Ethiopia: Oromo Liberation Front Massacred at Least 200 Ethnic Amhara

Authorities linked what they called barbaric massacre of unarmed civilians in Guliso, West Wollega, to Oromo Liberation Front armed wing. 

Borkena

November 2, 2020 

At least 200 unarmed ethnic Amharas are reportedly massacred in a brutal manner in West Wollega, Ethiopia. It is established by government authorities that the military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is behind the massacre. An unspecified number of people are also wounded, some with life-threatening conditions. 

Bodies were not collected and relatives of the victims had been pleading to authorities in the region to help collect littered bodies in the hope of organizing a funeral. 

According to a report by Gobeze Sisay, a journalist working for ESAT, the incident happened on Sunday in the evening in Guliso district of West Wollega. 

An estimated 40 OLF gunmen called ethnic Amhara residents in Dila Golala and Sekjerbi kebeles in Gulala district of West Wollega for a meeting and they opened fire on them. 

A report by Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) indicates that the Oromo regional state confirmed the massacre of ethnic Amharas although the number of casualties is unspecified.  There had been attempts by the regional government in the past to hide targeted attacks against Amhara.

The regional government also claims that the OLF Military wing is launching attacks like these ones in coordination with TPLF. 

However, there are speculations that Oromo Liberation Front is coordinating attacks in collaboration with its sympathizers in the Oromo regional state whose head is Shimeles Abdissa who is believed to be a radical ethnic Oromo nationalist. 

Some social media sources say that the Ethiopian Defense Force was deployed to the region for months due to the armed activities of the Oromo Liberation Front and that the incident happened following its withdrawal from the region. Who ordered the withdrawal and why? These are questions that the government needs to answer. 

The non-stop massacre of ethnic Amhara in different parts of Ethiopia – primarily in Oromo region, Benishangul, and South Ethiopia has been a hallmark of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. 

In late October 2020, at least 31 ethnic Amharas were massacred in Gurafarda, South Ethiopia.