Ethiopia: Eyewitnesses said that 30 people were killed in a drone attack in North Showa, Amhara region

News Update

Eyewitnesses and local residents told the BBC that several people were killed in a drone attack on an Isuzu truck in Moja and Kwera districts of the North Showa region of Amhara region on Monday, February 11, 2016. According to four BBC sources, the attack took place when the vehicle, which had taken off from a small town called Sasit, which is located outside the capital of the district, Sala Stone, was getting off at an area called Fala Megendiya. BBC sources, who asked not to be named for their safety, estimated there were more than 50 passengers in the vehicle. An eyewitness told the BBC that the attack took place while the vehicle was unloading passengers. They stated that 16 of their close relatives who converted to Christianity were killed. "The only people I know are my family, my father's side and my mother's side, more than 16 people died..." he said, adding that the death toll would be "up to 30". The local residents said that the attack took place between 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning and described the incident as a "massacre". Another local resident, who said his aunt and uncle were among the dead, said "whole families" were killed in the attack. Sources put the total death toll at "30"; They also said that the "christened child" who was said to have been in his grandfather's arms survived unharmed. Another relative of the deceased confirmed this to the BBC. “God saved him [the child]; Nothing was touched," he said, adding that the child's entire family, including his mother and father, were killed in the attack. A cleric who mentions the identity of those who were killed in the attack say that they saw the voice and black smoke and went to the place where the attack took place. "When there is mourning, when there is Christianity, he takes a relative's car," he said, mentioning that it is common for people in the area to travel by truck, adding that the vehicle belongs to the family of the Christian pilgrims. When they arrived in the area, they saw bodies ranging from children to the elderly, they told the BBC. Another witness, who said they arrived at the scene of the attack, described the attack as "high risk". He said there are many injured people. The religious father said that there were "20" wounded people; The injured were taken to Gauna and Sasit health centers, he said. An expert at the Gauna health center, who did not want to be named, confirmed to the BBC that 18 wounded people had come to the health center for treatment. The expert said that the three injured, including the driver of the vehicle, died soon after. “They were in a very dangerous condition when they came with us, including the driver. We tried our best to help. There are also children. There is also the driver. "They died immediately." The expert said that four of the 15 injured people traveled to Debre Berhan for referral treatment. He said that the rest are being treated at the health center. Local residents said there was no fighting between government forces and Fano militants at the scene of the attack. However, in the days before the attack, it is said that the government forces were entering the town of Sela Keng, which is 72 kilometers away from Debre Berhan, the capital of North Showa Zone. Sources said that there was "heavy fighting" between the two sides in the city on Monday; Fano militants who were in the area said that they had left the city for rural areas. A resident said the area where the drone attack took place is approximately 23 kilometers away from where the fighting took place. The cleric said the attack was "accidental" due to the lack of fighting in the area. They indicated that it was possible to remove the bodies of those killed in the attack until 8:30 p.m., but it was difficult to identify the dead. He said that the bodies of the dead were wrapped in "sharps and blankets" because they were difficult to lift because they were badly injured. After the attack, the people who went to the place to pick up the body were worried that "the attack will happen to us too," residents said. A resident said that the drone was "circling". “They [had] great difficulty in removing my body; For more than an hour, people have been dispersing. It was possible to pick up the drone when it was leaving. [I heard] that it was difficult to pick up the wounded quickly. He also said that the burial of the dead was held on the same day of the attack, Monday, February 11, and the next day, Tuesday, at the churches named Kora Sera Mariam, Tekle Hemani, Washa Mariam. A relative of the deceased said that his grief was strong as most of the victims of the attack were relatives. He said that there was fear in the area. ". . .Their dead sister is still unconscious. Dealing with grief is very difficult. This kind of thing has never been seen in our country, so the people are panicking. Currently, he is moving in the area with the defense line. And the people are not leaving their homes," he said. Although the BBC has sought comment from local authorities; He heard that the District Administrators had left the area and that Fano had been in the area for many months. It will be remembered that the United Nations Human Rights Commission has expressed its concern about the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region due to drone attacks. In a statement released a few months ago, the commission said it was deeply concerned about the devastating damage the drone attacks and other conflicts are causing to the people of the region. Although there has been no official statement from the government regarding the casualties caused by drone attacks, the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, stated months ago that his army does not use drones against civilians. The months-old conflict in the Amhara region erupted following the government's decision to disband the regional special forces and reorganize them and disarm other militants. Although various domestic and international institutions are calling for the two warring parties to come to negotiations and solve their problems through dialogue, there is no evidence that any activities have started yet. Since the end of last year, the conflict between government forces and Fano militants has continued in the Amhara region for the past six months, and it has been repeatedly reported that residents are being injured as a result. In addition to the conflict, various human rights organizations are expressing the continued concern of extrajudicial killings of civilians. Concerned about the continuation of the ongoing conflict between Fano militants and government forces, various parties have called for a peaceful solution, but the crisis is currently escalating.