Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) War on Amhara: Systematic Brutality Against Civilians

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) continue their brutal assault on the Amhara region, ravaging civilian life with increasing reports of military brutality and the targeting of ethnic Amhara’s. In one of the latest tragic events, Asbera Mohamednur was gunned down by ENDF soldiers in Shoa Asager Woreda, her body riddled with bullets as her two-year-old child sat beside her—traumatized but alive. This devastating scene is emblematic of a much larger crisis, where civilians are systematically targeted when the ENDF faces defeat against the Amhara Fano freedom fighters. In retaliation, they lash out at civilians, including farmers, children, and women.

Far from an isolated incident, these attacks reflect a systematic pattern by the ENDF in the Amhara region. This brutality has escalated to disturbing levels. Over the past week alone, 56 drone strikes in the Gojjam area killed 220 civilians and obliterated 12 schools, leaving destruction in towns such as Finote Selam, Metema, and Dembecha, as documented by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Ethiopian Human Rights Commission – EHRC

Eyewitnesses describe these events as part of a deliberate and targeted campaign against ethnic Amhara’s. Human Rights Watch echoes this sentiment: “The Ethiopian armed forces’ brutal killings of civilians in Amhara undercut government claims that it’s trying to bring law and order to the region.” Human Rights Watch

Drone strikes, frequently used by the ENDF, have become a deadly tactic targeting not only military groups but also schools, homes, and farms. On October 15, 2024, a drone strike on a school in Astrio, on the road Motta to Bahir Dar, killed five civilians, including two women. The following day, a four-year-old child, Amen Enyew, was killed in another drone attack in Dega Damot. Human Rights Watch

These attacks, which violate international humanitarian law, have left the Amhara people devastated, with families mourning their dead and others displaced amid the ongoing violence. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has documented extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions throughout the region, warning of a worsening human rights situation.

Despite these alarming reports, the international community’s response has been relatively silent. Amnesty International recently condemned global human rights bodies for their inaction, stating that “millions of Ethiopians are being denied justice” as atrocities continue to unfold. Amnesty International

Amhara civilians face widespread persecution, including door-to-door executions and mass detentions without legal basis. Thousands have been imprisoned in overcrowded detention centers, where conditions are dire and access to healthcare is severely limited

It is critical for the United Nations and the African Union to intervene and halt these atrocities. As Human Rights Watch notes, “the Ethiopian government’s failure to ensure meaningful accountability contributes to ongoing cycles of violence and impunity.” Without urgent action, the situation in Amhara will only worsen, with more civilians paying the ultimate price for a conflict they did not choose.