Hermela Mesfin, student , Human Rights advocate and activist , Founder and Co President of the youth humanitarian group Justice and Peace for Ethiopia and an active member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church recently shared the plight of the Amhara people of Ethiopia before a US Congressional panel. Her presentation is shared below.
Honorable members of Congress, ladies and gentlemen,
My name is Hermela Mesfin.Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address this distinguished panel.
I stand before you today to bring attention to the tragic and ongoing genocide against the Amhara people in Ethiopia. A crisis driven by a flawed and perilous constitution that was established in 1995 under the TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front)-led government. This constitution, rather than fostering unity and equal rights, has deepened ethnic divisions and facilitated ongoing genocidal violence directed at the Amhara ethnic group for almost thirty years.
Please allow me to bring to your attention a deeply troubling demographic trend that serves as evidence of the genocide against the Amhara people. The second systematic census under the current Ethiopian system, conducted in 1994, showed that the population difference between the Amhara and Oromo ethnic groups was less than one million, with the Oromos having a slight numerical advantage. However, just 13 years later, in the 2007 national census, that difference had widened to nearly six million. During this period, the Amhara population had experienced a shocking decline of 6.8%, while the Oromo population grew significantly.
According to current estimates and projections, the population gap between the Amhara and Oromo could now be as much as 14 million. To put this into perspective, out of the 195 countries in the world, 121 have populations of less than 14 million. The disappearance of 14 million people in just three decades is not a statistical anomaly. It is a clear indication of genocide.
This alarming population decline cannot be explained by natural causes or migration patterns. What could possibly account for the systematic disappearance of millions of Amharas other than deliberate and systematic acts of violence, displacement, and targeted killings? The evidence is overwhelming: we are witnessing the systematic erasure of an entire ethnic group.
Please, allow me to guide you through some important aspects of the constitution that have contributed to these unfortunate series of events.
The Ethiopian constitution establishes the foundation for a federal system that has significant shortcomings related to ethnic divisions. It starts with the phrase: “We, the Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples of Ethiopia…”not “citizens of Ethiopia.” This seemingly straightforward phrase portrays Ethiopia not merely as a nation of citizens enjoying equal rights, but rather as a federation of unique ethnic groups, each possessing their own territorial claims. The country has become divided, pushing tens of millions of Amharas into a position of lesser status in areas where they have resided for generations.
Additionally, the foundation of the constitution emphasizes that “our collective future can be best achieved by addressing past injustices and by enhancing our mutual interests.” This statement, although it appears to advocate for fairness, has been understood and implemented in ways that have marginalized and even demonized the Amhara. The Amhara have frequently been falsely depicted as the beneficiaries of previous imperial and centralized administrations, resulting in a narrative that characterizes them as historical oppressors. This fake story has sparked ethnic animosity, fostering a climate where violence against the Amhara is not just accepted but rationalized as a means to address perceived past injustices. What we witnessed in the past three decades is a system that has marginalized and targeted Amharas in areas such as Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz, where they have faced displacement, mass murders, attacks, and violence for being perceived as “outsiders” in their own homeland.
One of the most concerning aspects of this constitution is Article 39, which allows ethnic groups to pursue secession from Ethiopia. This article has emboldened ethno-nationalist movements that see violence, displacement, and forced assimilation as acceptable means of pursuing self-determination. The Amhara community has faced significant challenges due to the aspirations of these ethno-nationalist groups, especially from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the TPLF. In Oromia, Tigray, and other areas, there have been genocidal campaigns that the targeted Amhara communities.
In Addis Ababa, the capital city where Amharas form a significant majority, the current government led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Oromo Prosperity Party is engaged in efforts to remove Amharas and other ethnic groups in order to bring the city under Oromia’s regional authority. This is an effort aimed at eliminating the Amhara presence and culture from the core of Ethiopia.
The process of creating the 1995 constitution was heavily influenced by ethno-nationalist groups, particularly the TPLFand OLF, while the interests of the Amhara were largely overlooked. Regional entities established by the constitution like Oromia, Tigray, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR) were intended to focus on the needs of particular ethnic groups at the expense of the Amhara community. The Amhara community, even though known to be one of the largest and historically significant role players, faced exclusion from important political and economic decisions, making them susceptible to the influence of a central government focused on fostering ethnic division and conflict.
Honorable members of Congress,
The Ethiopian constitution is not just problematic. It serves as the catalyst for the ongoing genocide against the Amhara people. It has established a framework that encourages separation, conflict, and suspicion among communities. It has established a system of segregation against the Amhara people, forcing millions to become refugees within their own homeland. It has enabled a government to conduct a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing in many parts of country including in the capital city of Addis Ababa.
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While the ethnic-based constitution has long fueled division and sowed the seeds for ethnic strife, we do not have the luxury of focusing solely on constitutional reform. We face an urgent, life-or-death situation.
At this very moment, mass killings, arbitrary arrests, drone attacks, and the burning of churches are systematically targeting the Amhara people. These atrocities are not isolated incidents. They are the direct consequences of an ethnic federalist constitution that legitimizes attacks on Amharas. The constitution created an environment where ethnic groups are pitted against each other, and the Amhara are now facing the brunt of this brutal reality.
However, our immediate priority cannot be focused on just constitutional amendments or debates. As I speak, the Amhara people are being attacked under what amounts to a state mandate to erase their very existence. The violence being inflicted on them is so pervasive and severe that unless we stop these mass atrocities now, no meaningful reform will be possible.
Reform can only come once the ongoining violence ends. Until then, we must concentrate our efforts on stopping the weaponization of rape, the deaths of innocent children, government sponsored drone attacks, halting the mass arrests, and ending the ethnic cleansing that is ravaging the Amhara people.
I urge you to take immediate action to address this urgent crisis. Without swift intervention, we will continue to witness the systematic erasure of an entire ethnic group. Let us not allow the flames of genocide to burn unchecked while we debate reform. Let us first save the people, and then pursue justice.
Thank you.
