February 6/2001

 VIOLENT ACTIONS BY GOVERNMENT AGAINST AMHARAS IN EASTERN WELLEGA

More than 12,000 Amharas have fled violence from eastern Wellega and sought refuge in Bure. Many of these fled to Bure and Gojjam totally destitute as all their property had been confiscated or burnt by the local authorities.

SOCEPP had in the past exposed the nefarious consequences of the government's ethnic discrimination policy. What happened in eastern Wellega was not an ethnic conflict per se between Oromos and Amharas who had been living amicably for long. The carnage was provoked by the EPRDF officials in the area who deliberately acted to pit the people against one another and in the process to appropriate the property of the fleeing Amharas. The killing of one police man, which is used as an excuse for the subsequent violence, has been attributed by the local officials themselves to "anti-peace bandits" and did not involve the innocent Amharas who have now been used as scape-goats by the chauvinist officials. Unsurprisingly, the central government has made no move to stop the illegal actions of its local officials. Amharas continue to flee into Gojjam to escape the violence.

 SOCEPP holds the EPRDF government responsible for the violence against the Amharas and demands that it compensates them for their loss and takes legal action against the officials who are directly responsible. It is also time to put an end to the ethnic politics that inevitable generates such conflicts and injustices.

SOCEPP