Ethio Canadian Network for Advocacy and Support

American Council on Ethiopia Testimony Reveals Oversight in Addressing Amhara Conflict addisinsight.net/american-co… via

"The US can no longer ignore Ethiopia’s human rights crisis" (@TheHillOpinion) trib.al/j8LkDjJ

#Ethiopia: We are troubled by the devastating impact of drone strikes and violence on the population in Ethiopia’s #Amhara region.

For Immediate Release: Urgent Appeal to the United Nations Regarding the Humanitarian Crises in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region. "The Ethiopian government has started an unjust war that targets the Amhara ethnic group." August 30, 2023: A coalition of prominent Ethiopian diaspora organizations from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Africa have delivered a letter to the UN Secretary-General appealing for an urgent Security Council hearing and swift action to "mitigate massacres of the Amhara population and prevent further genocidal atrocities against innocent civilians" in Ethiopia. The full letter delivered can be downloaded here ⏩drive.google.com/drive/u/3/f… To: - Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) Secretary-General of the United Nations (@UNOSAPG, @UN_HRC, @UN, @UNGeneva, @UN_HRC) CC: - Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief), Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (@iascch, @UNOCHA, @OCHA_Ethiopia) - Rosemary A. DiCarlo (@DicarloRosemary), Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (@UNDPPA) - Volker Turk (@volker_turk), Commissioner, United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) - Achim Steiner (@ASteiner), Administrator, United Nations Development Program (@UNDP, @UNDPEthiopia) - All Members of the UN Security Council August 30, 2023 Urgent Appeal Regarding the Humanitarian Crises in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region. His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres Secretary-General United Nations 405 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017 United States of America Dear Mr. Secretary-General, We, the undersigned, representing Ethiopian diaspora organizations and community groups in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Africa, are deeply concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in #Ethiopia’s Amhara region. The Ethiopian government has started an unjust war that targets the #Amhara ethnic group. As documented by numerous credible reports, there has emerged a disturbing picture of mass displacement, extrajudicial killings, mass arrests, indiscriminate bombing, and destruction of critical infrastructure—all of which have triggered an atmosphere of fear and despair among the civilian population. We believe that these genocidal atrocities and ethnic cleansing against Amharas represent a gross violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws, and demand the immediate response of the international community, before it is too late. In contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Amhara people now live as second-class citizens in their own country. Ethnic Amharas have been persecuted and massively displaced in the Oromia region, with tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children brutally massacred based on their ethnic identity. Ethnic Amharas have been severely restricted from freely moving in the country, and are particularly prevented from entering the capital city, Addis Ababa. The houses of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Amhara families have been systematically demolished in Addis Ababa and its surroundings in the past year alone. Indiscriminate drone bombing and horrific crimes are committed at a time when the United Nations marks its 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Given the United Nations mandate to uphold peace, security, and human rights worldwide, we strongly urge the organization to take swift and decisive actions to address the situation in the Amhara region. In particular, we call upon the United Nations to: · Pressure the Ethiopian government to end its aggression in the Amhara region effective immediately. The Ethiopian government should immediately withdraw the federal army from the Amhara region, cease hostilities, and address the grievances of the people to end the violence and suffering of innocent civilians. (@OHCHR_EARO, @UN_SPExperts, @UNHumanRights, @UN_HRC, @CelinaJaitly, @SREnvironment) · Provide humanitarian assistance to the Amhara region that has been devastated by years of war. Facilitate the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the affected population, ensuring assistance reaches those in need without discrimination. (@WFP, @WFP_Ethiopia, @WHO, @WHOEthiopia) · Urge the government of Ethiopia to desist from using famine as a weapon of repression. The government should refrain from denying farmers in the Amhara region access to fertilizers as a means of asserting control over their livelihood. (@WFPChief, @WFP_Ethiopia, @HumanRights_UN, @srpoverty, @LizThrossell) · Ensure the upholding of human rights and the pursuit of justice for the committed crimes to establish enduring peace and reconciliation. Specifically, hold responsible government officials and their accomplices accountable for the crimes they have committed. A noteworthy example pertains to the hate speech delivered by a spokesperson of the Oromia regional government in Mekelle on August 21, 2023. The spokesperson officially acknowledged, “… the Oromia region extended a preferential treatment to native Tigrayans residing in Oromia, safeguarding them against persecution and displacement — an advantage not extended to any other ethnic group..." This disclosure tacitly acknowledges the ruling Prosperity Party's complicity in orchestrating the atrocities perpetrated in Wollega and other locations within the Oromia region, under the vigilant gaze of regional and national leadership. (@UNOSAPG, @UN_HRC, @Refugees, @UNHumanRights) Your Excellency: We kindly request that the appeal outlined above be brought to the attention of the United Nations Security Council and other relevant UN departments and individuals. We firmly trust that swift and resolute action on this appeal can significantly mitigate massacres of the Amhara population and prevent further genocidal atrocities against innocent civilians. We are prepared to meet with your staff and provide factual and authentic information and evidence that could help bring about positive outcomes. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We are confident that the United Nations will uphold its mission by protecting human rights and promoting peace for the Amhara people of Ethiopia. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration. Endorsing Organizations: 1. American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee – AEPAC, aepact.org (@AmericaEthiopia) 2. Associations of Ethiopians in Europe – AEE, ethiodiaspora.net (@ethiopdiaspora) 3. Concerned Ethiopians – CE, concernedethiopians.org (@ConcernedEth) 4. Ethiopian American Civic Council & Ethiopian Advocacy Network – EACC-EAN, facebook.com/EACCEAN (@EACC_EAN) 5. Ethio-American Development Council – EADC, nitter.gq/ea_devcouncil (@EA_DevCouncil) 6. Ethiopian Public Diplomacy Network – EPDN, ethiopianpublicdiplomacynetw… (@EPDN_WestCoast) 7. Ethio-Canadian Network for Advocacy and Support – ECNAS, ecnas.ca (@ECNAS_CA) 8. Ethiopiawinnet, ethiopiawin.net/ (@Ethiopiawinnet2) 9. Global Alliance for the Rights of Ethiopians – GARE, globalethiopia.org/ 10. Global Ethiopian Scholars Initiative – GESI, ethioscholars.org 11. Hope for Ethiopia – nytristatehope4ethiopia.org 12. Network of Ethiopian Scholars - NES, nesglobal.org 13. Unity for Ethiopia - nitter.gq/UnityForEthio 14. Vision Ethiopia – VE, ve2020.org 15. Voice of The Victims Organization – vovwelkait.org (@Voiceofthevict1) 16. Worldwide Ethiopian Civic Association Network – WE-CAN **END

Calling all our friends from Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal to join #Ethiopian communities and organizations on April 8 for this concert by internationally recognized classical pianist Girma Yifrashewa! Tickets are available online.