Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) assessment shows that Samri, an informal Tigrayan group, massacred over 600 Amharas in Maikadra on November 9, 2020. The group, along with local administrations, militias, and police forces, went door-to-door killing hundreds of civilians whom they identified as Amharas. They used sticks, knives, machetes, hatchets, and ropes to beat, stab, strangle, and inflict severe injuries on the victims. In addition, they looted and destroyed properties.
EHRC conducted its assessment in Maikadra, Abrhajira, Sanja, Dandsa, Humera, and Gondar towns between November 14 and 19, 2020. The report concludes that the group committed grave human rights violations that may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes.
EHRC warns that the number of deaths indicated in the preliminary report could be higher as there were unaccounted numbers outside Maikadra. Subsequent assessments by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) and Gondar University show a death toll exceeding 1,000.
EHRCO’s Assessment Shows 1,100 Civilian Deaths
According to EHRCO’s assessment, a total of 1,100 civilians, including children, were killed in Maikadra, Humera, Abderafi, Abrhajira, and Dansha, as reported by Wazema. The EHRCO assessment, conducted between November 3 and 12, 2020, also reveals 120 people wounded and 20 women subjected to gang rape.
The EHRCO report asserts that prior to the event, ethnic Tigrayans were selected, armed, and trained in Maikadra, Humera, and Dansha towns. For instance, those in Dansha underwent training in August and October 2020. Wealthy Tigrayans were also reported to have distributed weapons and tools used in the atrocity. On the other hand, authorities registered ethnic Amharas under the pretense of issuing identification cards just a week before the violence. Gondar University – Over 1,644 People Massacred in Maikadra
Gondar University’s research
Gondar University’s research, carried out over six months, reveals that over 1,644 people were killed in the Maikadra massacre, as reported by Addis Maleda on July 23 2022. The university’s research focused on the ethnic violence that occurred in Maikadra. According to the university’s findings, more than 1,644 people lost their lives in the November 9, 2020 massacre. In addition, 81 individuals were disabled, and 50 children were orphaned. The report aligns with the pre-planned targeted violence mentioned in the EHRCO assessment.
Beamlak Yideg, PhD, head of Gondar University’s Political Science Department and a member of the research team, stated that the mass killings in Maikadra were part of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s strategy for Wolkait since 1975. The research team reviewed documents, conducted interviews, and carried out field assessments. They discovered several mass graves in Wolkait, Tegede, and Telment areas, and learned that many youths and individuals with knowledge of the local history were also murdered.
Addis Maleda’s report indicates that the researchers recommended comprehensive research that encompasses the atrocities of the past 41 years.
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