The Amhara Association of America (AAA) has strongly criticized the international community for what it describes as inaction and complicity in the Ethiopian government’s actions against the Amhara people.
In a statement, the AAA specifically called out a March 13, 2025, statement by embassies of the U.S., UK, EU, and other allied governments that portrayed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) of November 2022 as having “silenced the guns.” The AAA contends this characterization is misleading and ignores what it describes as a “genocidal war” against the Amhara.
The Amhara Association of America said that the “Oromo Prosperity Party (PP) regime”, led by Abiy Ahmed, has been conducting a military campaign against Amhara civilians, including massacres, destruction of healthcare facilities, and drone strikes. The association claims thousands of civilians have been killed in the past six months alone.
The AAA statement said that while these actions have been taking place, international diplomats have been normalizing relations with the PP regime, citing the COHA. The association views the international community’s silence as”shameful and enabling.”
The Amhara Association of America stated that it had previously warned that the COHA was exclusionary because it did not include all parties involved in the conflict in Northern Ethiopia. The AAA said the Amhara people were deliberately excluded from negotiations, despite having suffered violence at the hands of both the PP regime and the Tigray People’sLiberation Front (TPLF). The group argues the international community’s lack of acknowledgement has allowed the government to act with impunity.
The Amhara Association of America further stated that the international community has actively funded and supported the OPP regime. It cited the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank’s approval of a combined $20 billion package for Ethiopia in July 2024, despite what it described as evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The AAA argues this funding reinforces the regime’s capacity to continue its campaign against the Amhara people. It also pointed to the Canadian government’s decision to revive military cooperation with the Ethiopian army as an example of a lack of sincerity in bringing lasting peace to Ethiopia and stated that Canada’s engagement could implicate it in these alleged crimes.
Amhara Association of America dismisses concerns over Ethiopia-Eritrea war
The Amhara Association of America also dismissed concerns over a potential war between the PP regime and Eritrea as exaggerated. It claims the OPP regime’s full military force has been deployed in the Amhara region in a conflict with the Amhara Fano Defense Force, leaving it without the resources to wage an external war. The association believes that the discussion of a war with Eritrea is an attempt to divert attention from the situation involving the Amhara people.
The Amhara Association of America called for accountability and transitional justice as the only way to prevent further conflict and restore peace in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. The AAA urges international actors to acknowledge the COHA’s flaws, condemn the alleged war on Amhara, and suspend all financial and military aid until the government ends its assault and allows for credible investigations into potential war crimes. The association also called for sanctions and legal action against the regime and its supporters, stating that failure to act would be a “lasting moral stain and a threat to global interests.” The Amhara Association of America said it will continue to demand accountability.
In January, four months after the launch of a state-led campaign of mass arbitrary detentions in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, Amnesty International has condemned the international community’s silence on the issue. Thousands of people have reportedly been detained since the campaign began in September 2024.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said, “The international silence over the mass and arbitrary detention of thousands of people in Amhara region is beyond shameful. Ethiopia’s development partners, as well as African and global human rights bodies, must use their influence to publicly call for the release of all arbitrarily detained people. The world must stop turning a blind eye to Ethiopia’s human rights crisis as the Ethiopian government continues to trample on the rule of law.”
Amnesty International said that thousands of people have been held for months without charge or trial, calling it “a travesty of justice and a blatant human rights violation.” The organization also stated that the Ethiopian authorities have continued to arbitrarily arrest people in the Amhara region.
“Authorities must immediately release everyone who is being arbitrarily held or charge them with internationally recognized crimes,” Chagutah said.
Amnesty International emphasized the importance of international pressure on Ethiopia. According to the organization, authorities are also “crushing civic space,” including suspending four human rights organizations.
