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The ''' Humera massacres''' is an allegedly ongoing mass [[extrajudicial killing]] spree taking place in [[Humera]] ({{Lang-ti | ሁመራ}}) and at other locations along the [[Tekeze River]] ({{Lang-ti | ገረብ ተከዘ }}) in the [[Amhara Region]] of [[Ethiopia]] during the [[Tigray War]], at the end of July, beginning August 2021.<ref name="ap20210803">Associated Press, 2 August 2021: [https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-sudan-race-and-ethnicity-ethiopia-1afde1960e66425a2c9586a431fb5a6a Bodies found in river between Ethiopia’s Amhara and Sudan]</ref>
The ''' Humera massacres''' is an allegedly ongoing mass [[extrajudicial killing]] spree taking place in [[Humera]] ({{Lang-ti | ሁመራ}}) and at other locations along the [[Tekeze River]] ({{Lang-ti | ገረብ ተከዘ }}) in the [[Amhara Region]] of [[Ethiopia]] during the [[Tigray War]], at the end of July, beginning August 2021.<ref name="ap20210803">Associated Press, 2 August 2021: [https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-sudan-race-and-ethnicity-ethiopia-1afde1960e66425a2c9586a431fb5a6a Bodies found in river between Ethiopia’s Amhara and Sudan]</ref>
Humera is a town that belongs to ''word'' Setit Humera, a zone of Amhara. Witnesses and people who recovered the corpses from the Tekeze river attributed the massacres to Amhara militiamen and possibly Eritrean soldiers.<ref name="eepa195"/><ref name="guardian20210803">The Guardian, 3 August 2021: [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/03/dozens-of-bodies-found-floating-in-river-between-ethiopias-tigray-and-sudan Dozens of bodies found floating in river between Ethiopia’s Amhara and Sudan]</ref>. There are also reports that suggest that the bodies found in the river are TPLF militants who crossed the Tekeze river into the Amhara region.
Humera is a town that belongs to Setit Humera, a zone of the Amhara region. Witnesses and people who recovered the corpses from the Tekeze river attributed the massacres to Amhara militiamen and possibly Eritrean soldiers.<ref name="eepa195"/><ref name="guardian20210803">The Guardian, 3 August 2021: [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/03/dozens-of-bodies-found-floating-in-river-between-ethiopias-tigray-and-sudan Dozens of bodies found floating in river between Ethiopia’s Amhara and Sudan]</ref>. There are also reports that suggest that the bodies found in the river are TPLF militants who crossed the Tekeze river into the Amhara region.


==Background==
==Background==
During the [[Tigray War]], in a second phase, the [[TPLF|armed forces]] of the [[Tigray Region]]al government have been repelling the [[Ethiopian National Defense Force|Ethiopian]], [[Fano (militia)|Amhara]] and [[Eritrean Defence Forces|Eritrean]] forces.<ref>Aljazeera, 10 July 2021: [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/10/what-next-ethiopia-tigray-war After an alleged battlefield reversals, what next for Ethiopia’s Tigray war?]</ref> In reaction, an anti-Tigrayan ethnic hate discourse was further developed by Ethiopian prime minister [[Abiy Ahmed]]<ref>[[Arminka Helic]], 2 August 2021: [https://www.politico.eu/article/ethiopia-echoes-yugoslavia-ethiopian-prime-minister-abiy-ahmed/ In Ethiopia, echoes of Yugoslavia]</ref><ref>[[The Times]], 19 July 2021: [https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/abiys-pledge-to-crush-weeds-of-tigray-raises-fears-of-genocide-in-ethiopia-sx0xkqb2v Genocide fears after Ethiopian PM vows to crush ‘weeds’ of Tigray]</ref> and Amhara regional president Agegnehu Teshager,<ref>Addis Standard, 26 July 2021: [https://addisstandard.com/news-analysis-amhara-state-mobilizes-civilians-with-arms-against-tigrayan-forces/ Amhara state mobilizes civilians who have arms against Tigrayan forces as of today]</ref><ref>Fulvio Beltrami, 18 July 2021: [https://fulviobeltrami.medium.com/ethiopia-agegnehu-teshager-and-temesgen-tiruneh-play-the-genocidal-card-against-tigray-1b3c9ba6dd69 Ethiopia. Agegnehu Teshager and Temesgen Tiruneh play the genocidal card against Tigray.]</ref> presumably leading to genocidal activities of their armed forces.<ref>Kjetil Tronvoll, 28 April: [https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/28/ethiopia-tigray-war-amhara-abiy-ahmed-expansionism/ Ethiopia’s Tigray War Is Fueling Amhara Expansionism]</ref><ref>Reuters, 3 July 2021: [https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethiopia-says-tigray-ceasefire-work-progress-amid-fears-famine-2021-07-01/ U.N. warns of more violence in Tigray, Ethiopia denies blocking aid]</ref><ref>Tghat, 25 July 2021: [https://www.tghat.com/2021/07/25/amhara-president-tigrayans-are-enemies-of-ethiopia/ Amhara President: Tigrayans are Enemies of Ethiopia]</ref>
During the [[Tigray War]], in a second phase, the [[TPLF|armed forces]] of the [[Tigray Region]]al government have been repelling the [[Ethiopian National Defense Force|Ethiopian]], [[Fano (militia)|Amhara]] and [[Eritrean Defence Forces|Eritrean]] forces.<ref>Aljazeera, 10 July 2021: [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/10/what-next-ethiopia-tigray-war After an alleged battlefield reversal, what next for Ethiopia’s Tigray war?]</ref> In reaction, an anti-TPLF discourse was further developed by Ethiopian prime minister [[Abiy Ahmed]]<ref>[[Arminka Helic]], 2 August 2021: [https://www.politico.eu/article/ethiopia-echoes-yugoslavia-ethiopian-prime-minister-abiy-ahmed/ In Ethiopia, echoes of Yugoslavia]</ref><ref>[[The Times]], 19 July 2021: [https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/abiys-pledge-to-crush-weeds-of-tigray-raises-fears-of-genocide-in-ethiopia-sx0xkqb2v Genocide fears after Ethiopian PM vows to crush ‘weeds’ of Tigray]</ref> and Amhara regional president Agegnehu Teshager,<ref>Addis Standard, 26 July 2021: [https://addisstandard.com/news-analysis-amhara-state-mobilizes-civilians-with-arms-against-tigrayan-forces/ Amhara state mobilizes civilians who have arms against Tigrayan forces as of today]</ref><ref>Fulvio Beltrami, 18 July 2021: [https://fulviobeltrami.medium.com/ethiopia-agegnehu-teshager-and-temesgen-tiruneh-play-the-genocidal-card-against-tigray-1b3c9ba6dd69 Ethiopia. Agegnehu Teshager and Temesgen Tiruneh play the genocidal card against Tigray.]</ref> presumably leading to genocidal activities of their armed forces.<ref>Kjetil Tronvoll, 28 April: [https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/28/ethiopia-tigray-war-amhara-abiy-ahmed/ Ethiopia’s Tigray War Is Fueling Amhara's hate for the repressive and dictator TPLF ]</ref><ref>Reuters, 3 July 2021: [https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethiopia-says-tigray-ceasefire-work-progress-amid-fears-famine-2021-07-01/ U.N. warns of more violence in Tigray, Ethiopia denies blocking aid]</ref><ref>Tghat, 25 July 2021: [https://www.tghat.com/2021/07/25/amhara-president-tigrayans-are-enemies-of-ethiopia/ Amhara President: TPLF are not only enemies of Amhara, but the idea of a unified Ethiopia]</ref>. For such types of groups (TPLF), the only way to stay in power is to divide and take all the resources.


However, throughout July 2021, the [[Western Tigray]] zone remained under control of Amhara forces, while [[ENDF]] was gradually withdrawing. Eritrean troops moved in again.<ref name="afp20210714">AFP, 14 July 2021: 'Survival struggle': [https://news.yahoo.com/survival-struggle-ethnic-standoff-drives-022623982.html Ethnic standoff drives new phase of Tigray war]</ref><ref name="bbc20210716">BBC News, 16 July 2021: [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57818673 Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Fleeing for fear of new ethnic conflict]</ref> The Amhara authorities and [[Fano (militia) | “fano” militia]] which still control the western zone forced the people to hold “anti-TPLF” demonstrations. People continued to flee to the refugee camps in Sudan.<ref name="bbc20210716"/> There were further mass arrest of Tigrayans (mainly the men), and people were imprisoned in police stations and trading and farming stores (for instance “Warka Trading” and “Temesgen Zegeye” stores), used as [[concentration camp]]s. Part of these detained civilians have been sent to Eritrea on two lorries. Women staying back at home are frequently gang-raped.<ref name="nyssen20210723">[[Jan Nyssen]], 23 July 2021: [https://emnetnegash.wordpress.com/2021/07/23/humanitarian-situation-in-tigray-23-july-2021/ Humanitarian situation in Tigray (23 July 2021)]</ref>


==Massacre==
The [[Fano (militia) | fano militia]], Amhara Region Special Force, and [[Eritrean Defence Forces]] killed dozens, presumably hundreds of civilians in Humera and other locations along the Tekeze River (Western Tigray) at the end of July, beginning August 2021.<ref name="ap20210803"/><ref name="guardian20210803"/>
On 16 July, the [[BBC]] reported that Amhara militia were going door to door in Humera, killing and arresting young Tigrayans.<ref name="bbc20210716"/> By 23 July, [[Jan Nyssen]], a Belgian professor with strong roots in the [[Tigray Region]] provided more details about this onset of the massacres: “A woman, Feven Berhe, had her eyes removed before she was killed. The reported reason for her killing was for having a Tigray flag in her house. Locals suspect however she might have refused to have sex with Amhara militiamen. A man and his wife were beheaded, others had their stomach opened and were then thrown to the Tekeze River. Downstream, across the border, in Sudan, dead bodies are observed floating on the Tekeze River.”<ref name="nyssen20210723"/>
By 2 August, press agencies reported the recovery of washed up bodies along the Setit (Sudanese name of Tekeze) in the border community of Hamdayet, some with gunshot wounds or their hands bound.<ref name="ap20210803"/><ref name="reuters20210802">Reuters, 2 August 2021: [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-conflict-river/at-least-30-bodies-float-down-river-between-ethiopias-tigray-and-sudan-idUSKBN2F323H At least 30 bodies float down river between Ethiopia’s Tigray and Sudan]</ref> Also, 42 kilometres further down, in [[Wad al Hulaywah]], near the [[Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex|Setit dam]] in [[Kassala (state)|Kassala state]], about 20 bodies had been retrieved.<ref name="reuters20210802"/>
{{Quote frame |quote=
The bodies were found downstream from Humera, where authorities and allied fighters from Ethiopia’s Amhara region (…) force out local Tigrayans during the war while claiming that western Tigray is their land. We are actually taking care of the bodies spotted by fishermen. I suspect there are more bodies on the river. While it was difficult to identify the bodies, one had a common name in the Tigrinya language, tattooed on his arm. (…) Some of the corpses had facial markings indicating they were ethnic Tigrayans. I saw a lot of barbaric things, some had been struck by an axe. (…) not been able to catch all the bodies floating downstream because of the water’s swift flow during the rainy season.
|author=Medical staff |title=working in Tigrayan refugee camps in Sudan |source=reported by [[The Guardian]]<ref name="guardian20210803"/>}}
In line with historical studies of massacres, including those committed during the Armenian genocide,<ref>{{Cite book |title = The Massacre in History |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XrOT0cczclkC |publisher = Berghahn Books |date = January 1, 1999 |isbn = 978-1-57181-934-5 |first1 = Mark |last1 = Levene |first2 = Penny |last2 = Roberts |page = 90 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.orGebreweb/20160510211213/https://books.google.com/books?id=XrOT0cczclkC |archive-date = May 10, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Melson |first1 = Robert |title = Theoretical Inquiry into the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896 |journal = Comparative Studies in Society and History |date = July 1982 |volume = 24 |issue = 3 |pages = 482–3 |doi = 10.1017/s0010417500010100 }}</ref> a [[massacre]] can be defined as a conflict incident in which at least five unarmed civilians were killed on the same day at the same location.
Typical massacres committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers in the Tigray war are (1) revenge when they lose a battle; (2) to terrorise and extract information about whereabouts of TPLF leaders; (3) murder of suspected family members of [[Tigray Defense Forces|TDF]] fighters; and (4) terrorising the Tigray society as a whole such as in case of mass killings in churches.<ref name="world">The World radio (2 April 2021): [https://www.pri.orGebrefile/2021-04-02/counting-victims-tigray Counting the victims in Tigray]</ref>


==Perpetrators==
==Perpetrators==
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==Reactions==
As soon as the news was reported, there were compassionate reactions, among others by [[Tewodros Adhanom]], Director General of the [[World Health Organization]] and [[USAID]] administrator [[Samantha Power]].<ref name="borkena20210803">Borkena, 2 August 2021: [https://borkena.com/2021/08/02/humera-massacre-as-reuters-covers-story-of-dead-bodies-found-in-sudan/ Claims of Humera Massacre as Reuters covers story of dead bodies found in Sudan]</ref>
However, on 2 August, an Ethiopian government-created Twitter account called the accounts of bodies a fake campaign by Tigrayan “propagandists”.<ref name="guardian20210803"/><ref name="borkena20210803"/> After months of denial by the Ethiopian authorities that massacres occurred in Tigray, a [[EHRC–OHCRC Tigray investigation| joint investigation]] by [[OHCHR]] and the [[Ethiopian Human Rights Commission]] was announced in March 2021.<ref>France24, 18 March 2021: [https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210318-un-rights-chief-agrees-to-joint-tigray-probe UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe]</ref> In June 2021, [[Debretsion Gebremichael]], the [[2020 Tigray regional election|elected leader]] of Tigray Region, "rejected" the investigation, stating, "It's very clear they are partial."<ref name="NYT_interview_Tigray_leader">{{cite news | last1= Walsh | first1= Declan | title= 'I Didn't Expect to Make It Back Alive': An Interview With Tigray's Leader | date= 2021-07-03 |newspaper= [[The New York Times]] | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/03/world/africa/tigray-leader-interview-ethiopia.html |access-date= 2021-08-03 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20210703165456/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/03/world/africa/tigray-leader-interview-ethiopia.html |archive-date= 2021-07-03 |url-status=live }}</ref> No outcomes of the investigation have been published.


While the Ethiopian government promised that [[Eritrea]]n troops will be pulled out from Tigray, the Eritrean government denies any participation in warfare in Tigray, let alone in massacres.<ref>DW, 19 March 2021: [https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-are-other-nations-involved-in-the-war-in-tigray/a-56891431 Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?]</ref>

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation”,<ref name="atlas">Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., [[Jan Nyssen|Nyssen, J.]], 2021. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349824181 Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation]</ref> that documented this massacre received international media attention, particularly regarding its Annex A, that lists massacres in the [[Tigray War]].<ref name="world"/><ref>EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: [https://www.euronews.com/2021/04/02/g7-seriously-concerned-about-human-rights-violations-in-ethiopia-s-tigray-region?jwsource=cl G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region]</ref><ref>CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-friday-edition-1.5974488 Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre]</ref><ref>The Guardian, 2 April 2021: [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/02/ethiopia-1900-people-killed-in-massacres-in-tigray-identified Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified]</ref>


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 14:13, 3 August 2021

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14°18′00″N 36°37′01″E / 14.3°N 36.617°E / 14.3; 36.617

Bridge on Tekeze River in Humera, from where victims were thrown in the river
Humera massacres (2021)
Part of Tigray War
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 526: Unable to find the specified location map definition: "Module:Location map/data/Amhara Region" does not exist.
Location of Humera in Tigray (Ethiopia)
LocationHumera (Tigrinya: ሑሞራ), Tigray Region, Ethiopia
DateEnd of July, beginning August 2021
TargetTPLF forces
Attack type
Deaths50-95 civilians[1]
PerpetratorsAmhara Region Fano (militia)

Amhara Region Amhara Region Special Force

Eritrea Eritrean Defense Forces

The Humera massacres is an allegedly ongoing mass extrajudicial killing spree taking place in Humera (Tigrinya: ሁመራ) and at other locations along the Tekeze River (Tigrinya: ገረብ ተከዘ) in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, at the end of July, beginning August 2021.[2] Humera is a town that belongs to Setit Humera, a zone of the Amhara region. Witnesses and people who recovered the corpses from the Tekeze river attributed the massacres to Amhara militiamen and possibly Eritrean soldiers.[1][3]. There are also reports that suggest that the bodies found in the river are TPLF militants who crossed the Tekeze river into the Amhara region.

Background

During the Tigray War, in a second phase, the armed forces of the Tigray Regional government have been repelling the Ethiopian, Amhara and Eritrean forces.[4] In reaction, an anti-TPLF discourse was further developed by Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed[5][6] and Amhara regional president Agegnehu Teshager,[7][8] presumably leading to genocidal activities of their armed forces.[9][10][11]. For such types of groups (TPLF), the only way to stay in power is to divide and take all the resources.


Perpetrators

Witnesses and press agencies reported the perpetrators of this massacre as being Amhara militiamen.[3]

Victims

EEPA mentions 50-95 victims of this massacre,[1] three of whom have been identified:[12]

  • Feven Berhe
  • Husband and wife (names not mentioned to protect the witness)


References

  1. ^ a b c "Situation Report EEPA HORN No. 195 - 03 August 2021" (PDF). 2021-08-03.
  2. ^ Associated Press, 2 August 2021: Bodies found in river between Ethiopia’s Amhara and Sudan
  3. ^ a b The Guardian, 3 August 2021: Dozens of bodies found floating in river between Ethiopia’s Amhara and Sudan
  4. ^ Aljazeera, 10 July 2021: After an alleged battlefield reversal, what next for Ethiopia’s Tigray war?
  5. ^ Arminka Helic, 2 August 2021: In Ethiopia, echoes of Yugoslavia
  6. ^ The Times, 19 July 2021: Genocide fears after Ethiopian PM vows to crush ‘weeds’ of Tigray
  7. ^ Addis Standard, 26 July 2021: Amhara state mobilizes civilians who have arms against Tigrayan forces as of today
  8. ^ Fulvio Beltrami, 18 July 2021: Ethiopia. Agegnehu Teshager and Temesgen Tiruneh play the genocidal card against Tigray.
  9. ^ Kjetil Tronvoll, 28 April: Ethiopia’s Tigray War Is Fueling Amhara's hate for the repressive and dictator TPLF
  10. ^ Reuters, 3 July 2021: U.N. warns of more violence in Tigray, Ethiopia denies blocking aid
  11. ^ Tghat, 25 July 2021: Amhara President: TPLF are not only enemies of Amhara, but the idea of a unified Ethiopia
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyssen20210723 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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