On June 29, 2017, Ethiopian federal defence forces moved into the Wolela plains and nearby border towns in southern Gondar and killed dozens of unarmed civilians in a confirmed reprisal operation. Witnesses describe armed soldiers conducting house‐to‐house sweeps, separating men from their families, forcing them to kneel, and shooting them at close range. An 80-year-old farmer was among those executed, and many bodies were left unburied for days.
The Enat Party issued a statement condemning the killings as a gross violation of human rights and demanding an independent international investigation. Buzayehu Abate, Enat’s chair, urged the United Nations and African Union to send fact-finding teams and hold those responsible to account. The Armed Struggle Movement of Amhara Fano People’s Organizations (AFPO) described the massacre as evidence of a deliberate “genocide agenda” against Amhara communities, vowing to continue both legal and armed resistance until justice is achieved.
The massacre in Gedebye, Gondar, is not an isolated horror. It’s the latest entry in a ledger of blood that has come to define the Amhara experience in 2025.
Statement released by the Amhara Association of America (AAA), soldiers affiliated with the Oromo Prosperity Party regime carried out a deadly attack against civilians in the area. The assault reportedly resulted in numerous casualties, including the tragic death of an eight-year-old child.
“The Amhara Association of America (AAA) has learned that on July 6th, 2025 Oromo Prosperity Party regime soldiers carried out a deadly attack on civilians which resulted in numerous casualties including of an eight-year-old child in Gedebye town of Wegera Woreda.”
Additionally the association highlighted the growing insecurity across the region. They emphasized that targeted attacks against civilians continue to escalate despite international appeals for de-escalation and accountability.
