The Ethiopian government forces have reportedly opened fire on a minibus carrying passengers in the North Shoa region of Amhara, resulting in multiple fatalities.
According to sources from the area, the incident took place on Thursday morning at around 8:30 a.m. in the Merabete district, specifically in the Mangate locality, Mesalemia area. The minibus, which was carrying more than 20 passengers, far exceeding its usual capacity of 14 to 16 — was en route to a small town when government soldiers opened fire, killing at least eight civilians.
Among the victims were two toddlers and a medical doctor, who was said to be returning from Easter celebrations with his family in the Ambat area. The other victims were women. Reports indicate that the injured have been hospitalized in various locations, including Alem Ketema, Neragna, Debre Birhan, and Addis Ababa, though it remains unclear if their conditions are life-threatening.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that no Fano militia were present in the vicinity at the time of the shooting. There has been a willingness from local sources to cooperate with human rights organizations should they decide to investigate the incident.
Debre Birhan, the capital of North Shoa in the Amhara region, has yet to comment on the reported killings. Arbitrary killings have become a recurring issue in the Amhara region since the government launched its “law enforcement” campaign, which involved the deployment of mechanized military units and drone strikes. The campaign has led to numerous civilian deaths, including those of the elderly, women, and children, with medical professionals also frequently targeted. In less than a year, there have been at least three reported killings of doctors.
While human rights organizations have confirmed reports of arbitrary killings, there have been no official consequences for the perpetrators of these atrocities. The Ethiopian Defense Force has consistently denied targeting civilians, but activists in the Amhara region suspect the killings aim to pressure the population to withdraw support for the Fano militia.
Last week, over 120 civilians were reportedly killed in the Gedeb and Enarj Enawga areas of Gojjam, as confirmed by BBC Amharic. Despite claims that the government’s operation would be completed within weeks, the conflict has now stretched into its second year.
