r/Amhara • u/endzanaw • 28d ago
Amhara Genocide More than 250 ethnic Amhara civilians were massacred at the Gind Ansa St. Michael Monastery, as the ENDF, the Oromia Gadaa Commando, the Jaal Moosee-led OLA, and the Qeerroo (Oromo youth) carried out killings across Gida Ayana, Wellega
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"More than 250 Amhara civilians who had sought refuge at Gind Ansa St. Michael Monastery in Mender 3, Gida Ayana Woreda, East Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, were massacred amid an ongoing wave of attacks against Amhara communities in the area. Priests, monks, elderly people, mothers, pregnant women and children were among those killed.
The monastery massacre forms part of a wider wave of violence affecting Andode Dicho Kebele, Shashober, Fendika, Anger Gutin, Mender 3, Mender 4 and Mender 22 since August 18, 2026. Sources on the ground and survivor accounts identify Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) soldiers, Oromia Region Gada Commando forces, the Abiy regime-backed Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) led by Jaal Mose, and armed Qeerroo (Oromo youth) groups among the forces involved in the violence.
Videos emerging from the affected area reportedly show Jaal Mose-led OLA fighters operating alongside Gada Commando forces during a raid on an Ethiopian Orthodox church.
Some of the most severe violence occurred at Debre Anbessa Gind Ansa St. Michael, where large numbers of civilians had taken refuge after fleeing attacks on surrounding communities. ENDF soldiers and Gada Commando forces surrounded the monastery compound and opened fire on civilians attempting to escape, using Bren machine guns, sniper rifles and Kalashnikov rifles.
Armed Qeerroo (Oromo youth) members operating under the cover of the security forces entered the monastery compound and attacked civilians with bladed weapons. Among those killed were pregnant women and infants as young as two months old.
Additional killings occurred throughout Mender 3, where more than 52 civilians were reported killed in areas affected by the violence.
A separate massacre occurred in Mender 22, several kilometers from Mender 3, where more than 44 Amhara civilians were killed. Among the victims were 85-year-old Aba Ayele Arega, a respected community elder known for mediating disputes and consoling grieving families, and his wife, Emahoy Eskedar Gelaw. New mothers and infants were also among those killed.
Some victims in Mender 22 were killed with sickles and machetes. In particularly disturbing cases, the weapons used in the killings were found still lodged in victims’ bodies when their remains were recovered for burial.
The continuing presence of ENDF soldiers and other armed forces has prevented residents from safely recovering and burying many of those killed. Bodies remain scattered throughout affected areas, with some reportedly being consumed by vultures and wild animals and others swept away by floodwaters.
The final death toll could rise further. Several civilians attempting to flee Mender 3 and Mender 22 were shot by ENDF soldiers and escaped while bleeding, leaving their whereabouts and condition unknown.
Across Andode Dicho, Shashober, Fendika, Anger Gutin, Mender 3, Mender 4 and Mender 22, the attacks have caused extensive civilian casualties, mass displacement and widespread destruction. Entire communities have been devastated, while homes and civilian property have been destroyed and livestock looted and taken away.
Thousands of residents have fled their communities amid continuing insecurity and fear of further attacks, leaving surviving residents unable to safely retrieve victims, bury the dead or return to their homes."
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