Monitoring Social Media Conversation: The Conflict in Ethiopia, National Dialogue and Negotiation among Conflict Parties - March 26 - April 25

Executive Summary

A voice recording of an alleged speech from General Tsadkan Gebretensae, a top military leader in Tigray has been widely circulating across social media platforms. In the recording, Gen. Tsdkan reportedly claimed that top Tigrayan military leaders met with top Ethiopian military leaders, including Field Marshall Birhanu Jula, chief of staff to the Ethiopian defense forces. On the contrary, Field Marshall Birhanu Jula denied the existence of such talks.

On April 6, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International released a joint report on Crimes against Humanity and ethnic cleansing reportedly committed in the western Tigray zone since November 2020. The report entitled “We will erase you from this land: Crimes against Humanity and ethnic cleansing in Ethiopia’s western Tigray zone” pointed out that Amhara regional forces and forces aligned with the Ethiopian government in the Western Tigray Zone committed the war crimes of murder, torture, rape, deportation, and forcible transfer, and enforced disappearance against ethnic Tigrayans. The report says attacks against the Tigrayan civilian population amount to crimes against humanity, as well as war crimes”. The report also mentions that a group of Tigrayan youth and local residents committed killing in Mai-Kdra followed by retaliation from the Amhara militia.

World Food Program (WFP) announced that 47 trucks with food, nutrition & other life-saving supplies, and 3 fuel tankers are delivered to Mekelle, Tigray region on April 14, 2022. On another note, the Tigray Government announced the withdrawal of their forces from Erebti.

East Shewa Zone of the Oromia region reported that armed assailants ambushed a vehicle carrying about 100 members of Oromia special forces and militia and killed scores of them while injuring others. The attack reportedly took place on March 29 in the village of Awra Godana in Amorabet Kebele, bordering the Oromia region. On April 18, 2022, pictures of a long queue of Ethiopians at the gates of the Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa were circulating on Social Media and international media outlets. BBC reported that dozens of young Ethiopian men continue to gather at the Russian embassy in Addis Ababa, on Tuesday following rumors of soldiers being recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine. But the embassy’s spokeswoman, Maria Chernukhina, said no recruitment was being carried out in Ethiopia.

Please click HERE to see the full report.