The Amhara Fano in Wollo has condemned the killing of a humanitarian worker, Mr. Yared Melese who was working for the Action for Social Development and Environmental Protection Organization (ASDEPO).
The Amhara Fano in Wollo, a rebel group active in the Eastern parts of the Amhara region, has called on concerned actors to investigate the crime and held perpetrators accountable, in its latest press release.
“On behalf of Amhara Fano in Wollo and our counterparts in other parts of the region, we extend our heartfelt condolences to family members and friends of the late Ato Yared and call on all actors to ensure those responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Ethiopia expressed its mourning last Wednesday and condemned the incident in the strongest terms.
Fano in Wollo has reiterated that they are not responsible for any attacks against civilians and ensured that they were not in the area where the crime was committed “as this area was under the control of regime forces.”
“We condemn any and all attacks on civilians and remain committed to the protection of humanitarian workers, as we have reiterated in previous statements,” reads the statement.
According to UNOCHA Ethiopia, Mr. Melese was kidnapped for ransom and later killed by an unidentified criminal armed group operating in Dawunt Woreda of North Wello Zone, Amhara Region.”
A recent report of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights indicates that 594 incidents of human rights violations and abuses impacting 8,253 victims have been registered in Ethiopia, where state actors are responsible for 70 percent of the violations.
740 people were killed in the Amhara region out of a total of 1,106 victims throughout the country. The report also reveals that the use of drones by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF/Ethiopian Airforce) that caused 248 civilian deaths with 18 registered drone strikes.
