Mass Carnage Devastates Citizens in Tigray – The Organization for World Peace

A 24-hour massacre in Mai-Kadra, a city in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, has left hundreds, if not thousands, of people dead. The attackers carried machetes and knives and stabbed bodies to death in houses and on the streets. The stench of death lingers in the air as the bodies lay in the streets for hours. Mass graves have been dug for victims of violence. The conflict in the Tigray region that started on November 4^th it has resulted in the Ethiopian government restricting communication channels and denying entry to journalists or humanitarian workers. Amnesty International researcher Fisseha Tekle has said that these recent attacks are likely to have occurred not only in Mai-Kadra, but also in the neighboring cities of Mekele and Dansha, The Toronto Star reports.

The two opponents in the conflict are the Ethiopian government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the Tigray government. Neither recognizes the legitimacy of the other and both hide behind the instability of the region to avoid culprits for this last day of terror. It is not known who is responsible for the brutal murders; there are accounts claiming that Tigray officials were looking for Amhara, an ethnic minority group in the region, and targeting violence against them. However, there are also Ethiopian refugees in Sudan who say that it was the citizens of Amhara who were targeting the citizens of Tigray. The confusion of violence only adds to tensions, anxieties, and ineffectiveness.

Aid workers must enter these sites of violence to properly assess what aspects of international law may be effective in response to the Ethiopian government. However, Ethiopian officials have stated this week that they do not need a “babysitter” and will be able to handle this domestic violence independently, The Toronto Star reports. In response to international questioning, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed suggested that the killers may be in hiding. among the refugees in Sudan and spread stories that are damning for their government. It has not provided any evidence for this claim and maintains that an independent review of the event cannot occur.

Tigray’s militant forces were driven out of the region when the Prime Minister recruited the federal army in the region to defuse tensions, with some claiming the violence is the result of their frustrations. However, the Tigray leader told the AP that they are not capable of this type of violence and that federal forces are responsible for this murder. Given that neither side can provide evidence for their claims and refugees offer conflicting accounts, it is likely that both groups were the target. Aid workers must have access to be able to fully investigate what happened in Ethiopia and address the needs of citizens who cannot lessen the sounds and smell of death and despair.