July 6, 2022 (Sene 29, 2014 EC)
Today’s news updates from Mager Media:
- Under the cover of a telecommunications blackout, OLF army soldiers continue to abduct Amhara survivors of the massacre in Qellem Wollega Zone (Oromia Region, Ethiopia) and hold them for ransom;
- Misraq Amhara Fano has released a strong statement of its position.
Who is accountable for the ongoing telecommunications blackout in Qelem Wollega Zone?
On Monday, July 4, 2022 (Sene 27, 2014 EC), Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) army and local Qerros (extremist Oromo vigilante youth) perpetrated an ethnic-based massacre of Amhara civilians in Mender 20 and 16 of Lemlem Kebele (ward) [Hawa Gelan Woreda (district), West Wollega Zone, Oromia Region] and at the time of this report, mobile telephone and internet services have been disconnected, according to residents who informed Mager Media (by travelling to neighboring areas).
According to the sources, this service interruption is an effort by the ruling OPDO-led Prosperity Party/Ethiopian Government [OPDO refers to the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization, now rebranded as the Oromo Prosperity Party] to prevent information about the latest ethnic-based massacre of Amharas from being gathered and sent to relevant stakeholders.
According to sources, in Mender 20, when residents attempted to gather bodies of the dead, Oromo Special Forces and local militias prohibited them from taking photographs, which once again is an effort to prevent the public from seeing the aftermath of the ethnic-based massacre of Amhara people.
The OPDO-led Prosperity Government of Ethiopia has previously worked to prevent information of ethnic-based massacres and other human rights violations against Amhara people not only in West Wollega but in other parts of Ethiopia which has been reported previously by Mager Media.
Over the past week, eyewitnesses in over 11 kebeles of Gimbi Woreda (West Wollega Zone, Oromia Region) have reported the number of victims killed in the massacre of Amharas as more than 1,600, however, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Billene Seyoum said in a press statement that the number was only 338, and Mager Media previously reported on how government forces were deployed to the area to erase evidence.
Sources report that OLF army is abducting Amharas for ransom
The OLF army has been abducting Amhara residents who were displaced to neighboring woredas and has been asking for ransom for their return.
On Saturday, June 18, 2022 (Sene 11, 2014 EC), the OLF army and local Qerros committed an ethnic-based massacre of Amhara civilians in Gimbi Woreda (West Wollega Zone, Oromia Region) which displaced many residents to neighboring woredas, which the OLF abducted and 2 days later, asked for 200,00 birr from relatives which led to about 17 abductees being freed, according to Mager Media’s sources.
According to these sources, 17 of the abductees were women and children but there are outstanding abductees who have yet to be freed.
The Misraq Amhara Fano declares it will not accept the guidelines imposed on the North Wollo Zone Fano structure
The Misraq Amhara Fano today released a statement stating that the North Wollo Zone Prosperity guidelines proposed for the Fano structure are unacceptable.
The statement sent to us by the Misraq Amhara Fano reads as follows:
We will not by any circumstances abandon the patriotism of our forefathers and their Fano way of life!
On Tuesday, July 5, 2022 (Sene 28, 2014 EC), political and security high officials of the North Wollo Zone summoned the Misraq Amhara Fano leadership from the Raya front for a meeting in Woldia city to discuss various matters.
When the zone’s high officials called us to the meeting they mentioned it was to discuss the military organization of the enemy forces on the Raya front.
However, the discussion matters were found to be something else completely. The zone’s upper security and political officials proposed the following guidelines for Fano:
- Fano must completely enter the militia structure, and
- Fano cannot by any means receive monetary contributions/support from the people.
For this reason, regarding the guidelines proposed by the North Wollo Zone structure, Misraq Amhara Fano has outlined the following stances:
- Fano-ism is not only our namesake, it is our blood and bones and it is our inheritance from our forefathers today and tomorrow, together with the Amhara people. Our forefathers fought in Adwa, Maichew, Gara Muleta and Mekdela against colonial foreign invaders who came with mortars and tanks, with traditional weapons, clubs and shields; they enforced a price and paid a sacrifice in defiance, for their country, and freedom – they had no name other than Fano. Therefore we would like to express that the Fano-ism we inherited from our forefathers, which we lived through will be inherited by our children.
- Fano without any pay, has been prepared to give their one life in service of the Amhara people, their country Ethiopia, and they have given their lives, and we will continue to work so our people can provide us with arms and rations.
- We would like to inform our people that the funds being collected by the government across Kobo town and Raya Kobo Woreda, in the name of Fano across all kebeles is not going to Fano.
- Let us not forget that the Tigrayan forces, who have declared Amhara as their eternal enemy and have acted upon their hatred with impunity, are still preparing for a new round of invasion. Worse, Tigrayans are tirelessly working with their ideological allies in their hatred of Amhara, to perpetrate ethnic cleansing of Amharas in various parts of the country including a 40-day-old who doesn’t know he is Amhara and unborn fetuses with the evil objective of ensuring an Amhara is not born. We believe raising issues about the structure, financing, or other aspects of Fano during such a time where Amhara face a struggle for survival shows a total lack of awareness about the dangers visited upon the Amhara.
Finally, on behalf of Misraq Amhara Fano we can say that Fano was started by Amhara people in their struggle for survival against the invading Tigrayan forces and those who are united in their vision, enemies of the Amhara people and Ethiopia as a whole, and if circumstances move to where they are no longer a threat and if justice, equality, and freedom are achieved, Fano can return to their regular lives.
“Fano-ism is a testament to Ethiopianism.”
