Chenna massacre
The Chenna massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing that took place around the village of Chenna Teklehaymanot in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, around 1-2 September 2021.[1]
| Chenna massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Tigray War | |
  Chenna Teklehaymanot Location of Chenna Teklehaymanot in Ethiopia | |
| Location | Chenna Teklehaymanot, Amhara Region, Ethiopia |
| Date | 1-2 September 2021 |
Attack type | Mass Killing |
| Deaths | 26 - 200 civilians |
| Perpetrators | Tigray Defence Forces |
The village is about 10 kilometres (6 mi) north-west of the town of Dabat in the North Gondar Zone of Amhara Region.
Massacre
Amhara Regional authorities reported that the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) killed 120-200 civilians in Dabat district in the Amhara Region.[2] The TDF were conducting Operation Sunrise with the double aim of securing their region's borders, and breaking the blockade of Tigray.[3][4]
According to residents, TDF soldiers arrived demanding food, then killed those who resisted when fighters slaughtered their animals and looted their properties. Associated Press found many unburied corpses at the scene, some in military clothing. Some residents blamed the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) for abandoning the villagers to defend themselves unaided.[5]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) spoke to residents who witnessed 26 civilians summarily executed by TDF fighters in Chenna. Witnesses also accused the TDF of entering residential areas without allowing civilians to leave and then shooting at ENDF positions, effectively utilizing the local population as human shields. HRW was provided a list of names of 74 civilians who purportedly died as a result of the TDF occupation from 31 August to 4 September.[1][6]
Perpetrators
Various authorities in Amhara Region as well as local residents reported the perpetrators of this massacre as being soldiers belonging to the Tigray Defence Forces.[3][4]
Reactions
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission expressed their concern regarding the massacre on 7 September:[7]
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is alarmed by the discovery of a large number of bodies in Chenna Kebele, Dabat Woreda of Gondar on September 07, 2021. Investigation by law enforcement is still ongoing to confirm the numbers and the identities of victims but survivors report that the victims were civilians. The Commission has also learned that civilians who were unable to flee when the town came under control of TPLF/TDF forces stayed behind on the assurance that no harm will come to them if they supply them with food. Residents and local authorities also say that the victims were killed on September 3-4, 2021 by retreating TPLF/TDF forces as the ENDF and regional security forces approached the town. As part of its on-going human rights investigations in the region, the EHRC will deploy a mission to Dabat Woreda and other affected areas. The Commission reiterates its call to all parties involved to ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructures.
— Ethiopian Human Rights Commission
References
- "Ethiopia: Tigray Forces Summarily Execute Civilians". Human Rights Watch. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- "Stench of death: villagers flee site of Ethiopia mass killings". France 24. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- AFP, 8 September 2021: Tigray rebels massacre 125 villagers in Ethiopia's Amhara
- Reuters, 8 September 2021: Tigray forces killed 120 civilians in village in Amhara - Ethiopia officials
- Associated Press, 10 September 2021: At scene of Ethiopia's new killings, some fight, some flee
- Dahir, Abdi Latif (10 December 2021). "Tigray Rebels Executed Dozens of Civilians, Report Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- "Amhara Region: Discovery of bodies in Dabat Woreda - Ethiopian Human Rights Commission - EHRC". 10 September 2021. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.