A new study released on Thursday indicates that as many as 7,300 civilians with no roles in the war were killed in the Amhara and Afar regions when the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces controlled most of the region in the northern Ethiopia.
The period of study covers from June 2021 to December 2021 ( a span of about six months) during which the Tigary rebels controlled most part of the Amhara ( and Afar) regions.
There are still areas that are under their control and it means that atrocities in those areas are not included in the study.
The study established that Over 240,000 people in the region were attacked. The victims include women, children and the elderly.
Over 7,400 individuals are missing, and their whereabouts are unknown – according to the study.
Still more horrendous, the TPLF used civilians in the areas it controlled as bullet shields. The group forced thousands of civilians in the occupied area onto the war front and put them on the frontline during combat operations against Ethiopian Forces.
In the joint pressure, representatives of the institutions mentioned above said the census method was used to assess the magnitude of the attack and damage in the controlled areas.
As many as 4, 000 people participated in the study which is said to be impartial.
Eight zones, 87 districts and 945 kebeles (localities) were studied.
Apart from rape and killings of civilians, the rebel groups targeted social service-providing institutions in the region with the aim of fully or partially destroying them.
Property damages to schools, universities, health institutions, and factories – among others are estimated to be 292 billion birr – according to the study.
Over 40 hospitals, 1,116 schools, and 46 government offices are among the institutions that were deliberately destroyed by the TPLF forces.
Initially, the TPLF aimed at marching to Addis Ababa triumphantly – something that was given propaganda-style coverage in the mainstream media in the west.
When that was reversed, the TPLF forces swung to a scorched-earth policy but the main targets were civilian institutions.
The Tigray rebels opened the third round of attack against Ethiopian Forces on August 24, 2022. They have controlled areas like Kobo.
Kobo, in the Amhara region, is still under the control of TPLF forces.
MG/abj/APA