At least 20 ethnic Amharans have been killed and thousands forced to flee their homes following a massive and coordinated attack on people in the East Wollega Zone of Ethiopia’s Oromia region, APA can report over the weekend.
The Geda Commando, a security force operating under the direct command of the Oromia regional government, has been linked to the killings and the ongoing violence in the zone.
According to information reaching APA, the attacks involved ethnic cleansing against the Amhara civilian population across the East Wollega zone.
Ethiopian Orthodox Church archpriest Qomos Aba Tadesse was among those shot dead by Geda Commando forces.
Video footage circulating on social media purportedly shows him being abused by the commandos in Wollega, followed by images of his lifeless body.
Qomos Aba Tadesse had been detained along with several other priests serving at the Andodie Selassie Church in the Gida Ayana district before he was shot dead.
Additional video footage on social media shows organised crowds moving house-to-house and setting buildings on fire within the district.
The civilians who have been targeted by the Geda Commandos had no involvement in ongoing military operations that have been carried out by Fano fighters who are currently engaged in an armed insurgency against the Ethiopian National Defense force (ENDF) in the Amhara region.
MG/as/APA