A comment on the bogus report on Agamsa Massacre and the leading drivers of the attack on Oromos in Wollega

This report refutes the highly misleading Amhara Associations of America’s report on Agamsa Massacre, and outlines the leading causes of the terror in Wollega.

Residents of Agamsa town and concerned people wrote the detailed report and we want to share it for the public awareness and understandings. The authors currently all live in Ethiopia, and don’t feel safe to share themselves.

A comment on the bogus report on
Agamsa Massacre and the leading drivers of the attack on Oromos in Wollega Concerned residents and relatives of Agamsa town
Executive summary

1. The leading cause of conflict in Horro Guduru Wollega
   The role of Amhara elites
   The Fanno Militia
   The Amhara people who live in Wollega
   Different levels of the Ethiopian government Other partners in crime
2. What happened on August 30, 2022 in Agamsa and has been going on sinceWhy attack Oromo civilians in the name of “Shane”?
3. The AAA report is filled with false and misleading claims.
   a. Blatant false equivalence
   b. Complete disregard for Oromo lives
   c. Presenting false evidence
4. Summary
   Executive summary
   We have read with dismay the bogus report released by the Amahara Association of America (AAA) entitled “ተበዳይ በዳይ ሆኖ የቀረበበት የአጋምሳ ከተማ የንጹሃን አማሮች የጅምላ ጭፍጨፋ ” on September 12, 2022. The report contains blatantly misleading and baseless claims. Moreover, it presents a distorted reality of what unfolded in Agamsa town on August 30, 2022. More specifically, the report:
   1) Creates a shameful false equivalence between innocent civilians murdered at their homes and the raiders whose only purpose was to indiscriminately kill whoever came their way and loot all sorts of property.
   2) Shows a complete disdain for innocent Oromo lives lost in the raid. The report made, in fact, a mockery of human lives by misrepresenting the victims. And wherever it conceded to the truth, it did so by downplaying the number of lives lost.
   3) Shockingly presented fabricated evidence on the number of civilians of Amhara background killed in Agamsa.
   Of the 61 Amhara people listed as killed in the AAA report, our investigation shows that 43 either left the area before the incident or are not even from Agamsa. Different forces sadly killed eight people before the Agamsa incident, and only ten were unfortunately murdered on August 29, 2022, by an armed group known in the area as “Shane mootumma.” Furthermore, the report doesn’t even correctly name the kebeles (a small
   administrative unit) in Agamsa (“kebele 03” doesn’t even exist in the town). This makes us wonder whether the “witnesses” quoted in the AAA report really exist or are reliable.
   We strongly condemn both the intention and the contents of the AAA report and ask the association to redact and correct the report. Below we present the verified accounts of what happened on that unfortunate Tuesday in Agamsa town and attempt to put the
   record straight.
5. The leading cause of conflict in Horro Guduru Wollega Subjugating the Oromo people and destroying their identity has a long history. The war on anything Oromo (Oromumma) in Ethiopia is as old as the empire itself. Over more than a century, the Oromo people have suffered in the brutal hands of the political elites and their collaborators in the form of killings, displacements, and systematic silencing of their voices in well-coordinated efforts.
   The most recent violence against innocent Oromo civilians in Horo Guduru Wollega is not much different by its intent and the actions taken to achieve those destructive goals. The August 30 Agamsa massacre and similar incidents in other Oromia zones are a well-planned and coordinated genocidal war. It is organized by the Amhara elites in the country and living abroad, the Fanno militia, the Amhara people living in Wollega, and their other collaborators.
   The role of Amhara elites
   The Amhara elites, both in and outside Ethiopia, play a significant role in designing, planning, and implementing the conflicts between the Oromo and Amhara people in Wollega. They started the conflict by making outrageous claims that “Wollega belongs to the Amhara people ” and, therefore, they are entitled to the land. These elites entirely disregard the safety and security of the people (including tens of thousands of Amhara civilians who have been living with the
   Oromo people peacefully). They are hellbent on land and resource grabbing at the expense of Oromo civilians.
   The Amhara elites have been planning the colonization of Wollega for an extended period. A diaspora group called “አማራ ነን ነባር ህዝቦች” in collaboration with other similar-minded groups was openly planning for organizing, training, arming, and unleashing Amhara militia to attack the people of Wollega. The discussion is in Amharic and roughly translates to:
   The solution is being organized. First, we secretly resettle Amhara people living in Oromia, especially from Wollega. Second, we murder Oromo people who live in the Amhara region. Third, we scare the Oromos so that they leave our region… Fourth we fully arm all Amharas in Oromia. Amhara women can play an important role too. They can romantically approach government officials… We help Amharas from Gojjam cross to Wollega from 3 different directions and kill as many Oromos as possible.
   They outlined the process of implementing the evil plan as well. A participant in the discussion by the same group called “አማራ ነን ነባር ህዝቦች” put the steps clearly as follows (rough translation again).
   “… My name is Tadel. I am an Amhara. I am from Wollega; an engineer by profession… I can use my local popularity to organize Amharas who live in Wollega. We arm Amharas here. We will use Churches and Mosques for storing guns. All Amharas will promise to do everything without the public’s knowledge. I will involve the Amhara regional government to support us in this effort… We already have a network of organized Amharas in Wollega. No Amhara will be left out. In consultation with Fanno and Amharas, who work in Oromia regional government security, we have prepared strategic locations in Wollega, including Hangar Guutee (Guttin), Kiramuu, and Jartee Jardaga. We are ready to start a war using looters familiar with these locations. As we cannot sustain without financial support… A government official is helping us in that regard.
   Bullets, solar flashlights, gas, and radio for communication are valuable materials for us. Unfortunately, telephone networks are not always reliable.
   There are 3 locations for crossing from Gojjam to Wollega. The bridge connecting Wollega with Gojjam is one of the locations. It is closely watched by security ;therefore we cannot use that now. Instead, we will forcefully cross the bridge in due time. We have already consulted Fanno to cross the Nile via the other two locations by swimming….
   If the war [that we open] goes longer, we will involve the Amhara Prosperity Party… [For now] we use the money that we collected from Amhara farmers, religious events, and funeral gatherings to purchase guns and arm everyone… For the following steps, we will continue regularly consulting this group [“አማራ ነን ነባር ህዝቦች”].”
   A simple observation of what has been in public, it doesn’t take to be a genius to see the role of Amhara elites in instigating a reign of terror in East Wollega. They designed and planned the attacks and they have been helping carry out the massacres of Oromo civilians in several villages in the areas over the last 12 months.
   The Fanno Militia
   The Fanno militia, a paramilitary force organized and supported by the Amhara regional government, is leading the invasion of villages, attacking peaceful Oromo civilians, and looting properties in different areas of Wollega. With the direct support of Amhara elites and, to some extent, the media in the country, the group has clearly stated its goal. It unleashed terror against civilians, especially in Kiramu, Amuru, Jarte, and Jardaga districts.
   Consistent with the plan put forth in the “አማራ ነን ነባር ህዝቦች” meeting, groups of Fanno men are on the record stating (rough translation):
   “They (Oromos) say Wollega belongs to the Oromo. However, Wollega belonged to the Amhara before the Oromos arrived. Adama and Bishoftu belonged to us as well…..”
   Another Fanno man in the town of Komobolcha encouraged the murder of Wollo Oromos by saying (rough translation):
   “We don’t have to go to Wollega to kill Oromo. We can go and find them here. Only a few kilometers from Kombolcha [Wollo].”
   These are not just individuals speaking at random rallies. These are dangerously armed men openly calling for the mass displacement and murder of Oromo civilians. Their message is also in line with the Amhara elites, whose role is described above.
   The Fanno group and local Amhara militia men based at the aforementioned strategic locations in Wollega have launched large-scale mass killings of Oromo civilians. The first was on October 10, 2021 , when they opened fire on Oromo civilians in Haro town, Kiramu Woreda, East Wollega zone. Haro town is one of the three strategic locations identified by the Amhara elites for unleashing terror on the Oromo people. During the raid, they killed 37 civilians, including four children and ten women. They left 18 of the victims with their throats slit open. The remaining victims were shot and killed. The victims’ bodies were mutilated; some had organs cut and displayed in public. The bodies of all the victims have not recovered; they were left to be eaten by wild animals. This savagery vicious attack was again planned by different Amhara
   stakeholders, as detailed in this document.
   The Amhara people who live in Wollega
   It is a matter of history that thousands of people from Wollo, who fled the severe drought, settled in different parts of Wollega in the 1980s. The Oromo people warmly welcomed the newly arriving people, sharing land, food, and whatever they had. Over the recent decades, more people from the north, primarily the Amhara people from the neighboring Gojjam, have been relocating to this area in search of fertile land and other economic opportunities.
   In recent years, however, the peaceful coexistence of the Oromo and Amhara people has been tested. Following the open campaign for arming and organizing the Amharas in Horo Guduru and East Wollega zones, the attacks on Oromo civilians have intensified. Amhara people born in the area, such as Sisay Fiseha Wubetu, started actively organizing the Fanno militia. Our investigation shows that Sisay was born and raised in Haro town, Kiramu district. He is the leader of the Fanno group based in the town and solely responsible for the October 2021 massacre of 37 civilians. Tadel, quoted above in the “አማራ ነን ነባር ህዝቦች” meeting, is also from the same district.
   Mr. Sisay Fiseha Wubetu, the leader of the Fanno group in Haro, works under the disguised membership of the Prosperity Party. He has a well-established connection with different levels of government. He works on diverting the government’s budget and resources to his Fanno group.
   This group uses government vehicles and military-grade guns to conduct its mission. Eyewitnesses confirm that an ambulance vehicle, two trucks, and heavy guns were used when the group raided the town of Agamsa on August 30, 2022. The Fanno, led byMr. Sisay also attacked several kebeles in Amuru, Jarte, Gardaga, and Haroo buluq.
   This indicates The Amhara people living in Wollega play major roles in organizing, mobilizing, and arming people. They recruit the Fanno militia and raise funds and other resources. They also lead the raid of Oromo villages and civilian massacres.
   Different levels of the Ethiopian government Several members of the government are directly and indirectly participants in the massacres that are taking place in Wollega. The government is primarily responsible for ensuring the safety of its citizens. However, the Ethiopian government has taken little or no action to stop the civilian massacre in East Wollega, Horo Guduru Wollega, and other Oromia zones. Over the last year alone, hundreds of people have lost their lives, and tens of thousands have been displaced. The Federal and Oromia regional governments have chosen to neglect each round of massacre.
   Even more troubling is that several branches of the government are fully involved in the bloodshed. Our investigation reveals that the government (from top to bottom levels) helps organize the Fanno force and provides logistics and other necessary support. This is a deliberate attempt to use this force to fight the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), but as it has been repeatedly observed the Fanno militias do not fight with OLA. Instead, they deliberately terrorize Oromo civilians in the area where OLA fighters are not present.
   In addition to being complicit in multiple civilian deaths in Oromia, the Ethiopian government is highly engaged in scare tactics to prevent the media from reporting the atrocities. To selectively silence the Oromo voices, the Ethiopian Media Authority warned the Finfinne Integrated Broadcasting for accurately covering the Agamsa Massacre. The warning letter signed by Fantahun Asres Fanta, the Director of Media License Registration and Accreditation, stated that the news was not confirmed even though it has been corroborated by several eyewitnesses and other international media organizations. This is another indication that different branches of the Ethiopian government work in tandem to terrorize Oromo civilians and systematically prevent their truths from being revealed.
   In summary, the government significantly encourages massacres by failing to safeguard civilians’ safety. Furthermore, and most importantly, by providing logistic support and protection, the government is directly responsible for the destruction taking place in Wollega.
   Other partners in crime
   All the above-listed parties have several partners helping them achieve their goals. The government organized “OLA” (as the local people call them “Shane Mootumma”) is the primary partner on the ground. The “Shane Mootumma” is a group of armed men who disguise themselves as the OLA but who are so only by word but not by deed, and whose sole purpose is to create confusion, harass and murder civilians. This group, which predominantly exists in Horo Guduru Wollega, has abused and murdered civilians (Oromo and Amhara alike), looted properties, and sow animosity between Oromo and Amhara people. They kill civilians as they wish and kidnap family members for ransom money. No one paid the price more than the Oromo civilians in this area due to the actions of the “Shane mootumma.”
   Other partners in this destruction are the Amharic media and Amhara organizations (such as the Amhara Association of America) based in the country and abroad. With the primary goal of covering up the crimes committed by the Fanno militia in Wollega, they use their platforms to disseminate misinformation. They don’t show genuine sympathy for the civilian lives lost and communities destroyed unless it fits their narrative of the “Amhara genocide” in Wollega. As a result, they turn a blind eye when the Fanno militia murders hundreds of Oromo civilians in their own homes. This irresponsibility was demonstrated in the unsubstantiated report that AAA released on the Agamsa massacre. The extent to which the AAA report went to try to cover up the murder of innocent Oromo civilians on August 30, 2022, is astonishing but not surprising.
6. What happened on August 30, 2022 in Agamsa and has been going on since

Figure 1. Agamsa town is located in Amuru district, Horo Guduru Wollega zone, Oromia region, just 25 km from the border with the Amhara region.
The town of Agamsa is located 25 km south of the Nile river, which serves as a border between Wollega and Gojjam. Since it is located close to the border, the Oromo and Amhara people have lived together peacefully for several decades. However, due to the actions of several anti-peace stakeholders (discussed above), peaceful coexistence is highly strained. Everything has changed over the last two years. The attack on civilians by the Fanno militia in the neighboring Haro town in 2021 and the continued violence have displaced thousands of farmers from Agamsa and the surrounding kebeles. In addition, the road that connects different woredas between Nekemete (administrative zone), the Agamsa town, and the adjacent Amhara region has been blocked by Fanno for over two years. As a result, the local community has no access to a hospital, school, transportation, and other basic needs. Both regional and federal governments turned a blind eye to Oromo’s continuous siege, killing, and displacement.
Agamsa town center had been relatively safe because of the Oromia special forces stationed there. However, that relative safety disappeared on August 28, 2022, when they suddenly announced their departure. The moment the community learned about the security force’s departure, they sent a number of residents, including faith leaders and local officials, to discuss the concerning safety situation and begged them not to go. Unfortunately, the pleas of Agamsa residents fell on deaf ears. And the town was left to the mercy of armed groups, including the “Shane mootumma” and the Fanno militia.
On Monday, August 29, 2022, the armed gangs of “Shane mootumma” headed by Feqada Abdisa took over the town briefly and abused (both Oromo and Amhara) civilians. They forcefully confiscated their guns and warned those who did not give up their weapons would pay the price. They killed ten Amharas and two Oromos and left the town the same day. The Oromo people of the town pleaded to stop the cold-blooded murder of unarmed civilians, but they did not succeed in stopping them. The armed group benefits from the chaos it creates. When people flee their homes, they go around and steal whatever is left behind. Violence is their means of survival.
While we strongly condemn the murder of civilians of any background, what unfolded the following day cannot be justified by this senseless act. In what looks like a coordinated plan, the Fanno and Amhara militia waited until the “Shane mootumma” left the town and started attacking the residents in the early morning of August 30, 2022. The cowardly attack targeted innocent civilians, not those armed. The partial list of civilians killed on this day is indicated in Table 1.
The Fanno forces and Amhara militia came mainly from the Haro town of Kiramu woreda. They came prepared: heavily armed and brought motorcycles, trucks and an ambulance. They used trucks for transporting the looted goods and an ambulance for unknown reasons. Some Amhara armed militiamen joined from another direction from Sammo, Amuru Woreda. They opened gunfire at around 8 am local time on unsuspecting civilians, primarily farmers, who were starting their Tuesday as usual. Since Oromo civilians were largely unarmed, they had no choice but to flee their homes.
Those with weapons bravely fought back the invading forces, defending their homes, families and property. Though they resisted for 6 hours, the Fanno militia outnumbered and overtook the town. They also had modern firearms compared to local weapons, such as muskets, swords, and spears.
They killed 105 civilians, including those who later died from their wounds due to the lack of treatment, burned down homes, looted shops and a bank, and took thousands of cows. They did not come to defend people from “Shane,” as the AAA report falsely states. Instead, the Fanno armed group came to destroy communities, loot property, and murder peaceful civilians. They burned down homes and stores belonging to business people. They brutally killed as many as they could. Several international media organizations covered the August 30, 2022 Agamsa massacre including OMN, ABC News, Reuters, Curate Oromia, DW Amharic , and Addis Standard.
Even as we write this report, more attacks on Oromo farmers are taking place. On October 6, 2022, Fanno militia based in Haro Bagin, Kiramu, crossed to Walli and Luqma kebeles of Amuru woreda and looted hundreds of livestock from farmers, and murdered four individuals who refused to give away their cattle. Two brothers, Abara Nugusa and Gutama Nugusa were among those killed during the raid. On October 8, 2022, the Fanno based in Rigate (a center of Amhara settlers), Amuru, raided Agamsa. They killed Daniel Asmera and forcefully took away dozens of livestock. They continued their attack on October 10 in Agamsa, killing two individuals and stealing more cattle (see Table 2).
In short, this attack by an organized Fanno and supported by different interest groups is inspired by a hatred of the Oromo. It is part of a long plan to take over the fertile land in Wollega.
The nature, scope, intensity, and frequency of the recent attack further confirm the vicious goal. They undertook the complete destruction of properties and mercilessly slaughtered several innocent people in front of their homes. They looted livestock, property, and intimidated those who were alive. The Oromo people are paying all these hefty prices just for being an Oromo.
They have done nothing morally wrong or legally questionable.
Why attack Oromo civilians in the name of “Shane”?
The attack on Oromo civilians has one goal: to forcefully remove Oromos from their fertile land and slowly take over Wollega. How do we know this? We know from 1) what the Amhara elites have been telling the world (“Wollega belongs to Amhara”) and 2) the repeated attacks in Horo Guduru and East Wollega zones, where the Amhara militia and Fanno target peaceful civilians to trigger mass displacement. They first characterize every Oromo as “Shane” to justify the attacks on innocent Oromo civilians. By doing so they not only get unlimited support from the government, but they escape accountability for their barbaric crimes since they paint a false picture of aligning with the government in the fight against OLA. If their objective is fighting OLA, they wouldn’t wait until armed forces evacuate nor would they indiscriminately kill vulnerable people and children. The clear patterns displayed in Haro (October 2021), Agamsa (August 2022), Amuru, Jarte, and Jardaga (all in September 2022) show that their objective is unleashing terror on unarmed Oromo civilians and remove them from their land. These outrageous actions are in line with the grand plan of taking over Wollega.
Table 1. Partial list of Oromo civilians killed in Agamsa by government-empowered Fanno and Amhara militia on August 30, 2022.
Name Age Sex

1. Jaarsoo Fantaa 32 M
2. Getaachoo Dhugumaa 64 M
3. Lalisee Jaarsoo 5 F
4. Tasfayee Getaachoo 34 M
5. Galiiloo Baabbuu 37 M
6. Tasfaayee Immiruu 43 M
7. Baqqalaa Gammachuu 62 M
8. Waqjiraa Ayyaanaa 87 M
9. Fufaa Hundee 85 M
10. Dhufanii Boggalee 89 M
11. Gammadaa Abdii 37 M
12. Tamasgeen Abdii 34 M
13. Gurree Xiixaa 20 M
14. Abiraahaam Yeesuuf 24 M
15. Hordofaa Hundee 77 M
16. Dassaalee Alamuu 42 M
17. Tamee Bongee 25 M
18. Simaa Bachii 67 M
19. Ayyaanaa Abdii 37 M
20. Zalaalam Tamasgeen 97 (burned in his home). M
21. Malkaamuu Baabusii 39 M
22. Tasfayee Gecheer 67 M
23. Obsii Tasfayee 28 M
24. Bayyanaa Gichillee 73 M
25. Obsii Amantee 48 M
26. Amsaaluu Goobanaa 80 M
27. Darajjee Tafarii 37 M
28. Margaa Abdiisaa 55 M
29. Tamasgeen Dassaaloo 72 M
30. Badhaasaa Tamasgeen 49 M
31. Wayyeessaa Abdii 56 M
32. Dassaloo Margaa 26 M
33. Garramuu Dassuu 50 M
34. Dastaa Animmoo 34 M
35. Birtuu Jibaat 23 F
36. Abdii Xilaahuun 23 M
37. Magarsaa Abdiisaa 27 M
38. Abdiisaa Teessoo 25 M
39. Moosisaa Jamaa 47 M
40. Bayyanaa Gammadaa 60 M
41. Misgaanaa Nugusee 40 M
42. Dassaloo Jibaat 34 M
43. Asaffaa Guggee 80 M
44. Shifarraa Gobotoo 85 M
45. Abaataa Bayyanaa 50 M
46. Bayyanaa 47 M
47. Indashaa Geetanee 43 M
48. Dani’eel Waqjiraa 34 M
49. Goboshoo Admasuu 42 M
50. Animoo Shifarraa 36 M
51. Abaatee Gobanaa 48 M
52. Adamoo Galataa 56 M
53. Kinduu Tasfayee 34 M
54. Dassaaloo Margaa 35 M
55. Goboshoo Galataa 33 M
56. Beenyaa Roobaa 27 M
57. Fiqaaduu Garbaa 34 M
58. Tujee Miskir 24 F
59. Ganamee Duubee 20 F
60. Asaantuu Dachaasaa 19 F
61. Bareedduu Gannatii 17 F
62. Awwaqee Jaallataa 88 M
    Table 2. Partial list of Oromo civilians killed by the Fanno militia in September and October in Amuru District since the Agamsa Massacre.
    No Name Age Sex Place killed Date killed
    1 Margaa Raggaasaa 45 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    2 Tafarraa Bokoree 55 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    3 Birqii Gerroo 55 F Gobu September 24, 2022
    4 Taakkalaa Namarraa (Abbaa Manaa Birqii
    Gerroo) 55 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    5 Dhinsaa Soorii, 60 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    6 Tashoomee Fayyisaa 40 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    7 Fayyisaa Gobotoo (Abbaa Tashoomee
    Fayyisaa) 60 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    8 Maarituu Bayaanee 57 F Gobu September 24, 2022
    9 Eeliyaas Siyyum 25 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    10 Wiirtuu Nagasaa 70 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    11 Tuulii Eddoosaa 30 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    12 Mammoo Yihun 22 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    13 Lammeessaa Nugusee 45 M Gobu September 24, 2022
    14 Abarra Nugusaa M Walli October 6, 2022
    15 Gutama GNugusa M Walli October 6, 2022
    16 Daniel Asmara 47 M Qaccallu October 8, 2022
    17 Addisu Warquu M Agamsa October 10, 2022
    18 Gutama Shifera M Agamsa October 10, 2022
63. The AAA report is filled with false and misleading claims.
    The Amhara Association of America is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The association, whose stated goal is “supporting the Amhara movement in Ethiopia ,” released a report on the Agasmsa massacre on September 12, 2022. While we appreciate the attention that the AAA lent to the Agamsa massacre, we are outraged by the complete disregard for the lives of innocent people murdered on August 30, 2022. The association brushed aside the lives of over 100 Oromo civilians savagely murdered in front of their homes. The report also falsely lists the names of the 61 Amharas allegedly killed in Agamsa. Anyone seriously concerned about civilian lives can call people on the ground and verify the validity of the information.
    The report doesn’t even correctly name the kebeles in Agamsa ( “kebele 03” doesn’t exist in the town). This makes us wonder whether all the “witnesses” used in the AAA report know what happened in the town.
    a. Blatant false equivalence
    The AAA report indicates on several instances that the Oromo lives lost were “Shane” fighters engaged in urban warfare with the Amhara militia (“ከሁለቱም ወገን በርካታ ተፋላሚዎች የተገደሉ ሲሆን ከዚያ በተጨማሪ የከተማ ላይ ውጊያ በመሆኑ ሳቢያ በተባራሪ ጥይት ምክንያት ህጻናትን ጨምሮ ከ10 ያልበለጡ ያልታጠቁ ኦሮሞዎች”, AAA report). This report is a blatant false equivalence between the innocent lives lost and those who came to murder and loot; a comparison between innocent Oromo civilians and armed criminals who raided a town with a premeditated goal of destroying the community.
    b. Complete disregard for Oromo lives
    The distance the report goes to attack the characters of Oromo civilians and the magnitude of the disregard for the dozens of innocent lives lost is outrageous. The report shamelessly claims that the number of unarmed Oromo civilians killed is not more than 10. (“የከተማ ላይ ውጊያ በመሆኑ ሳቢያ በተባራሪ ጥይት ምክንያት ህጻናትን ጨምሮ ከ10 ያልበለጡ ያልታጠቁ ኦሮሞዎች” AAA report). As stated above, the Agamsa massacre was not a war between two parties. It was a premeditated carnage that selectively targeted Oromo civilians in the town. As we have showed in this report, the number of unarmed civilians deliberately murdered now stands at 105 (we have included a partial list in Table 1).
    Section 3.5 of the AAA report quotes one witness, presumably from Agamsa, who testified that only “6 or 7” innocent Oromo civilians were killed in Agamsa. The witness asserts that the rest of the people who were killed were “Shane” fighters. This pretext is intended to erase the memories of our deceased families and friends, and adds an insult to our fresh and deep injury. Contrary to the AAA report, the truth is that several of those killed were elderly and young children who were not involved in any fighting.
    We agree with the supposed witness’s suggestion though that anyone who wants to find out the truth of what happened should go to Agamsa and verify (“ከልቡ እውነቱን ማወቅ የፈለገ ማንኛውም አካል ቦታው ተገኝቶ የሆነውን ማየት ይችላል”, AAA report). Some of us live in Agamsa. The rest of us have families who live there. The truth is that more than 100 Oromo civilians have been killed by the Fanno and Amhara militia. We encourage the AAA to consider talking to more reliable witnesses and correct the report if they are serious about their mission of “informing” the people they advocate for. From what we have seen on the ground, they seem to be good at “supporting the Amhara movement” of murdering and looting in Wollega.
    c. Presenting false evidence
    The AAA presented several supporting pieces of evidence for their misleading report that could easily be verified. First, it stated that 33 witnesses were used for the report. Given the quick turnaround of the report (only 5 days after the Agamsa Massacre) and the telephone network challenges in the area, collecting evidence from such a large number of people is highly questionable. But most alarmingly, the key finding of the report is blatantly inaccurate (page 2, section 2).
    “የምርመራው ውጤት እንደሚያሳየው በኦሮሞ ክልል የሆሮ ጉዱሩ ወለጋ ዞን አሙሩ ወረዳ የምትገኘውን አጋምሳ የተባለች ከተማን በጊዜያዊነት ተቆጣጥረው የነበሩት የኦሮሞ ነፃነት ሠራዊት (በተለምዶ ”ኦነግ- ሸኔ”) ታጣቂዎች ነሀሴ 23/2014 ዓ.ም በከተማዋ ውስጥ በመዘዋወር የአማራ ብሄር ተወላጆችን በመለየት በፈጸሙት ጭካኔ የተሞላበት የግድያ ተግባር ከ50 በላይ ንጹሀን አማራዎች ሲገደሉ፤ ቢያንስ 20 አማራዎች ደግሞ በታጣቂዎቹ የእገታ ተግባር ከተፈጸመባቸው በኋላ ደብዛቸው ጠፍቷል፡፡” AAA report Which roughly translates to:
    The AAA investigation shows that armed men from Oromo Liberation Front temporarily controlled Agamsa town (located in Amuru district, Horo Guduru Wollega Zone) and killed more than 50 innocent Amharas on August 29, 2022 and kidnapped at least 20 Amharas.
    This is simply inaccurate. Here are the facts that anyone can call local residents and verify for themselves.
    I. Thirty-five people were falsely presented in the report as killed in Agamsa. The table on Pages 12-14 listing names of innocent people killed in Agamsa highly exaggerates the number of people killed. Our investigation shows that those are not from Agamsa and were not killed in Agamsa. However, the AAA report wrongly included these names among the 61 that the AAA falsely claims were killed in Agamsa. (“የአማራ ማህበር በአሜሪካ መርማሪዎች ያነጋገሯቸው የተለያዩ የመረጃ ምንጮች የሰጡትን ቃል መሰረት በጭፍጨፋዉ ቢያንስ 61 አማራዎች እንደተገደሉ ያረጋገጠ” AAA report).
    Here are the names: 1. Belexe Kasaw, 2. Fekede, 3. Shanqo, 4. Asmaree Belisti, 5. Banchu Aseffa, 6. Adane Bamlaku, 7. Ristu Bamlaku, 8. Aleheny Bamlaku, 9. Hasan Yimar, 10. Mitikku, 11. Alemneh Mokonnen, 12. Alamir Tareqeny, 13. Bamlak Shifarrawu, 14. Nigus Danyaw, 15. Bayih Animawu, 16. Melles Indashawu, 17. Ayenewu Indashawu, 18. Fantaw Tamene, 19. Adane Mekonen, 20. Tsega Asmare, 21. Ale Semachew, 22. Tarike Semahany, 23. Markash Gashawu, 24. Biranu Irgixe, 25. Kindenewu Warqu, 26. Wendimnew Tilahun, 27. Kasahun Dasalew, 28. Fante Abebaw, 29. Sisay Ferede. 30. Molla Birqu, 31. Mulat Asnaqew, 32. Jenberu Tekaling, 33. Girmaa, 34. Haile, and 35 Ale Belay.
    II. Eight people among the 61 the AAA falsely claims were killed still reside in Agamsa orthe surrounding area.

• Biranu Getinet, Tile Getinet, Getinet Tegengn, and Mange Bamlaku are all alive and still live in Agamsa town.
• Beqalu Masresha, Imma Mosit, Mitta Wonde, and Getu Wonde are all alive and still live in Gojam.
  III. Eight civilians of Amhara background were killed before August 29, 2022, either by “Shane motumma,” Fanno militia, or unknown armed groups.

1. Mebratuu Birille was killed three months before the incident by an unknown force.
2. Guade Beyene was killed by “Shane motumma” two weeks before the Agamsa incident.
3. Sisay Addisu was kidnapped and killed in March 2021 by thieves who robbed the car he was driving.
4. Abiye Kasaye, Zelalem Hirko, and Melese Ksahun are robbers who were killed a month before the Agamsa incident by Amhara militiamen in Sammo.
5. Atalay Melese was killed by “Shane motumma” in 2021.
6. Wonde (a laborior) was killed two months before the Agamsa incident by “Shane motumma.”
   IV. Ten civilians of Amhara background were brutally killed on August 29 by the armedgroup commonly called “Shane mootumma.” This act is horrendous and no innocent life should be lost,mainly because of who they are. Here are the names of the people who were killed on August 29, 2022:
   1.Marigetaa Yitay, 2. Imahoy Chekolech, 3. Lingerew Gashaye, 4. Chale Getaneh, 5. Misawa Kasawu, 6. Immahoy Tsehay, 7. Dinqu Indashawu, 8. Abba Qarre, 9. Aalle Balay, 10. Abba Felleqe.
   The information we obtained from the ground indicates that the ten individuals were brutally murdered despite Oromo civilians’ pleas. The goal of this murder, as described in section 1, is to trigger violence between the Oromo and Amhara communities. While this is obviously tragic, it should not have been used as a cover-up to loot and kill tens of innocent Oromo civilians who were helpless to stop the killing.
7. Summary
   We have come to learn that the Agamsa massacre and several others in Horo Guduru and East Wollega zones are the result of a well-planned and coordinated genocidal effort by several stakeholders. These include the Amhara elites in the country and diaspora, the Fanno militia, the Amhara people who have long lived in Wollega, different levels of Ethiopian government, and their other collaborators.
   It is disappointing and surprising to us that the AAA (an organization based in the United States) doesn’t even attempt to cross-check the information they use as a fundamental source of truth behind such a report. We believe this is not due to a lack of resources or a shortage of skilled human resources at the organization (as we know it is led by a handful of PhD holders). It is a deliberate effort to disseminate misinformation and try to cover up for the criminal “Amhara movement” in Horo Guduru Wollega that they potentially help carry out.