Genocide & Denial by State Directive: Abiy Ahmed’s Hate Speech in Parliament and the
Continued Genocide against Amharas
Friday, June 24, 2022
The Amhara Professionals Union (APU) holds Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Oromia
Regional President Shimelis Abdisa, their party the Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP),
the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and allied Oromo politicians, parties and
influencers including the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) Oromo Liberation Front
(OLF) and Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (Ethzema) responsible for the
ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide against Amhara people throughout Oromia,
Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz and other Regions of Ethiopia. We believe these
entities push a regressive political ideology known as “Oromuma” which posits that
virtually all of Ethiopia was part of a nation known as “Oromia” which must be
reclaimed through forced homogenization through violent conquest, genocide, ethnic
cleansing and forced assimilation of non-Oromo ethnic groups, primarily members of
the Amhara ethnic group whom they regard as historic enemies. Using this guiding
political philosophy, extremist Oromo politicians/activists have at the least
promoted, incited and prolonged episodes of genocidal violence and ethnic cleansing
against Amhara civilian populations as well as other non-Oromo groups. However,
APU believes the level of involvement includes orchestrating, planning and ordering
these genocidal massacres. The likes of Abiy Ahmed, Shimelis Abdisa, Merera
Gudina, Jawar Mohammed, Bekele Gerba, Berhanu Nega, Ahmedin Jebel, and Kamil
Shemsu are part and parcel of this dangerous ideology.
All the crimes committed were coordinated with the regime to inflict maximum human
causalities. They are carried out with advanced weaponry, which are identical with
government-issued military-grade weapons. The transportation they use such as
military-issue vehicles, institutional vehicles, ambulances and other vehicles in
addition to the logistical support is a clear indication that the ethnic cleansing is
governmentsponsored and led. This is also evidenced in the repeated destructions of
towns in Amhara Region bordering the so-called Oromia Region such as the repeated
2021 annual report published by Amhara Association of America (AAA) and detailed
article with analysis from Genocide Prevention in Ethiopia (GPE)].
There has been a series of hate-laden speeches including the most recent one in
parliament on June 14th, 2022 (by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed), who is the primary
inciter of the recent ethnic cleansing and genocide of Amharas in the Tole
Kebele/precinct (Gimbi Woreda/district, West Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia).
Reports confirm at least 1,500 Amhara civilians were killed with some estimates up to
3,000 [see reports from AAA, IOL News, Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and
GPE].
Background:
All of the extremist Oromo political figures and organizations listed above have made
hateful remarks, disseminated hate speech and incited genocide in public venues.
One example is provided below of leaked recordings of vile incitements of hatred by
Shimelis Abdisa the current President of the Oromo Regional State and executive
member of the OPP. The recording, released on August 8th, 2020, contains his voice
from a secret closed-door meeting which was attended by prominent Oromo
politicians, business people and activists. The full audio is available with English
captions here. The following phrases can be heard in the recording:
“… Let me tell you Amharas are dying we are killing them and will continue to die…this
cannot leave this room”
“…The Neftegnas [code word for Amharas] nation building failed 100 years ago... Now
we are re-creating Ethiopia in the image of the Oromo. We are Oromizing Ethiopia in the
way we want by cleansing the Neftegnas…”
“..To ensure Oromos own Addis Abeba there are multiple solutions. One is to illegally
change the demography of the city as we are currently doing. The other way is to
make Addis Abeba an irrelevant city. We will destroy the economy of the city, We can
also create 3 or 4 other federal cities and weaken the city…”
“…Do you think we chose 5 languages to be the Federal languages because we give a
damn about those other ethnic groups… We added those other languages to defeat
and bring the downfall of the Amhara and Tigreans. We are doing it for Oromos.”
“Whether you believe it or not all the other regions except for Oromo region are
declining, they are diminishing. Oromo region is growing more than you know.”
“…Whether you like it or not we [Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (O PDO)
now Oromo Prosperity Party] created Qerro and transformed them into a paramilitary
group which we control now. You can call them Shene, OLA, OLF, Oromo special
forces they are all the same. We direct them …Now we order them to attack the
Amharas so that we have plausible deniability”
Another example is a speech made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at an official
Oromia regional assembly in 2018. The goal of this speech was to provide direction
to Oromo politicians and officials to remove and prevent other ethnic groups from
living in the socalled Oromia Region. You can read the words and feel the primordial
hatred and contempt he has towards non-Oromos. This is equivalent to the “cut down
the trees” dog whistle message by Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines prior to
the Rwanda genocide in 1993.
“..We Oromos cannot allow the lands of Oromia to be inhabited by other ethnic
groups..
We have no one to blame but ourselves….we cannot allow this to happen”
“..For Oromo his land means his identity… others cannot be allowed to own it.. you all
must take the appropriate actions to prevent and reverse this..We have allowed them to
come into our cities and this is unacceptable… ”
The above screenshots are captured from two instances of Prime Minister Abiy
Ahmed Ali making hateful speeches at an official Oromia regional assembly in 2018
(left) and in a recent parliamentary meeting on June 14th, 2022 (right).
Current Crisis: Abiy Ahmed’s Hate Speech in Parliament
On June 14th 2022, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed falsely and without evidence claimed
in parliament that there are people who hate Oromos, and that “…No one will be
allowed to live in Ethiopia who holds these views..” (link here). This type of
scapegoating and fascistic politics has no place in a country with 86 ethnic groups
and is incredibly destructive. He further went on to accuse some unknown element or
force(s) as well as threaten all other ethnic groups. This speech directly resulted in
the further ethnic cleansing of Amhara farmers, men, women and children in the
West Wollega Zone of the so-called Oromia Region on June 18th, 2022 as reported
by The Guardian and The New York Times.
The recent terror campaign of abductions and assassinations against Fano veterans
and the Amhara people at large by the regime is part of a genocidal Oromo
supremacist agenda. Reports indicate that over 12,000 Amharas are now abducted,
detained, disappeared or assassinated. It is clear that there is a concerted effort by
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Oromia Regional President Shimelis Abdisa and their
allies to target and force Amharas into submission. This has manifested itself over
the last 4 years in the mass displacement and killings of countless Amharas. Based
on a mountain of evidence, it is clear that the Oromo paramilitaries including the OLA
and terror squads are coordinated and led by the regime and that the attacks are not
mere coincidence.
Therefore, APU, calls for:
•
•
•
The resignation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Oromia Regional
President Shimelis Abdisa and the formation of a transitional government.
The International Community and Human Rights Organizations to condemn
Prime
Minister Abiy Ahmed and call for immediate investigation into the genocide
of Amharas across all regions of Ethiopia including in the so-called Oromia
and Benishangul-Gumuz Regions.
•
•
The fascist regime in Ethiopia led by the OPP and their allies the OFC and
OLA be held responsible for these crimes including all party/organizational
leaders and members.
The resignation of leadership and members of the Amhara Prosperity Party
(APP) who we hold equally responsible for the ongoing attacks against
Amhara people. We believe the attacks against Amharas are left unmitigated
partly because Amhara people do not have any political or legal
representation either in or out of the socalled Amhara Region. Even in the
Amhara Region the Amhara wing of the ruling prosperity party, APP, never
brought these attacks through the formal channels including within the
Prime Minister's council or through the legislative houses. The Amhara
people to be included in any and all discussions or negotiations but do not
recognize the Amhara Prosperity Party as a representative for the Amhara
people. No peace can ever be achieved without the participation of the
Amhara people. If this regime is not stopped the entire Horn of Africa region
will be thrown into unending bloodshed and chaos.
•
An end to the unwarranted smear campaign and targeting of Amhara Fano to
stop. We believe in the universal right for Amhara people to defend
themselves against the wonton killings and recognize Fano as one of the
pillars in the defense of Amhara people. In addition, we stand in solidarity
with the Amhara people and encourage and support all efforts to express
their democratic rights including peaceful protests and mass civil
disobedience.
Amhara Professionals Union (APU)
Friday, June 24, 2022
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