National Movement of Amhara (Amharic: የአማራ ብሔራዊ ንቅናቄ, romanized: Ye’āmara Biḥērawī Nik’inak’ē, NaMA) is a right-wing Amhara ethnic nationalist political party created in June 2018 in Bahir Dar, capital of the Amhara Region of Ethiopia.[1]
National Movement of Amhara የአማራ ብሔራዊ ንቅናቄ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | NaMA |
| Leader | Belete Molla |
| Founder | Desalagne Chanie |
| Founded | 10 June 2018[1] |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre-right to right-wing[3] |
| Seats in House of Peoples' Representatives | 5 / 547 |
Creation
editNAMA was created in June 2018 in Bahir Dar to defend the interests of Amhara people in Ethiopia, after Abiy Ahmed became prime minister of Ethiopia and promised the "broadening [of] democratic space".[1]
Leadership and structure
editDesalagne Chanie (or Chane) was elected as the chair of NaMA at its creation in June 2018.[1] He was replaced by Belete Molla, who was elected as chair in February 2020 in a meeting that included observers from the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).[4]
As of February 2020[update], NaMA was led by a nine-member executive committee, including Belete as chair. One of the executive committee members, Christian Tadele, was at the time under arrest as a suspect in the Amhara Region coup d'état attempt of June 2019.[4]
Political positions
editJune 2019 Amhara Region coup d'état attempt
editIn December 2019, NaMA called for the release of its leaders who had been arrested for suspicion of involvement in the June 2019 Amhara Region coup d'état attempt. NaMA stated that the detainees had not been interrogated in relation to the killings that occurred during the attempted coup d'état. NaMA stated that it wants "the real culprits" of the event to be "held accountable".[5]
Massacres
editIn October 2020, NaMA criticised the federal government for killings of ethnic Amharas in Oromia Region, Benishangul-Gumuz Region and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. NaMA accused the federal government of "demeaning the attacks, hiding evidence and in frequent cases blaming the victims" and regional government officials of failing to stop the attacks and of supporting the perpetrators.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "National Movement of Amhara party officially founded in Bahir Dar". Borkena. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ Tezera Tazebew, Amhara nationalism: The empire strikes back, African Affairs, Volume 120, Issue 479, April 2021, Pages 297–313, https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adaa029
- ^ Weldemariam, Alemayehu (24 July 2019). "Elections in End Times". Ethiopia Insight. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b "National Movement of Amhara elects new chairperson". Borkena. 24 February 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "Amhara National Movement (NaMA) demands unconditional release of senior leaders". Borkena. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "Abiy's Government Has Become Dictatorship and Partisan: NAMA". Ezega News. 27 October 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.