Ethnic Based Massacre & Genocide of Ethiopia (2003 – 2018)

Ethnic-based massacre and genocide against The Kemant Agew people in Amhara Region, Gondar, Ethiopia

This is to bring our concern to your attention about the ongoing genocide against the Kemant ethnic in Ethiopia. Kemant ethnic, with an estimated population of more than 2.5 million, is one of the original inhabitants, yet the most endangered minorities, found in North Gondar Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. The Kemant people have been forced to assimilate and melt into the dominant Amhara culture for long time without being given any significant space for the preservation of their distinctiveness; consequently, they had been facing severe and sometimes violent repression and marginalization due to lack of any institutional arrangement and even political willingness to recognize the very existence of their distinct identity let alone due credence to socio-economic and political claims. The new Ethiopian constitution established in 1991, which creates a federal system that gave full recognition to ethnic autonomy while maintaining the unity of state, is still unable to accommodate the demands of the Kemant people for preservation of their distinct identity, political participation and representation of fair access to economic resources. As an evidence to support this idea, the Kemant ethnic group was not included in the 2007 Ethiopian Population and Housing Census, and hence Kemant were obliged to be reported either as “Amhara” or “others”. This was the turning point for them to get organized and request for identity and self-rule; however, their quest for recognition has fell in deaf ears more than a decade. They remain unrecognized and henceforth denied the opportunity to exercise rights enshrined in the constitution.

Kemant have been struggling for recognition and self-administration for the past 12+ years despite the continual aggressive measures taken by the Amhara Regional Government. This is because their very existence as distinct group depends primarily on the official recognition and political will of the regional government. After many ups and downs, they regained the status of nationality in June 2015 in accordance with article 39 of the Federal Constitution. However, the regional government has still denied them the opportunity to self-rule. The Kemants have become victims of genocide for a mere reason that they are demanding for their identity and self-administration and making free choices democratically. For instance, the following crimes have been committed against Kemant people with the order and active participation of the Amhara Regional Government.

Bloody Mawura, (ማዉራ) Layarmacho November 3-9, 2015

#4. December 9 to18, 2015, yet another far worst and different than the previous acts of atrocity committed in almost all Kemant kebeles and counties, especiallyIn Quara Matema, Chilga and Lay Armachiho. During this period, the regional government deployed more than 10,000 armed special paratroops and militias, dressing peasant clothes,

#5. January 21, 2016, five innocent Kemants were killed including the chief priest, Bisrat Abera of Chilga Wareda, Chako Kebelie, Kintaho Kidanemihret church carrying a replica of the Ark of the Covenant and wounded dozens, by opening firearms on a gathering crowed while worshiping and celebrating traditional Ethiopian Epiphany.

January 21,2016 killed while caring replica of the ark of the covent of the Covenant.

#6. In March 2016, criminal act against Kemant people took place in the town of Tikildingay, Lay Armachiho County by Special Regional Government Forces and Paratroops. Apart from terrorizing the entire population of the town, this repressive and mindless vandalistic act caused the death of two innocent young people while sleeping at night in their own homes.

March 2016 Tikldngay while sleeping shot & killed

They also bombed public health clinic, which aimed to prevent residents of the area from getting access to health care services. In general, this ethnic cleansing campaign resulted in the displacement of approximately twenty five thousand people in Lay Armachho, Chilga, Matema and Quara districts where the Kemant nation settled. At that time, no government or private support has been given to these displaced victims and their children. Consequently, victims did not have access to basic needs (food cloth shelter and medicine), and were suffering from hunger and diseases. This horrific human rights abuse and ethnic cleansing continued to this day far worse than the previous. Some prominent Kemant community members thrown to jail with no crime other than coordinating the public demand for self-government. There are today many political detainees, including a mother of 6 children (Mrs. Banchi Tamru and her husband), they been confined since 2015. In order to legitimize detention and persecution of the victims, the regional government has used a fake court system, with police, judges, attorneys are anti-Kemant politics.

#6. September 1, 2018, 26 Kemant Coordinating Committee members for self-rule were kidnapped by Amhara regional government security, while they were at a meeting in the city of Gondar and kept in detention for 48 days without a due process.

Septem 1/2018, 26 Kemant Coordinating Committee kidnapped

#7. October 2018, about 3000 Kemant civil servants dismissed from their jobs and expelled from Shahdi, Gendowha, Metema and Quara Districts, because of their ethnicity.They have currently gathered under trees in Metema Meqa and consequently exposed to hunger, sanitation problems and health complications.

#8. November 1 to 7, 2018, the Regional government fielded estimated to be 20,000 militia and paratroops in the Kemant homeland, perhaps in an intention to destroy Kemant once and for all from North Gondar. Considerable destruction was sustained on many human lives and properties. At the time this report was written on November 10, but the numbers to increase by the hours and days:

Before November 10, 2018:* 114 Kemant gunned down (execution style), slaughtered with machetes, stoned and beaten to death while they were at their farm or looking after their cattle. *- 28 family members burned down inside their homes. Prisoners shot to dead by police while seeking police protection at a Shinfa detention center. * Many injured, More than 93,000 (Ninety three thousand) Kemant people displaced. *More than 27, 083 Kemant people where not known where they are, there is no emergency task force to determine their status. *In Quwara woreda (District): Four Houses and 11 business organizations were looted and burned down completely. 340 Kemant Civil Servants have been forcefully displaced from their place, work and residents because they are born being Kemant. * In Shinfa Town and its environs: Many stores with hundred thousand plus tons of sesame (the Kemant society major crops around the area), many hotels and businesses, supermarkets, 4 tractors, 2 Isuzu tracks, 2 motor bikes and more than 1, 200 houses were looted and burnt down to ashes. Many livestock have been taken away from Kemants by trucks and Lorries. Now, the whole town of Shinffa burned down. *- In Metema Yohannes Town: many hotels and businesses were looted and burnt down; many livestock have been tooted.

The ethnic based atrocities on the Kemant people have been repeatedly reported to the high-ranking officials in Amhara Regional government and its security structure and Ethiopian Federal Government through formal letters and in person; however, there has not been any action taken to stop the massacre to date, not even acknowledgement of what is going on. The local government denied access for humanitarian agencies to give aids and medical treatment for the displaced and wounded Kemants for example, Red Cross. It can be recalled, in June 2016 Ethiopian Human Rights Commission reported to the Ethiopian Parliament its findings on the atrocity committed in 2015. As a result, the Parliament passed a resolution, the Kemant victims to receive compensation and perpetrators to be brought to justice, their request to Identity and Self-rule be answered, but the Ethiopian Government failed to implement the Parliament’s decision. Indeed, the central government’s silence to the crisis is a key reason for extended sufferings of the Kemant people. The central government showed lack of political will and commitment to bring suspected perpetrators officials to justice, despite systematic atrocity committed against the Kemant population with purity it is continuing.

The Amhara Regime and its associated Amharic media both in Ethiopia and abroad usually put blame on the Tigrians for the Kemants’ awareness for their rights and lately accuse of Oromo Medias (ONN and OMN) for reporting ongoing Genocide. The regional government to confuse the Ethiopian people and the international community stages the fake blame. At large to hide its atrocity against the Kemant people. We humbly request, all humanitarian organizations and concerned individuals of the world, to assist with the basic needs and medical treatment of the displaced Kemants that are sheltered in various camps scatted across from Western Gondar to the boarder of the Republic of Sudan, before the whole generation die due to hunger and Medical treatment. Also, please assist in finding those whose whereabouts are unknown. We kindly request all human right defenders, civic organization, and the civilized citizens of the world to stop the genocide perpetrated by the Amhara Regional Government in Ethiopia against the minority ethnic Kemant population in Western Gondar, by putting pressure on the Ethiopian Federal Government to take action on stopping genocide against Kemant Agew. “To help others life you don’t have to be Agew or other ethnics, just being human is enough.”

***Agew Community,***

2014 First kemant gun-down, Tegene Welelaw, being Kemant (Investor)#2. On June13, 2015, another genocide act was commenced at an open Public Market in Aykel town, Chilga Woreda (District), North Gondar Administration Zone Ethiopia by Amhara Regional Government Special Forces. They killed 6 civilians, wounded more than 10, and imprisoned more than 30. Other dozen of people whom sustained severe injury on the same occasion were deprived medical treatment by government officials’ directive and eventually died or disabled. Since this event, there is unknown number of people held in detention centers in different areas without trial.

Bloody Aykel, Chilga June 13/2015

#3. November 3 to 9, 2015 the Regional Government Special Forces committed horrific act of genocide, probably one of the worst kind of massacre for that area. In Lay Armachiho district, specifically named “Mawura” village; as a consequence, 27 people got killed. Children were slaughtered with machetes, pregnant women cutting and open her stomach with knife so that Kemant child couldn’t be born, elderly people who could not run away and hide themselves were killed using axes, young men and women were gunned down, more than 30 people were injured, hundreds of crop fields were destroyed.