Amnesty International says tens to hundreds of civilians have been slaughtered in the fighting in northern Ethiopia. That is said to have happened two days ago, near May Cadera in the northwest of the Tigray region. The human rights organization relies on photos and videos of bodies lying here and there on the ground or being carried away.
“We can confirm that a large number of civilians have been murdered. It appears that they were day laborers who were in no way involved in the fighting,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty’s director for East and Southern Africa. “This is a horrific tragedy. Only time will tell what the real extent is, because communication with Tigray is still down.”
Yawning wounds
Witnesses told Amnesty International that the bodies they saw showed gaping wounds, believed to have been caused by knives or machetes. The witnesses further said that militias fighting with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) are responsible for the massacre.
It looks like they took a turn for the worse after suffering defeat against the government army, that last week launched an offensive against the TPLF. According to a witness, the victims belonged to the Amhara people. Amhara militias would join the fight on the side of the government army.
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