Amnesty International calls for end to month-long detention of thousands in Amhara Region

Ethiopia's army is arbitrarily jailing thousands of civilians in makeshift detention camps in the Amhara region, the scene of an armed insurrection against the federal government, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

The region has been a focal point of conflict since August 2023, following an armed insurrection involving the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and Fano, a militia historically representing the Amhara ethnic group. According to Amnesty’s findings, a military-led task force has systematically filled four camps with detainees since September 28, sparking alarm over human rights abuses.

“Ethiopia has entered a new era of disregard for national, regional, and international human rights obligations,” stated Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. “Over the past five years, arbitrary mass detentions have been used as political tools to silence peaceful dissent, often under the guise of sweeping state of emergency laws.”

The report is based on interviews conducted with two recently released detainees, the families of five detained individuals, and nine sources with knowledge of the detention operations. Amnesty documented the detention of people from nearby zones in the four camps located in Dangla, Seraba, Chorisa, and Shewa Robit. One source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, described the setup as “clusters” that systematically confine people from specific areas.

Witnesses revealed harrowing details of overcrowding and deteriorating conditions in the camps. A former detainee from Dangla reported that over 1,600 people were held at the camp, with more arriving as he left. “Authorities have even started constructing additional rooms out of metal sheets due to overcrowding,” he said. Amnesty corroborated the addition of new structures in October, further underscoring the severity of the situation.

The detention campaign has reached far beyond suspected insurgents, ensnaring judges, court staff, and academics. Amnesty reported that judges in Amhara, who lack immunity from liability related to their duties, have faced escalating harassment.

Judicial interference

According to one member of the judiciary, “The majority of detained individuals [judges and court staff] were taken from court, while a few were arrested at home. All arrests are directly related to the detainees’ professional duties, with most serving as judges on criminal benches.”

The Amhara Region Judges Association issued a statement in mid-October detailing the arbitrary arrest of 35 judges, with the interference in judicial processes growing increasingly severe over the past year.

A senior prosecutor reported that 13 prosecutors had been detained without being brought to court, and some had been held for up to a month without any form of legal due process.

“I’ve never experienced or witnessed this level of lawlessness in my nearly 30 years of service in the justice system,” remarked an official in the judiciary, expressing deep concern over the erosion of legal safeguards in Ethiopia.

Academics, too, are not spared. Amnesty received a list of 11 Wollo University staff members who were detained and held at the Chorisa camp for over a month before finally being brought before a court. Amnesty’s Tigere Chagutah warned that this wave of arrests, targeting those who challenge government interference, undermines efforts to monitor and report on the toll of the conflict in Amhara.

Adding to the troubling reports from the camps are claims that authorities are conducting “rehabilitative training” for detainees. According to one witness, leaders from Ethiopia’s ruling Progressive Party were seen preparing to deliver training sessions at one of the camps. Amnesty reported that family members of detainees have been told that their relatives would be released upon completing this so-called training. However, Amnesty argues that such measures are likely a form of forced indoctrination under the guise of rehabilitation.

Former detainees recounted incidents of arrests without warrants or explanations. One individual shared, “They broke into my home with a rifle, arrested me in front of my children, and gave no explanation. I was helpless.” Another detainee reported that the arresting officers themselves were often unsure of who ordered the detentions. “Police officers who detained others in the morning found themselves detained by the afternoon—I was held alongside many of them, including their commander,” he added.

Take stand

Amnesty International has called upon African and global human rights organisations, as well as Ethiopia’s international development partners, to take a stand against this widespread detention.

“This dangerous trend further undermines efforts to monitor the toll of conflict on civilians in the Amhara region, instilling fear in anyone who dares to uphold the law,” stated Chagutah. “African and global human rights bodies, along with Ethiopia’s development partners, must publicly condemn these actions and engage with Ethiopian authorities to end this assault on the rule of law. Failure to act will only embolden authorities, fuelling cycles of human rights violations not only in the region but across Ethiopia.”

The crisis in Amhara has been intensifying since the federal government declared a state of emergency in August 2023 in response to rising tensions with Fano. Despite the lifting of the state of emergency in June 2024, the unrest persists.

Amnesty noted that since September, the federal government has deployed large numbers of troops across Amhara, coordinating with local security forces to clamp down on the region. Despite claims by Ethiopian authorities that the mass arrests are part of a “law enforcement” campaign to “stabilise the region and ensure peace,” Amnesty’s findings paint a starkly different picture.

The prolonged and sweeping nature of these detentions has raised questions about the government’s true intentions in Amhara. Analysts argue that the mass arrests aim to weaken Amhara's political institutions, suppress dissent, and stifle voices critical of the federal government's policies.