Amnesty International has reported that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) extrajudicially executed civilians in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara region, on multiple occasions. On August 8, 2023, ENDF soldiers killed six civilians in the Abune Hara and Lideta neighborhoods. Two months later, on October 10 and 11, they executed another six men, including at least five civilians, in the Seba Tamit neighborhood.

Witnesses detailed how victims were shot at close range, and families were sometimes denied the right to bury their loved ones. The executions occurred amid a state of emergency declared by the Ethiopian government on August 4, 2023, in response to escalating violence between the ENDF and Fano militias. Amnesty International has called for independent investigations into these abuses and accountability for those responsible.

The conflict in Amhara follows the November 2022 cessation of hostilities agreement between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The fighting intensified after the government’s April 2023 decision to integrate regional special forces into the federal forces, prompting resistance from Fano and the Amhara Special Police Force.

Amnesty International’s findings highlight ongoing human rights violations and impunity in Ethiopia, urging international scrutiny and action to address these abuses.Read more about extrajudicial executions in Ethiopia: Ethiopia: End extrajudicial Executions in Amhara region, bring perpetrators to justice