The Chenna massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing perpetrated by the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) in and around the village of Chenna Teklehaymanot in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, between 31 August and 4 September 2021.[1][2][3]
| Chenna massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Tigray War and TPLF invasion of the Amhara region | |
  Chenna Teklehaymanot Location of Chenna Teklehaymanot in Ethiopia | |
| Location | Chenna Teklehaymanot, Amhara Region, Ethiopia |
| Date | 31 August – 4 September 2021 |
Attack type | Massacre |
| Deaths | 120–200 civilians |
| Perpetrators |  Tigray Defense Forces |
The village is about 10 kilometres (6 mi) north-west of the town of Dabat in the North Gondar Zone of Amhara Region.
Background
editMassacre
editBetween 31 August and 4 September, the TDF occupied the village of Chenna Teklehaymanot in Dabat district in the Amhara Region. Amhara regional authorities reported that the TDF killed 120-200 civilians during the occupation. Doctors at the nearest hospital placed the death toll at 125 and counting.[4][5]
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.[6] At least 30 women and girls were raped and sexually assaulted by TDF soldiers in and around Chenna during the occupation.[2]
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 Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) positions, effectively utilizing the local population as human shields.[1][3] HRW was provided a list of names of 74 civilians who were said to have died as a result of the TDF occupation.[1][7]
An Ethiopian Human Rights Commission investigation found that at least 47 civilians were extrajudicially killed by the TDF in Chenna, some with their hands tied behind their backs.[3]
The TDF has denied the massacre.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Ethiopia: Tigray Forces Summarily Execute Civilians". Human Rights Watch. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Ethiopia: Tigrayan forces murder, rape and pillage in attacks on civilians in Amhara towns". Amnesty International. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "Afar and Amhara Regions: Report on Violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Afar and Amhara Regions of Ethiopia Published". Ethiopian Human Rights Commission - EHRC. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "Stench of death: villagers flee site of Ethiopia mass killings". France 24. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Tigray External Affairs Office (TEAO) on Twitter: "Statement on Alleged Mass Killings in #Amhara Region. September 8, 2021.… "". 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2022.