Talk:Persecution of Amhara people/Archive 1

This is an archive of past discussions about Persecution of Amhara people. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Archive 1

Archive 2

Serious charges, no references, tagged as POV

I've tagged this recently created article as a possible violation of our policy of neutral presentation. It makes very strong claims, starting with the use of "genocide" in the title, and although it mentions specific events, it is completely unreferenced, making it impossible for the reader to verify the truth of the claims. As editors, we must remedy this, including presenting any reliable sources that give a conflicting point of view.

I believe the topic is also subject to discretionary sanctions under an Arbcom decision. Yngvadottir (talk) 09:37, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

This is sheer advocacy. Nuking is a good option. TrangaBellam (talk) 10:38, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

That is, however, a reliable source. I would feel uncomfortable about nuking by redirection (where to, for one thing?) and it's not a candidate for speedy deletion. I noted that the creator is working on a referenced version in their sandbox, for some reason not adding the references to this article; maybe they intend to overwrite it when they're ready, but I urged them to add the refs to this published version. (I don't see that ref there, but they have quite a lot of refs.) What I have wondered about is moving it to draft. Yngvadottir (talk) 07:53, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Hello All. Thank you for the feedbacks. Please forgive that I am new for the wikipedia publishing process. The first article without references was published by mistake- some how i assumed it saves it the sandbox automatically. I am not sure if deleting this article would be possible without affecting the sandbox draft that i am adding references at and still editing.

Content wise, the Amhara Community in Ethiopia lacks representation for all type of crimes committed against the people since 1990 (Articles 6/Genocidal act, 7/Crimes against humanity and 8/War crimes of the Rome Statue/UN convention). Acknowledgment and proving genocide is a challenging process but the crimes are listed clearly but the UN Genocide (high levels below). The crimes against Amhara are listed in this draft.

Format wise, if it is preferred to present this document using the 10 stages of genocide I can add that in a tabular form as well for clarity purposes.

https://iccforum.com/genocide-convention

https://www.csce.gov/issue/genocide-crimes-against-humanity-and-war-crimes

https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.1_Convention%20on%20the%20Prevention%20and%20Punishment%20of%20the%20Crime%20of%20Genocide.pdf

I guess the key takeaway is that the examples/references that I am adding should support the crimes. It may appear fragmented but that is because it is an ongoing event with limited coverages. Please look into the Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and UN independent reports that have been captured since 1992 (the political tone may vary with time).

Please stay patient and provide me your feedbacks so that I adhere to the Wikipedia guidelines.

Thank you. AmharaWAAGpublish (talk) 09:32, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

stay patient with me
so that I make sure I adhere to the publishing guidelines AmharaWAAGpublish (talk) 09:34, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Moving the published to "draft" would be great. You may have seen my note- it is a complete error publishing it before adding references.

We have a "Sandbox" version. Please advise me. Thank you. AmharaWAAGpublish (talk) 09:38, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

@AmharaWAAGpublish: I'm ill placed to advise you; I know next to nothing about the topic area, or even how to tag this article as falling within discretionary sanctions. I think I'm going to ask for help from someone I trust to understand Wikipedia's procedures. However, now that this article exists, and regardless of whether it gets moved to draft, please add the references to this version, and don't overwrite it with the userspace version. It's been edited by others in the interim, and both the history and the improvements (wikilinks, categories, etc.) should be preserved. Also, you used "we" above; is your account operated by more than one person? I don't believe that's allowed. If there are others actually editing using the account, rather than making suggestions and helping research sources, please have them register their own accounts for the sake of transparency under our licensing. (The policy is here.) Yngvadottir (talk) 00:00, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

Hello. I would appreciate any help as well. Just to clarify, when I mentioned "we", i dont mean another person is working on the article. It is more to represent our cause from- i took this assignment from our non-profit that working on researching, document the Amhara cause. I can guarantee you that i am the only person working on this. I am still in the learning phase though.

I was wondering if I can remove the published article so that i can use the sandbox version as "fresh article". Would that be allowed? If so could you please share any tips? Thank you for your patience and help. I will check the level of edits made on the published article as well. AmharaWAAGpublish (talk) 03:11, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

I just noticed the typo and i keep loosing my edited version in the sandbox as well. It may be time to take some break. Please forgive the errors in the message above. AmharaWAAGpublish (talk) 03:13, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

Back again. Now, thinking about it, since most of the references are already in one place it should be easy to add the references in the published article as you advised. So, please ignore all the questions i asked above. I will make the edits in the article from now on but will use the sandbox to draw the reference information.

Just checking, how likely you think that I can get out of this Sanction after adding all the references and improving the overall article- follow the Neutral writing approach?

Thank you AmharaWAAGpublish (talk) 03:30, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for adding the references here, that puts the article on a far better footing :-) I see this page has also been tagged so that Wikiproject members can help improve it and so that it's clear it falls under discretionary sanctions, and that you've been informed on your talk page about those. As you have no doubt seen from those templates and their links, those are not sanctions in the sense of punishment, nor do they apply to particular editors as such, but rather, editing in the subject area, by all editors, is subject to a particularly strict interpretation of Wikipedia's behavioral guidelines. If you have any specific questions, please do ask people who know more than me, but in case you were worried, that's how I understand it to work. Yngvadottir (talk) 01:41, 11 May 2022 (UTC)

This helps! I understand now that Wikipedia has special process for HORN. I will do my best to improve the document and work with you all to hopefully meet the requirements. As you suggested, I will also try to find others for any questions. The links under "categories" might be good starting place (the "Human Rights" part). Thank you again! Petra0922 (talk) 15:58, 11 May 2022 (UTC)

Capturing the early history of the article

Following the 11 May 2022 discussions— on the article mistakenly posted prior to adding sources and while working on the sandbox versions, the article creator agreed to Yngvadottir recommendation to continue adding references to the article
Within few days, the article was Draftified since it wasnt ready
After improving the Draftified version (sections rewritten and made other intensive edits), it was submitted for AFC
The article then accepted with B-level rating
Experienced editor then re-rated the article to C-level for Citation style issue (the article at that time consisted of External links and also Bare URLs)
Once the modifications on Citations and External links completed, the editor further re-rated the article back to Level-B

This summarizes the history until June 2022. This is to avoid possible confusions, some editors still think the issues above not addressed (see below). Petra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Hi, I would recommend to read this Wikipedia page on a common genocide incitement technique, called "accusation in a mirror":

https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Accusation_in_a_mirror

"ccusation in a mirror (AiM), mirror politics, mirror propaganda, mirror image propaganda, or mirror argument is a hate-speech incitement technique. AiM refers to falsely imputing to one's adversaries the intentions that one has for oneself and/or the action that one is in the process of enacting.

The term in French, "accusation en miroir", was described in a paragraph in a 1970 adult education manual entitled Psychologie de la publicite et de la propagande—part of a large, comprehensive series of ESF Collection formation permanente publications intended for adult education and professional formation. The French author and editor, Roger Mucchielli, intended the material to education others to be able to identify publicity and propaganda techniques in order to thwart them. Mucchielli explained how the perpetrator who intends to start a war will proclaim his peaceful intentions and accuse the adversary of warmongering; he who uses terror will accuse the adversary of terrorism.

However, during the 1994 Rwandan genocide AiM was used—along with other propaganda techniques—by the Hutus to incite the genocide. By invoking collective self-defense, "accusation in a mirror" justifies genocide, just as self-defense is a defense for individual homicide. Susan Benesch remarked that while dehumanization "makes genocide seem acceptable", accusation in a mirror makes it seem necessary".

I would then recommend to look into that this "Amhara Genocide" page was put up at the same time as this is happening:

https://twitter.com/ZekuZelalem/status/1077942912586051584

https://twitter.com/martinplaut/status/1406142308572143621

https://twitter.com/GebrekirstosG/status/1336617253664677888

On 6th of April 2022, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch (HRW) jointly publised a massive report on what they term "ethnic cleansing" from Ethiopia and the Amhara region against Tigrayans in Ethiopia. Title "We will erase you from this land”: Crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Ethiopia’s Western Tigray Zone". Link: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr25/5444/2022/en/

Both Amnesty and HRW have put parts of both Amhara and Ethiopian elites on a list of suspect criminals here, and are calling for the UN to get involved in what they are implying might be a possible genocide. It's extremely systematic, it's state-sponsored and/or accepted, and it's massive. I'll quote from the recommendations:

Page 187:

"To the United Nations Security Council":

"Impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Ethiopia and Eritrea that covers the direct and indirect supply, sale, and transfer, including transit and trans-shipment, of all weapons, munitions, and other military and security equipment, as well as the provision of training and other military and security assistance".

Page 188:

"To the United Nations Security Council":

"Call for the UN special advisor on the prevention of genocide to conduct a factfinding mission in Western Tigray and provide a formal briefing to the UN Security Council".

Page 188-189:

"To the African Union and AU Member States":

"Call for the UN special advisor on the prevention of genocide to conduct a factfinding mission in Western Tigray and provide a formal briefing to the AU Peace and Security Council".

Page 189-190:

"To Ethiopia’s Partners including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and its Member States, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and China":

"Immediately suspend the direct and indirect supply, sale, and transfer, including transit and trans-shipment, of all weapons, munitions, and other military and security dual-use equipment, as well as the provision of training and other military and security assistance pending thorough investigations into allegations of human rights violations".

This Amnesty and HRW-report was published at the same time as Amhara activists massively spread and pushed a mirror accusation with the same accusations.

Some other sources about what's done towards Tigrayans now should also be looked into:, e.g those:

1. https://www.facebook.com/654684251716987/posts/1022024241649651/.

Explanations: The link is to the official web page of the Ethiopian military, and was published at the same time as a genocide on the Tigrayans began in 2020. Body: Tigrayan regional flag. Head: TPLF emblem. Black thing in hands: Ethiopia. Black in mouth: Eritrea. The illustration refers to this: That Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia in the 1990s, and that a multi-national constitution with right to independence for other regions (article 39) was established in the 1990s. This consitution is a strong federal constitution, and give protections for conquered, oppressed nations against central-government attacks and mass murder-warfare. It gives them the right to protect themselves against genocidial violence from crazy Ethiopian ultra-nationalists. The current Ethiopian regime/the military sees this as evil, divisive and a threat to ethnic unity, and wants to exterminate and destroy the ones who oppose them (here: destroy the Tigrayans).

Here's a link from 2005 where the then-TPLF-prime minister commented on this:

https://www.arabnews.com/node/266513

"Ethiopian PM Warns Voters Of Rwanda-Style Bloodshed [...]

Meles said opposition parties were promoting divisive ideologies similar to those of the ethnic Hutu Interahamwe militias who massacred hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsis and Hutu moderates during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

“I call on the people of Ethiopia to punish opposition parties who are promoting an ideology of hatred and divisiveness by denying them their votes at election on May 15,” he told an interviewer during a four-hour question and answer session aired by state television late on Thursday.

“Their policies are geared toward creating hatred and rifts between ethnic groups similar to the policies of the Interahamwe when Hutu militia massacred Tutsis in Rwanda,” he said. “It is a dangerous policy that leads the nation to violence and bloodshed.”

Opposition parties are campaigning to change the constitution to remove an article that grants the right for any of the nine ethnically based federal states that make up Ethiopia to secede, saying it undermines unity."

2. http://globenewsnet.com/politics/former-tigray-interim-government-higher-official-says-genocide-has-been-committed-on-tigrayans/

3. https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n12/alex-de-waal/steal-burn-rape-kill 185.176.244.66 (talk) 12:03, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

AmharaWAAGpublish told you this:

"Please look into the Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and UN independent reports that have been captured since 1992".

I've done that.

The only thing I can find that is pointing to - and could be argued in combination with other sources - to constitute a genocide in Ethiopia since 1992, is this:

1. Against Tigrayans: Ethnic cleansing in combination with blocking of escape routes and deportations. Time: from 2020-2022: https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/06/crimes-against-humanity-and-ethnic-cleansing-ethiopias-western-tigray-zone

"murder, torture, forcible transfer, rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearances"

Perpetrators: The Ethiopian state and the Amhara regional state of Ethiopia.

2. Against Tigrayans: Ethnically based concentration camps with torture, extermination through labour, starvation etc. Time: From 2021:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/01/05/ethiopia-returned-tigrayans-detained-abused

Perpetrators: The Ethiopian state.

3. Maybe against the Ogaadeeni clan in the Somali regional state of Ethiopia. Time: 2007:

https://www.hrw.org/report/2008/06/12/collective-punishment/war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity-ogaden-area

4. Against Tigrayans, mass rape as a form of ethnic persecution. Time: From 2020:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr25/4569/2021/en/

Perpetrators: Etiopia, Eritrea, Amhara. "The perpetrators include members of the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), the Amhara Regional Police Special Forces (ASF), and Fano, an informal Amhara militia group".

This is massive, large-scale, and happens from several different national armies + different national militias at the same time. All of those invaded Tigray at the same time; they're under the samme command; they don't even speak the same languages. This is evidently top-ordered, not spontaneous, singular-unit war rapes.

In combination with other sources about scale, intent from perpetrators etc, those rapes against Tigrayans is he only case I've seen that can constitute rape as an act of genocide, APART from the Ogaadeeni case from 2007 (and that one is doubtful. Needs more evidence of intent that Ogaadeenis were targeted as such, plus it might instead have been crime against humanity as counter-insurgency instead + scale is probably to small to constitute genocide) 185.176.244.66 (talk) 12:33, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

I agree. I've written two comments under the topic "Unsourced intro" (from 9th of September and 18th of September 2022). Would you be so kind as to read them?

I'm concerned that this whole page "Amhara Genocide" is a propaganda set-up, to be honest. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 11:27, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

I noticed you are commenting to the feedbacks given when the draft was posted by mistake before making significant changes and the latest article has been rated as class-B after it has been draftified. Recently Wikipedians voted to keep the article based on its Notability. Here is the link: Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Amhara_genocide Petra0922 (talk) 12:26, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Hi again, thank you for notifying me. I'll have to read more closely up on how Wikipedia edits and discussions are done. I saw that there had been a discussion that had been ended, and I think that discussion should be re-evaluated. Especially since the ones who participated in it said that they aren't knowledgeable about this topic.

Much of the "Amhara Genocide"-entry as a whole is not sourced, and is propaganda and conspiracy theories. I could start deleting the sentences that are not sources, but then most of the Wiki-entry would be gone. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 12:41, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

You seem to be sure of yourself claiming expertise in Human Rights cases than the voted members and also on devaluing the national and international sources, which is over 200 in number. While discussion continues please let us stay respectable of the victims and their stories.Petra0922 (talk) 12:54, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Hi again, Petra. I have not been "claiming expertise" in human rights cases, as you say that I have, and neither am I saying I don't have such an expertise. I hadn't said anything about it at all. My concern here is about what I'm stating in my comments. I think other Wikipedia members are able to critically evaluate my comments, and to consider the reliability of sources themselves.

I'm positive to using sources that are reliable and gives evidence of a genocide, even though the sources may be difficult to access or not presented by reputable third-parties. An actual genocide might be ongoing, where lack of interest or other reasons might have led to there being few mainstream sources on the topic. I'm sorry if I have come across as disrespectful against victims and their stores. I'm aware that there's ethnic violence against Amharas in Ethiopia. My comments are about a claim of an "Amhara Genocide" in general, and more specifically that the Wikipedia page on this has a myriad of sources that are presenting conspiracy theories and mirror accusations. Evidence of a genocide may be fragmented. I'm not disagreeing with an argument that a claim should be considered properly sources, even if one has to dig into many sources and combine those sources to back up the claim. But a risk here is that someone may put up a myriad of sources that doesn't give evidence for strong claims, and gamble on that few will have enough competence on Ethiopian history and/or relevant background to read through the sources, identify long-standing conspiracy theories and unfounded claims, and point out that this Wikipedia-page is not properly sourced.

An example:

The Wiki-page is centered around a claim that a multi-national constitution in Ethiopia has lead to state-led ethnic violence since 1991. The argument is about that there is an ongoing genocide against Amharas in Ethiopia. This is a claim about the crime of crimes, not about inter-communal ethnic violence or even state-led ethnic oppression. The perpetrators are claimed to be the TPLF (EPRDF) and OLA, which both had a foundation in the 1970s as then-liberation movements for the nations of Tigrayans and Oromos, respectively. The claimed "Amhara Genocide" is supposedly caused by a divisive ideology and a constitution of self-determination.

I pointed out that there was less state-led ethnic violence from the 1990s than before 1991, not more.

You then told me, and I'm quoting:

"If we look closely at the history of Ethiopia, a variety of ethnic attacks began after EPRDF came to power (shown in the sources used in this article). Other outbreaks of violence prior to this period were based on conflicts in political ideology and societal class, rather than ethnic identity (genocidal intent for eliminating certain ethnic groups)".

I then pointed out that there was extreme state-led ethnic violence before 1991. This was especially committed against Oromos, and possibly also against Tigrayans. I used two third-party sources (a report from Cultural Survival and the book Surrender or Starve) from the 1980s to source this.

There exist one - 1 - well-documented case of possibly ethnically-targeted violence from the Ethiopian state from 1991 until 2018. It's from 2007, and can be found in the Human Rights Watch-report "Collective Punishment: War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity in the Ogaden area of Ethiopia’s Somali Region" (2008). If one wish to argue that this was a genocide, it was against the Ogaadeeni clain, not against Amharas. The case is also similar to a myriad of cases that have happened historically long before 1991, it's hard to understand why this case should have a connection with a multi-national federal system.

From 2020, there's the case of Ethiopian state acts against Tigrayans. This case is large-scale, and there's ample evidence that it's ethnically targeted against Tigrayans as such. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 14:21, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

This article is written mainly on the cases of Amhara although it provides general historical context. To help focus the discussion towards the articles content, you have been repeatedly referred to the articles point listed under Genocide denial discussions that you seem to dismiss. For incorporating details on Tigrayans, I suggest to refer and edit this article, Tigray War- this page provides insight on the dynamic nature of the situations. The conflicts and historical human right cases in Ethiopia involve various ethnic groups. Petra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Amhara genocide

Amhara genocide happened in Wollega, Oromia region. The Amhara people living in Wollega as minority, faced mass killing and displacement from the period Abiy Ahmed Ali come to power and still on going event throughout Oromia region 197.156.118.178 (talk) 12:53, 4 June 2022 (UTC)

Yes, systematic Amhara genocide is going on. Nathanaelsd (talk) 21:18, 18 July 2022 (UTC)

The role of the West in the (denial) of Amhara genocide.

The role of the West is completly ignored in the article.

1. The role of anti-Amhara Western so-called ‘scholars’ who actively demonized Amharas is left out of the article, dating back all the way to the period of Facist occupation by Italy to contemporary so-called ‘scholars’ who dehumanized Amharas by claiming Amharas don't exist, seized by ethno-nationalists as reasons to marginalize Amharas in areas of Ethiopia where they are a minority.

Already dehumanized by the some sectors of the West as a non-existent group, Amharas are further subjected to forced assimilation in Western countries where they ended up as refugees. Through economic, racial and societal marginalization, Amharas lose their native tongue, cultures and communual bonding.

Ofcourse it's almost taboo to critize the West, due to Amhara culture of not directly critizing authority.

2. The role of the West and it's so-called reliable Western media censorship of Amhara persecution and killings during TPLF-led federal government, and now by the dictatorship of the Abiy Ahmed Ali. The role of foreign search engines such as Google to censor awareness about Amhara genocide, or the more than 2 million killed and dissapeared between 1994 & 2007.

3. The role of foreign arms suppliers (East and West) in the killings of Amharas and foreign companies providing contraceptions to force sterilization on Amhara women. YonasJH (talk) 11:19, 6 June 2022 (UTC)

Hello YonasJH (talk). Thank you for the feedback. This article is open for editing specially after addressing the Citation issue that myself and other editors are working on. The 1994-2007 census outcome, the sterilization and other cases are covered (I encourage you to revisit the details).

I agree the article needs to expand its scope to provide well referenced historical context and to cover details of many events leading up to the genocide. I have some ideas but please I encourage you to contribute to/edit the work following WP:GUIDELINE. Petra0922 (talk) 10:01, 7 June 2022 (UTC)

Moving to draft

I get this will be a likely controversial move. But the work of the refs is heavily problematic:

Some of the sources given are from Youtube (for instance this one, as well as this broken link)
A lot of them are so to the Amhara Association of America, a lobbying group
One ref is sourced to Getty images
A good deal of these sources, including Borkena, apanews.net, Ethiopia Insight, and the Moresh Wegenie Amara Organization don't seem to have an established general credibility
There are at least two links to Fana Broadcasting Corporate, a state-owned news agency
Some of these, like TRT, Al Mayadeen, Breakthrough News, and et cetera. are downright unreliable
There are actually many reliable links, but these are mostly used for specific reports of atrocities rather than a wholesale genocidal campaign, although some do speak of ethnic cleansing
Most don't seem to describe what's happening in the context of a Genocide

Overall- I think the (reliable) refs given don't support portrayals as a genocide, more often as a persecution or ethnic cleansing. A better title and subject that this could cover might be Anti-Amhara sentiment or persecution of Amharas, both of which nobody denies exists. Dunutubble (talk) (Contributions) 19:45, 20 June 2022 (UTC)

Hello Dunutubble. I have serious concerns about the reasoning provided about the move of this article from the main space. The article writing was guided by the United Nations Genocide Convention, definitions of Genocide and the Rome Statute. I will add more response to your proposed edits as soon as I finalize my research about the two United States-based Non-profit grass root organizations you commented on. So far my research verifies that both AAA and Moresh Wogene are focused on documentations with field data- which I believe their work are crucial for what I call "marginalized" (barely campaigned), human right cases such as Yemen, Amhara, Afar, Anuak, Gedeo, Kore, Amaro, Ogaden, and many others. Generally, the USA 501c3 organizations are expected to demonstrate accountability for their work. The declaration or denial of mass violence or Genocide against certain group needs to be properly assessed and should be done with careful evaluation of political and cultural perspectives, historical understanding of the country and specific groups, and studying of other factors. I am trying to understand your approach of characterizing Genocide that seems to suggest informal requirements rather than adhering to the elements stated under Article II of the UNGC, and also specific definitions provided under Articles 6, 7, & 8 of the Rome Statute. I will add more information towards the end of the week. I encourage and invite more discussions that are based on fundamental International Laws. Petra0922 (talk) 19:01, 22 June 2022 (UTC)

Dunutubble, other than your argument that several of the sources are unreliable, none of what you say justifies draftification: your main point is that the article should be titled something other than "genocide". The article has been assessed at "B" class. Since you note that the article also has reliable sources, and find ethnic cleansing a more common term in those, would you be amenable to reverting the draftification and instead moving the article to Ethnic cleansing of the Amhara? Or can you suggest a better title? Petra0922, would that title change work for you? The article could still mention that some have called it a genocide. If that's unacceptable, can you cite here some reliable third-party sources using the term genocide? Yngvadottir (talk) 09:50, 23 June 2022 (UTC)

Hello Yngvadottir! I was compiling information to respond for your suggestions (Identified over 33 separate, third-party reports with mentions of Genocide related to the Amhara and Ethiopia), and also I was preparing responses to Dunutubble, using publication backed explanations of Ethnic cleansing versus Genocide, and other International Crimes. Then, I noticed that the editor didn’t respond at all. I learnt, it is very important that experienced editors watch such major changes and take time to verify justifications. I found this Move confusing and when checking the editors page, I observed multiple warnings related to “edit warring” and repetitive reverting of others work, and the editor providing matching apologies. I thank you for doing this important (the page move) assessment!Petra0922 (talk) 23:44, 23 June 2022 (UTC)

Move to a different title?

After receiving no response from Dunutubble, who recognized that returning the article to draft was a likely controversial move, I've reverted the action as part of the WP:BRD process. Dunutubble's main concern being with the word "genocide", opening a section here to discuss whether the article should be moved, and if so, to what title. We endeavor to base such things on what third-party reliable sources call it. Yngvadottir (talk) 21:13, 23 June 2022 (UTC)

Hello Yngvadottir. I appreciate the approach you took to assess this situation. Thank you for reverting the prior action taken by the other editor, Dunutubble. I can still provide justifications as for why I believe, the article title, Amhara genocide, is reasonable. I compiled specific and large sets of reports that mention the Genocidal crimes against the Amhara. At the same time, my understanding is that the term Genocide shouldn’t necessarily be mentioned in the references- in most of the cases one or more elements of the Genocide components are discussed. My approach was to research, identify, organize and structure the elements of Genocidal crimes from various sources, using the UNGC and the Rome Statute guidelines to create a Wikipedia article that could potentially be used as input for other possible comprehensive works (books, or Genocide reports). Please let me know if adding more details in the talk page would help. Thank you again!Petra0922 (talk) — Preceding undated comment added 00:06, 24 June 2022 (UTC)

Hi, I've written two comments under the topic "Unsourced intro" (from 9th of September and 18th of September 2022). Would you be so kind as to read them?

I'm concerned that this whole page "Amhara Genocide" is a propaganda set-up, to be honest. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 11:26, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

I read them and gave response on that in your very first comments. Please read them. This article provides national and international sources almost after each major statements under each paragraph. Due to the contentious nature of such topics, extensive citations are deliberately included. The contents of this article summarized under Genocide denial discussions. To help focus the discussion towards the articles content, you have been repeatedly referred to the articles point listed there that you seem to dismiss. Disputing the reliability of apparently good sources and demanding other editors to find sources that disproves your unsourced claims or opinions are listed as examples of Wikipedia:Tendentious_editing. In contrast to your comments here, previous discussions by other editors brought up that the article cites too many sources. Petra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

The article provides the BBC as an international source. The BBC is used as a source for major statements. The article makes it look like as if the BBC is a source for claims about an Amhara Genocide and mass-graves being discovered of Amharas. But in reality, the BBC only reported on claims from an institution that is under Amhara regional control (Gondar University). Maybe it would be an idea to instead use BBC reports where the BBC did investigative journalism as a third-party?

This is an example of an investigative report from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61335530

Extensive citations can obfuscate, don't you agree? 185.176.244.66 (talk) 18:42, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Unsourced intro

Intro states this: "Large-scale killings and grave human rights violations followed the implementation of the ethnic-federalist system in the country". References (8 and 9) are to (8) the multi-national Ethiopian constitution of 1995, and (9) a harsh critique of the constitution. Neither of the sources document claims of genocidial- or ethnic-based mass killings caused by the constitution. They don't document human rights violations caused by the constitution either. The intro, when read in context with the title "Amhara Genocide", gives the impression that a multi-nationalist constitution with autonomy and self-determination for different nations has caused a genocide on Amharas. This is not sourced.

It's technically correct that there were grave human rights violations from the 1990s and onwards. It might also be argued that some (non-ethnic) war crimes or political killings technically fits a bill of "large-scale killings". Some credible charges have numbers on over 100. The problem with the intro lies in this:

1) The period from 1991 and the 1995 constitution was less violent (far less mass killings from the state) than the previous period, not more violent. The period before 1991 was marked by an era that was astonishingly bloody (state red terror, man-made famine in the 1980s, extermination in the hundreds of thousands, ethnic cleansing etc). The multinational constitution was followed by less state violence, not more. But the intro makes it sound as if a constitution from 1995 caused a particularly bloody - even genocide - state policy. That's not founded.

3) The intro might confuse political repression and killings for genocide.

We should delete this part of the intro, IMHO. I'll delete it in a couple of days if it's not sourced properly by someone. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 21:21, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

Hello. Addressing the points you brought up for the lead section. Please note that the very first sets of sources (3, 6, 7, and the sub-references listed) provide background on events leading up to ethnic violence and the root cause for intentional identity-based killings with the new ruling. Sources that show examples of ethnic-based violence against the Amhara and others under the EPRDF, the new ethnic-based structure are also incorporated. To help clarify, another reference that specifically explains issues related to self-determination, the controversial Article-39, and "abuse" of the ethnic constitution is re-cited in the lead section. Please refer to the Phase-1 section and the sources listed under it for more details. If we look closely at the history of Ethiopia, a variety of ethnic attacks began after EPRDF came to power (shown in the sources used in this article). Other outbreaks of violence prior to this period were based on conflicts in political ideology and societal class, rather than ethnic identity (genocidal intent for eliminating certain ethnic groups).Petra0922 (talk) 20:32, 12 September 2022 (UTC)

Hello. I'm the person who said I'll be deleting the intro.

There's a myriad of sources here given for strong claims, and the sources are not corresponding to the claims. It's extremely difficult and time-consuming to read through the sources and follow-up if the sources actually give evidence for the article statement about an "Amhara genocide". There's a lot of details and claims. Why can't just the person who wishes to make the claim give a proper source for it, instead of telling e.g me to just spend hours reading the "details"?

I've looked closely at the history of Ethiopia, and that's why I'm questioning both this Wikipedia article, and also your claims. I'll go through them:

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1. You claim this: "Other outbreaks of violence prior to this period [before 1991] were based on conflicts in political ideology and societal class, rather than ethnic identity (genocidal intent for eliminating certain ethnic groups)".

This is simply not true. There's a myriad of sources that documents genocidial, state-sponsored violence in Ethiopia before 1991. Oromos and Tigrayans were particuarly hard-hit. The violence was committed by the state, which was ruled by an, urban, socio-economic elite that speaks the Amhara language (which is different from ethnic Amharas in the Amhara region). Se e.g Cultural Survival about Oromos in 1981: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/oromo-continue-flee-violence

Quotes: "The ruling Amhara, who constitute less than 15 percent of the nation's population but have ruled since the 19th century, have been systematically driving the Oromo for their fertile lands and subjecting them to torture, imprisonment, forced conscription, and execution". And "The roots of the present Oromo-Amhara conflict lie in the late 1800s when the independent Oromo nation was conquered by Abyssinians who were creating an empire. The Oromo have always viewed the Amhara Emperor Menelik and his successors, backed by European powers, as colonizers. His retainers acquired rights over the most productive Oromo lands and were allowed to exact tribute from even greater areas. Written Oromo texts were destroyed and education of Oromos was conducted in Amharic". And "Today under the Dergue it is illegal to speak Oromo for public purposes, Torture, harassment, and military campaigns against the Oromo force many to join the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and others to flee the country. Apparently, the ruling minority cannot afford to allow the majority population to unite [...] The Oromo refugees in Washington left Ethiopia for various reasons. Some were wanted by the police for teaching the Oromo language in village schools."

You could also look into a man-made famine with killing field of enforced starvation against Tigrayans in 1983-1985, where the Ethiopian state killed up to 1 million Tigrayans, and which had ethnic subtext. See e.g Robert Kaplans book "Surrender or Starve", that was published in 1989: https://www.routledge.com/Surrender-Or-Starve-The-Wars-Behind-The-Famine/Kaplan/p/book/9780367304690

Quotes: "Famine in the Horn is both a tool and an aspect of ethnic conflict, with the Ethiopian Amharas of the central highlands pitted against the Eritreans and Tigreans of the north." And under contents: "What the media saw [...] the world's biggest forgotten war [...] the African killing fields".

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2. I pointed out in my first comment that reference 8 and 9 was used as evidence of this claim: "Large-scale killings and grave human rights violations followed the implementation of the ethnic-federalist system in the country". Reference 3, 6 and 7 was not used. I must repeat that reference 8 and 9 does not evidence the claim that they're supposed to, and I'll add that 3, 6 and 7 are also highly questionable.

Reference 3: This is a newly-made Youtube-video by a state-controlled propaganda page in Ethiopia, in a country where journalists and investigators are blocked from free access, beaten or deported. It's not a credible source.

Reference 6 and 7: Those are mostly activist claims and newspaper Opinions, and claims that are not properly sourced. There's also two more credible sources here: The US department report "Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1992", and a statement from The Lemkin Institute.

I'll look first at the US report and then at The Lemkin Institute:

4. The US department report "Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1992":

The 1992 US report says this about Amharas: "Most non-Eritreans, particularly ethnic Amharas, left Eritrea or were expelled if they had close contacts with the Mengistu regime".

I interpret this as being a statement that Eritreans, who had gone through crimes against humanity from the Mengistus, expelled the Mengistus after liberation of Eritrea. But his doesn't give any evidence of genocidial violence. Do you agree?

The 1992 US report also says this: "In many areas of the country the TG [Transitional Government after a civil war] does not exert effective judicial or police control. This government weakness means that those responsible are seldom, if ever, held legally accountable for human rights abuses. There were dozens of instances of violent clashes in the countryside between local militaiy elements of political parties within and outside the TG. In a number of instances, rival groups repeatedly engaged in politically or ethnically motivated violence and killings. In the campaign for the June local and regional elections, the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia was linked to numerous, gruesome, politically motivated killings. Credible allegations spread in May and June that the Oromo People's Democratic Organization, an affiliate of the EPRDF, was responsible for the massacre of Amhara nationals in Arbagugu and in other towns in May and June. In Eritrea there were no reports of extrajudicial killings".

I intepret this as if that there was no evidence of genocidial violence from the Ethiopian state and/or the TPLF. There was a credible claim of one - 1 - massacre against Amharas, and this was probably committed by an "affiliate" of the government in a chaotic post-civil-war situation. The US report says nothing about if those were ethnic Amharas, or if they were urban Ethiopians that just speaks the Amhara language (this is a socio-economic group, not an ethnic one). Ethnic Amharas mostly live in the Amhara region, and are often confused with urban, educated Ethiopians that speaks the Amhara language and lives in towns all over Ethiopia. Political revenge on a ruling class (as opposed to an ethnic group) must not be confused with genocide here. Overall, I don't see evidence of systematic, state-sponsored in this US report. Do you agree?

5.The statement from The Lemkin Institute:

The Lemkin Institute are not activists. It's made up of a few competent genocide scholars. The problem here is that the statement is unsourced, and is mostly plagiarism of unsourced Ethiopian propaganda about an "Amhara genocide". The statement contains so many claims that are obvious propaganda, that it's hard to take this statement seriously.

I'll mention some (A-D) obvious problems in this Statement from The Lemkin Institute:

A) The claim of Tigrayan annexation of the Amhara region from 1991, and ethnic cleansing of Amharas from this area.

B) That the Statement conflates ethnic Amharas with a social class.

C) The claim of "systematic cultural and identity destruction" and a "prohibition against speaking and learning in Amharic" from 1991.

D) The claim of "hundreds of thousands" disappeared Amharas from "the census" after 1991.

A) The claim of Tigrayan annexation of the Amhara region:

Background:

From the 19th Century an Ethiopian empire expanded into neighbouring states and populations. The territory of Ethiopia increased at least threefold. This happened through brutal warfare, colonialism, enslavement, economic exploitation and ethnic cleansing. Nations that resisted were killed, had their means of existence taken away so that they would starve, and were brutally subjugated under enforced administrative rule.

One example is the Woyane resistance in the Tigray region in 1943:

https://martinplaut.com/2019/10/06/when-britain-bombed-tigray-into-submission/

"When in 1942–43 peasants in central and southern Tigray began to rebel out of desperation, they were met with a harsh response. Haile Selassie’s government in collaboration with the British Royal Air Force (RAF), after dropping warning leaflets addressed to ‘the Chiefs, Balabats — people of Tigre province’ on 6 October 1943, devastated the region including Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, throughout the rest of that month.

This quelled the Tigrayan peasant uprising, known as Woyane, meaning ‘revolt’.

Thousands of defenceless civilians lost their lives as a result of aerial bombardment

[...]

Repression did not stop there.

The people of Tigray region were forced to pay large sums of money and their land was confiscated and distributed to loyal gentry as a punishment and as a deterrent to future revolt. A new taxation system was imposed that ‘cost the peasants five times more than they had paid under the Italians’".

The statement from the Lemkin Institute doesn't specify which parts of the Amhara region that was supposedly annexed into the Tigray region in the 1990s. I suppose it refers to Western Tigray. This is an ancient Tigrayan-populated area that was put under forced subjugation.

Jan Nyssen has made a thorough assessment of old maps and administrative boundaries for Western Tigray:

https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2022/05/13/unearthed-evidence-maps-out-western-tigray-dispute/

Some quotes from Nyssen:

"Handtke’s map

Given its greater detail, I have chosen to focus on Handtke’s map (1849), which was prepared by a German atlas-printing house in the mid-19th century.

Handtke’s map is 39 cm wide and 66 cm tall, and is printed on paper that has been bonded to fabric. The scale is approximately 1:5,600,000; relief is shown by short lines representing slope aspect and a general sense of steepness (hachures).

The map, based on early and mid-19th century diplomatic and other sources, has been produced by lithographic printing, with manual outline coloring, as was done for many maps prepared at that time.

The work was created in one of the few stronger cartographic publishing houses in 19th century Germany, managed by Carl Flemming (1806-1878). Flemming was aided by cartographer Friedrich Handtke (1815-1879), who worked on nearly every map assignment for the firm [...]

The map shows that the geography of the Red Sea Coast, Egypt, and “Nubia” was fairly well known, as well as that of the northern and central Ethiopian highlands. These were mapped in relative detail for “Tigre”, “Amhara”, and to the south with fuzzy boundaries for “Schoa”, as the mapmakers referred to these areas [...]

On Handtke’s map, Ras Ali’s “Amhara” corresponded largely to the current Amhara region, yet with Wollo as a separate entity. The territorial organization of “Tigre” included the Eritrean highlands (“Baharnagasch”) and the current Tigray region, comprising “Walkayt” and “Waldubba” in the west".

Short summary: There's detailed maps going back to 1849 that shows that today's Tigray region was not a part of the Amhara region.

But what about who lived there?

Jan Nyssen, quote:

"Remarkably, all language maps of the Ethiopian state sustain the current boundaries of the Tigray region. Such is the case for the map of languages of Ethiopia established by J. Spencer Trimingham, and republished by Egbert Westphal in 1975".

I also recommend this text from 2011 on the topic:

https://hornaffairs.com/2011/06/05/reality-check-tigray-annexed-amhara-lands/

A current claim of "TPLF annexation of Amhara" has been a driving force behind a massive ethnic cleansing of – at a minimum – hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans from Western Tigray from 2020 until 2021. This ethnic cleansing also seems to be a part of an ongoing genocide against millions of Tigrayans in Ethiopia. Tigrayans are presented as dangerous expansionists and that they're annexing land. This is used by extremists to argue for ethnic cleansing, based on a logic of 'if we don't cleanse our land of a danger, they're a danger to us instead'.

An "accusation in a mirror" is a hate-speech incitement technique. It refers to falsely imputing to one's adversaries the intentions that one has for oneself and/or the action that one is in the process of enacting: https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Accusation_in_a_mirror

The Lemkin Institute seems to peddle genocidial accusations in a mirror here. This is incredibly concerning. How did the Lemkin Institute suddenly claim that Amhara land was annexed and Amharas were ethnically cleansed after 1991? Where is their evidence of this? And why did this Statement come straight after a sudden uptick in claims of an "Amhara Genocide" and establishment of a Wikipeda page on this?

B) Conflation of ethnic Amharas with a social class:

I recommend this article about how "Amhara" is a term for two distinct groups:

Pausewang, Siegfried. "The Two-faced Amhara Identity". In Scrinium: Revue de Patrologie, d'Hagiographie Critique et d'Histoire Ecclèsiastique, year 1 (2005), p. 273-286.

"The Amhara" is a term that refers to two different groups:

A) An ethnic group by the name of Amhara, who speaks the Amhara language, are mostly subsistence farmers, have historically been similar to the Tigrayans and who mostly live in the Amhara region.

B) A social class which is urban, educated, speaks the Amhara language, and has violently conquered, incorporated and colonialized other nations into today's Ethiopia since the 19th Century. This social class lives in different areas all over today's Ethiopia, in mostly urban, affluent areas. They usually refer to themselves as "Ethiopians", not Amharas, and claim that they're against "tribalism and ethnic politics". A critical approach to Amhara as a ruling class may refer to them as "neftegna". This term may be translated as "murderous rapist colonizer". A literal translation is "rifle-bearer". "Neftegnas" conquered and colonized. Neftegnas intimately and daily terrorized and subjugated their victims, and bore rifles at all times to oppress and kill.

The Lemkin Statement seems to confuse and conflate those two groups, and accuse different actors (TPLF; OLA) of wishing to commit genocide on ethnic Amharas, simply because those actors have confronted and fought against one of the most violent imperialist and assimilist states in history. This confusion is currently used to present an extermination campaign against the Tigrayans as a fight against "ethnic extremists in the TPLF" or similar disguises.

This is problematic.

C) The claim of "systematic cultural and identity destruction" of Amharas, a supposed "prohibition against speaking and learning in Amharic" since 1991.

A brief historical overview:

Oromos – September 1981 publishing from Cultural Survival:

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/oromo-continue-flee-violence

"The ruling Amhara, who constitute less than 15 percent of the nation's population but have ruled since the 19th century, have been systematically driving the Oromo for their fertile lands and subjecting them to torture, imprisonment, forced conscription, and execution".

"Written Oromo texts were destroyed and education of Oromos was conducted in Amharic [...] The Oromo refugees in Washington left Ethiopia for various reasons. Some were wanted by the police for teaching the Oromo language in village schools. Others had been jailed and tortured on suspicion of belonging to Oromo political organizations".

Tigrayans now – a selection of published texts in 2021 and until now:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-in-tigrays-war-ancient-christian-and-muslim-houses-of-worship-risk/

"In group e-mails, academics such as University of Toronto historian Michael Gervers have been circulating photos of heavily damaged churches and mosques. Some are trying to build a database to list the losses. The information is still fragmentary – but it is enough to deeply alarm the scholars.

“I stand in total disbelief,” said Prof. Gervers, who has spent 40 years studying Tigray’s culture and photographing 70,000 pages of its historic manuscripts. “I’m absolutely shocked. It’s distressing. They’re trying to do away with Tigray.”

He calls it a “cultural cleansing” – an attempt to obliterate the entire Tigrayan culture. Among the treasures at risk are some of the world’s oldest surviving Christian scripture, dating back to the fifth century".

The claim of mass graves being discovered in Western Tigray

There's several claims about mass graves of Amharas being discovered in Western Tigray, which the Wikipedia article describes as "Welkait". See for example this:

"Ethnically motivated attacks against the Amhara have been reported, with mass graves continuously discovered in various locations".

And this:

"Researchers from Gondar University exhumed bodies in thousands in Welkait where the Amhara were annexed for over twenty-seven years by the Tigray TPLF forces".

The sources given are news outlets such as BBC and Bloomberg.

My comments:

The news outlets have not investigated or are claiming themselves that the TPLF or the Ethiopian state have massacred Amharas in Western Tigray. The news outlets are simply reporting claims from Gondar University in the Amhara region. The following should be noted:

- Gondar University is under the control of the Amhara region, a regional state in Ethiopia that is a warring conflict party with the Tigray regional state. - The Amhara region and Ethiopia are blocking the area in question from free access and investigation from independent third-parties. The Amhara region and Ethiopia are allies. Attempts to investigate the case in question will put a journalist at real and imminent risk of harm.

Western Tigray is currently occupied by the Amhara region in cooperation with Ethiopia. On 6th of April 2022, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch (HRW) jointly publised a comprehensive report on what they term "ethnic cleansing" from Ethiopia and the Amhara region against Tigrayans in Western Tigray. Title of report: "We will erase you from this land”: Crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Ethiopia’s Western Tigray Zone". Link: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr25/5444/2022/en/

Both Amnesty and HRW have put central figures from the Amhara region on a list named "Key Individuals Meriting Criminal Investigation, see page 193. Those are figures that are in control of Western Tigray, and they're refusing independent access for investigations.

Claims from Gondar University in the Amhara region, or other institutions under the control of the Amhara region, should not be considered reliable sources. Claims about "mass graves of Amharas being discovered in Western Tigray" should be edited/deleted unless they can be sourced from reputable sources. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 15:17, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Gonder University is a respected Institution in the Country and its research work and publications are expected to meet Higher-Institution standards. The Universities works in many fields are taken credible. In uncovering mass graves in the annexed Amhara lands and the Amhara people who have been living there, the institution and team of researches took leadership on exhuming over 7000 bodies. This has been covered by national and international sources in the article. Please read. The annexation history and sources are well provided in the article. The Tigray powers at the time, forcefully annexed the Amhara lands in Gonder and Raya with its people when they ruled the country for 27 years. A lot of crimes committed during this period that led to years long protests and regime change at last (in 2018). Amnesty International references and other sources are given in the annexation section. Your insistence on calling the suffering of the Amhara, quoting your own expressions, "false", "propaganda", "conspiracy", "wishful genocide", and the like, while acknowledging cases of other ethnic groups except the Amhara demonstrates lack of Neutrality, and skewed editing. Please read the comments left on your user talk pagePetra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

You're right that international news outlets have covered the claims from Gondar University. They've reported about the claims. They've also investigated what's happening. Here's a few quotes of what the BBC had to say about Gondar University's involvement and statements of an "Amhara Genocide":

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61335530

"The remains of hundreds of people are being deliberately destroyed in an organised campaign to dispose of evidence of ethnic cleansing [against Tigrayans] in the west of Ethiopia's Tigray region, according to interviews with 15 eyewitnesses".

"People belonging to security forces from the neighbouring Amhara region, which are occupying western Tigray, have been identified as digging up fresh mass graves, exhuming hundreds of bodies, burning them and then transporting what remains out of the region".

This "come in advance of the possible deployment of a UN independent investigation team which will be led by former International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda".

"Eyewitnesses have said that three days after the funding [to the UN investigation] was approved, the campaign to destroy evidence of atrocities was launched in western Tigray".

"Witnesses said the campaign of the disposal of evidence started on 4 April and was supervised by experts from Gondar University, which is in Amhara region.

"It all started following the visit of experts from Gondar University. When they came, they came with trucks that were loaded with chemicals in white jerry cans. The experts were in the town for a few days giving training to the Amhara militia on how to dispose of the remains and then they returned," an eyewitness said.

Three residents said that militia members had been publicly talking about the involvement of Gondar University and showing off about how the evidence of the killings would not be discovered".

The BBC did their job as independent third-party investigative journalists. Why are you insisting on pushing claims from Gondar University as a "good" source, and not the BBCs investigative journalism instead? Do you think that BBC reports on pure claims from Gondar proves what Gondar says? 185.176.244.66 (talk) 18:33, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Claim of "Amharas are missing"

There's lots of claims on the page that goes as follows:

1) Millions of Amharas disappeared between 1991 and 2018. 2) This is due to massacres/genocide of the Amharas.

Quotes on the page:

"the results of two consecutive National Census Analyses and a report by the State revealed that over 2 million Amhara could not be traced. The figure reflects the decades-long massacres and enforced disappearances of the Amhara people".

"2 million+ could not be traced: fatalities and enforced disappearances part of this figure".

"The twenty-seven years long Tigray TPLF ruling has been characterized as a repressive system with many forms of massacres, disappearances, and systematic destructive measures taken against the Amhara".

My comments:

Two different population censuses in Ethiopia are supposedly evidence of that millions of Amharas have disappeared and presumably been killed.

It refers to those two censuses:

A) The 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia. B) Population and Housing Census 1994.

I've checked the sources, and, paraphrased, the logic goes like this:

"The 1994 census showed that Amharic-speakers made up 17 millions of the population in 1994, and 22 millions in 2007. But, the Ethiopian population as a whole increased from 53 til 74 millions from 1994 until 2007. That's a higher growth rate. The Amharas should have been more numerous. Therefore, millions of Amharas must have been [insert genocide claim]"

The 2007 census is used as "evidence" for several claims: Ethnically-targeted forced disapperances, mass killings, a claim of a massive anti-Amhara forced sterilization program, and so on.

If the cencuses are correct, the numbers demonstrate that the Amhara population increased with 29 percentage point from 1994 until 2007, while the mean in Ethiopia was an increase of 39 percentage points.

This difference could be due to a myriad of reasons.

There's nothing in the 1994 vs. the 2007 censuses that gives evidence of genocidal acts against Amharas. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 15:41, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

"Annexation" of the Amhara region in the 1990s, and theory about TPLF expansionism?

There's several claims in the article about a supposed annexation of areas in the Amhara region from 1991, which goes as follows:

1) The TPLF and/or Tigray region annexed Amhara land in the 1990s.

2) This land belonged to the Amhara region and Amharas.

3) It's a master plan of TPLF expansionism.

Quotes on the Wiki page:

There's a whole chapter on it:

"5. Phase 2. The Tigray TPLF ruling and Article 39 5.1 Annexations"

"The Greater Tigray autonomy that was designed by the TPLF involved the annexation of lands from neighboring Amhara provinces: Gonder and Bethe-Amhara Wollo, with a coastal possession strategy from Eritrea. Immediately after TPLF secured governmental power in 1991, the Raya-Alamata and Welkait Amhara lands were annexed into the Tigray region. These lands have been ruled as southern and western parts of Tigray for three decades. Following the November 2020 Northern Ethiopia war, the Amhara fought to regain access to these historical lands - with reported tension in these area".

My comments:

First of all, I would like to mention that the areas in question are Western Tigray. This is the official name, the historical name, and the areas are Tigrayan. They're not named "Welkait" or "Raya".

Then, I would like to mention the seriousness of the claims made about "TPLF annexation" in the article:

What the article calls "reported tension" is actually a massive ethnic cleansing by the Amhara region and Ethiopian government against Tigrayans in Western Tigray. A current claim of "TPLF annexation of Amhara" has been a driving force behind a massive ethnic cleansing of – at a minimum – hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans from Western Tigray from 2020 until 2021. This ethnic cleansing also seems to be a part of an ongoing genocide against millions of Tigrayans in Ethiopia. Tigrayans are presented as dangerous expansionists and that they're annexing land. This is used by extremists to argue for ethnic cleansing, based on a logic of 'if we don't cleanse our land of a danger, they're a danger to us instead'.

Then, let's look at background for current events, third-party evidence of Western Tigray, and what happened in the 1990s:

From the 19th Century an Ethiopian empire expanded into neighbouring states and populations. The territory of Ethiopia increased at least threefold. This happened through brutal warfare, colonialism, enslavement, economic exploitation and ethnic cleansing. Nations that resisted were killed, had their means of existence taken away so that they would starve, and were brutally subjugated under enforced administrative rule.

One example is the Woyane resistance in the Tigray region in 1943:

https://martinplaut.com/2019/10/06/when-britain-bombed-tigray-into-submission/

"When in 1942–43 peasants in central and southern Tigray began to rebel out of desperation, they were met with a harsh response. Haile Selassie’s government in collaboration with the British Royal Air Force (RAF), after dropping warning leaflets addressed to ‘the Chiefs, Balabats — people of Tigre province’ on 6 October 1943, devastated the region including Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, throughout the rest of that month. This quelled the Tigrayan peasant uprising, known as Woyane, meaning ‘revolt’. Thousands of defenceless civilians lost their lives as a result of aerial bombardment [...] Repression did not stop there. The people of Tigray region were forced to pay large sums of money and their land was confiscated and distributed to loyal gentry as a punishment and as a deterrent to future revolt. A new taxation system was imposed that ‘cost the peasants five times more than they had paid under the Italians’".

Basically, Tigrayans in Western Tigray were put under forced subjugation to exploit them, and to make sure that they starved as punishment for daring to resist colonialism.

The Wikipedia article here presents Western Tigray as Amhara land, which was supposedly "annexed in the 1990s".

I checked out third-party sources to find out this:

1) Historically administrative boundaries. 2) If the area was populated by Tigrayans or Amharas.

1) Historically administrative boundaries:

Jan Nyssen has made a thorough assessment of old maps and administrative boundaries for Western Tigray: https://zenodo.org/record/7007604#.YydACXZBw2w

"Starting from the late 17th C., internal boundaries are clearly shown, with 37 maps (between 1683 and 1941) displaying a boundary that is located well south of the Tekeze River, or even south of the Simien mountains. Welkait is explicitly included within a larger Tigray confederation (periods 1707-1794; 1831-1886; and 1939-1941); it is briefly mapped as part of Amhara in 1891-1894 and part of Gondar from 1944-1990. At other periods it appears independent or part of a larger Mezaga (“dark earth”) lowland region. The Amhara/Gondar – Tigray border is mapped on the Tekeze River at short intervals in 1844-1847 and 1891-1896 and then more permanently between 1944 and 1990. The meta-analyis of the historical maps shows that for the larger part of the last 300 years, Western Tigray has been under Tigray jurisdiction. However, at times of upheaval, the territory has been briefly reorganized under either the Amhara polities or was autonomous".

2) Who lived in Western Tigray?

https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2022/05/13/unearthed-evidence-maps-out-western-tigray-dispute/

"Remarkably, all language maps of the Ethiopian state sustain the current boundaries of the Tigray region. Such is the case for the map of languages of Ethiopia established by J. Spencer Trimingham, and republished by Egbert Westphal in 1975".

I also recommend this text from 2011 on the topic:

https://hornaffairs.com/2011/06/05/reality-check-tigray-annexed-amhara-lands/

Summary:

Tigrayans claim that Western Tigray has always been Tigrayan and inhabited by Tigrayans, but was occupied by the Amhara regional state for a few decades before the 1990s. Third-party sources back those claims.

The page "Amhara genocide" claims, and I'm paraphrasing, that the "TPLF annexed Amhara land in the 1990s, and that's a part of TPLF expansionism". Those claims are not backed by third-party sources. Such claims are a driving force behind a massive ethnic cleansing of – at a minimum – hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans from Western Tigray from 2020 until 2021. Tigrayans are presented as dangerous expansionists and that they're annexing land. This is used by extremists to argue for ethnic cleansing, based on a logic of 'if we don't cleanse our land of a danger, they're a danger to us instead'.

When taking into account

1) That the claims in this Wikipedia article are not sourced by third-parties while opposing claims are, and

2) The gravity and context of those claims.

They should be immediately deleted. I'll be deleting them. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 16:11, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Possible defamation of the head of the World Health Organisation

Some accuations of "Amhara genocide" in the article are directed against particular individuals.

Short bio on the head of the WHO, Tedros Gebreyesus:

He was health minister in Ethiopia from 2005-2012. He was a TPLF member in the government. He was chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, a member of the Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, co-chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization board, etc etc. Ethiopia was named as an exemplary high-performing country in fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, child and maternal mortality was drastically reduced etc etc. He has been credited with wast reforms and an expansion of the Ethiopian health care system, with a particular focus on child mortality, maternal mortality and family planning. Highly praised programmes: https://www.unfpa.org/news/family-planning-liberating-women-rural-ethiopia

Apart from that, he was in the Ethiopian government as a health minister, there was cholera outbreaks in Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian government/Gebreyesus infamously insisted on referring to the outbreak as "acute watery diarrhea" instead of cholera, to avoid negative attention and scrutiny.

The outbreaks reportedly lead to hundreds of deaths.

That's bad.

But the Wiki article claims that the head of the WHO deliberately tried to destroy the Amhara ethnic group.

Quote from article:

"Deplorable living conditions were created against the group causing preventable death by exposing them to high-risk infectious environments and denying malaria treatments and other critical medical care".

The sources given are mostly for third-party news outlets, that describes the obfuscation of cholera outbreaks. Those sources are not saying anything about genocidal acts towards Amharas.

But one of the sources is explicit in accusing the WHO head of being a genocidal criminal. This source is the "Amhara Professionals Union Research Department".

Quotes from the source:

1. "Crime against Humanity: Dr. Ghebreyesus and his government should be accountable for distributing iodine deficient salt to Ethiopians, affecting pediatric brain development permanently especially “Amhara region” children".

2. "Systematic genocidal violence: The TPLF has historically labelled the Amharas as the historical enemy of the Tigray people. This is expressed in the TPLF manifesto published in 1975. When Dr. Ghebreyesus was Minister of Ethiopian FMOH, he used his Ministry to play a role in accomplishing the objectives of TPLF. The Amhara population lost more than 2.5 million people [...] Ghebreyesus has served to accomplish agenda of TPLF to depopulate Amharas". 185.176.244.66 (talk) 17:15, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

See the response given in Genocide denial discussions. For details of the Amhara missing, in addition to the many families still searching for their relatives, continuous uncovering of mass graves, the information from Ethiopian Parliament details on the numbers, and the significant reduction of the Amhara population in contrast to increase in most other/ major ethnic groups under the TPLF ruling are listed in the sources. Please read. Petra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Genocide denial discussions

I created this section to build constructive discussions on the occurrence of Genocide. Could you please put your claims and argument here? Thank you.

Instead of making logical argument, the 185.176.244.66 insistence on Amharas are not victims of Genocide, I am concerned weather this discussion is intended to attack the content rather than proving whether the article meets Wikipedia notability or other standards or not. You are formulating defensive claims while denying the supported events occurred on the ground, by completely dismissing each and every credible national and international source in the article so far. Your questionable references: Martin Plaut and Jan Nyssen are by the way heavily condemned by the Amhara communities for similar denial of the Amhara Genocide, and generally accused by others as "paid TPLF/Tigray and Oromo/OLF agenda pushers." If you really have serious questions about the Amhara genocide article please let us keep the discussions logical and constructive. The article covered these contents, and I encourage you and other editors from opposing sides to provide arguments under each point. That way we and others can build relevant discussions rather than trying to argue whether genocide happens or not. The article is based on the UN Genocide articles, and most human rights experts are aware that formal genocide declarations are made by international bodies but not by individuals. However, the Genocide Convention provides adequate guidance to help identify, categorize, and determine the nature of violations. The key topics that are covered in the article include

Do the Amhara people exist in Ethiopia? (This is relevant, since one of the propaganda being made against these people is also “there is no Amhara”)
Were innocent civilian of this specific ethnic group killed in mass, and violence committed against the group?
Were there a specific group or system in place that target the Amhara ethnic group? Or are there any known perpetrators or armed groups in the country who are responsible for the killings?
Is there identifiable timeline and possible systematic root causes for these events? Including annexations, policies and others....
Can the list of violence committed against the Amhara and other ethnic groups be characterized/categorized under international violations?
From the international violations, do the crimes committed lie under various article of the UN Genocide Conventions and also the ICC Rome Statute? Can examples/evidence be given?
Is the ethnic violence in Ethiopia active?
Who are historically and currently participating as perpetrators against the killings of the Amhara?
Are there any protective measures or efforts on the ground or implemented?
What possible approach could help stopping the killings of the Amhara and other innocent civilians?
Who are the influential national and international groups that could take measures and participate towards peace building, and implementing accountability measures?

Except “11”, the article provided information on these. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Petra0922 (talk • contribs) 17:13, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Some of the comments by 185.176.244.66 are placed below. Many of the others are in various sections

1.

Petra, you say that I'm "completely dismissing each and every credible national and international source in the article so far". My point is that many claims in this Wikipedia article are not backed in the sources that are presented. Most sources are not reliable or credible, and the sources that are reliable do not demonstrate the claims that are made in the article.

2.

You say that Martin Plaut and Jan Nyssen are "heavily condemned by the Amhara communities" for genocide denial, you imply that they are "paid" by the TPLF, and that they are "content pushers" for the TPLF and the OLF.

I'm not sure if you're trying to discuss the topics I've raised here and be constructive, or if your aim is to accuse people and make personal attacks.

You begin with telling me this: "Put your claims under 'a genocide denial' section".

I encourage you to discuss the topics I'm questioning under the relevant sections in this Talk page. There's many of them, on both source reliability, correspondence between claims and sources, and content of the article (though those topics overlaps). That's more constructive than demanding that people who're disagreeing with you should accept a label of being a genocide denier.

3.

Martin Plaut: He's a former Africa correspondent and editor at BBC for almost 30 years, and an academic. I linked to his web page, which refers to several independent third-party sources for his claims. Among them are David Killingray in The Journal of African History and Hugh Halliday in Legion (Canada's military history magazine). The history about blanket-bombing of Tigray, destruction and land annexation from 1943 until the 1990s is not a secret, and if you read through the sources from Jan Nyssen you'll discover that even the pre-1991-government in Ethiopia mapped out population patterns in Northern Ethiopia and marked Western Tigray as Tigrayan.

Jan Nyssen: He's a researcher. He has put together a comprehensive database with maps that are either independent third-party maps or made by Ethiopian governments that were in open war against the TPLF and OLF/OLA.

The Wikipedia article makes sweeping claims about annexation of the Amhara region in the 1990s, and a claim about TPLF expansionism. Try to read my section called "Annexation" of the Amhara region in the 1990s, and theory about TPLF expansionism". Do you think those claims should be edited out, or not?

4.

You tell me that the Wikipedia article is "based on the UN Genocide articles".

I haven't mentioned anything that's related to the Genocide Convention. If the central claims in Wikipedia article here were reliable, I would state that the acts committed constituted a genocide on the Amharas. My concern - "attack" as you call it - is about whether or not the central claims about genocide are sourced.

5.

You say that "most human rights experts are aware that formal genocide declarations are made by international bodies".

If you believe that I'm arguing for a deletion of genocide-claim-pages unless an international body has declared it a genocide, you're assigning me a statement that I've not given. I'm not arguing for a deletion due to this.

6.

This is what I'm doing:

- Proposing edits and editing parts of the article.

- Adding sections to this Talk page that contains significant new information about the sources and statements in the article.

- Asking serious questions about the Amhara genocide article. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 18:23, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

I don't wish for you to remove my created sections without my permission and put them under a "genocide denial"-accusation. Would you move them bask ASAP? 185.176.244.66 (talk) 20:11, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Apperently, I need to be clearer:

Here's the guidelines for Talk pages;

https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Wikipedia:Talk_page_guidelines#Behavior_that_is_unacceptable

"Never edit or move someone's comment to change its meaning".

"Insults: Do not make ad hominem attacks, such as calling someone an idiot or a fascist. Instead, explain what is wrong with an edit and how to fix it".

Don't call me a genocide denier or falsely accuse me of having "intent" about "consistently defending" genocide perpetrators. Don't move my sections or comments on this talk page as a personal attack. Yes, I know that you moved my whole sections, not single comments, but this is still a personal attack. Regarding section heading, this applies: "Whenever a change is likely to be controversial, avoid disputes by discussing a heading change with the editor who started the thread".

I don't wish for such a massive heading change. Will you be reversing it? 185.176.244.66 (talk) 20:24, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

H, I've written two comments under the topic "Unsourced intro" (from 9th of September and 18th of September 2022). You might be interested in reading them, especially the latter one. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 12:15, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

By the way response has been given to your comments. In addition, I noticed you are commenting to the feedbacks given when the draft was posted by mistake before making significant changes and then draftified article rated as class-B. Recently Wikipedians voted to keep the article based on its Notability. Here is the link: Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Amhara_genocide Petra0922 (talk) 12:27, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Borkena is a hate-site against Tigrayans under guise of using "TPLF" as a code word. It's not just a page that lacks general credibility.

Look at this, from only a week back:

https://borkena.com/2022/09/09/tplf-led-axis-of-evil-caused-570000-deaths-plus/

"ROOT OUT THE CANCEROUS TPLF".

Quote:

"Ethiopians are eager and hopeful that the New Year will usher in durable peace for all. I too am eager to see this happen. Ethiopia’ s young people, Fano, Afar and Amhara Special Forces, Ethiopia’s National Defense Forces are shedding their lives in defense of their country. Girls and women are mobilized in support of their gallant heroes. Their resolve and determination to root out the cancerous TPLF is adminrable. It is only then Ethiopia will enjou a semblance of human security and peace".

"THE GENETIC MAKEUP OF THE TPLF" and "SATANIC GROUP"

Quote: "The international community must recognize the incontestable fact that the genetic makeup of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is unlikely to change. Further, it is improbable that the foreign forces behind the TPLF will condemn the TPLF and urge this satanic group to stop the mayhem and commit to peace".

Borkena is constantly presententing the TPLF as an agent of evil, cancer and Satan that is destroying Ethiopia, and also conflating the TPLF with Tigrayans. It's a presentation of poor Tigrayans in the Tigray region as dominant, corrupt minority rulers, and as if good Ethiopians and Ethiopia needs to fight against evil to survive.

This is classical genocidial ideology.

And this is said in a context where there's a credible allegation that the Ethiopian state and the Amhara regional state is co-operating in committing a genocide on Tigrayans under a guise of putting down a "TPLF rebellion". 185.176.244.66 (talk) 12:54, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

These quotes on their own are highly alarming, which makes their extensive use as sources in this article concerning. I do not doubt at all that Amhara people have faced their share of genocidal violence and discrimination (and the TPLF - the actual organization, not the Tigrayan people as a whole - are known to have committed horrific acts), but a topic this serious shouldn't rely on sources that employ genocidal rhetoric like this. DJ (talk) 22:05, 25 September 2022 (UTC)

From the understanding of acknowledging genocide by International bodies could take years and in some cases could be political, referring to the fundamental guidelines of the Genocide Convention and assessing actual events in the country could provide critical information and enables others to list the violations (the major portion of the Amhara genocide article). I believe, editors need to elaborate more on the international violations listed under the Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, and the War Crimes sections. As for the extensive references, the intention is more from providing adequate views for such possible contentious topics references are what editors would be referring to in the event of such discussions. Petra0922 (talk) 18:04, 26 September 2022 (UTC)

Please keep your discussions under Genocide Denial section I just created. My understanding is that your arguments are more towards defending responsible groups and systems. Please keep your feedbacks constructive and i suggest to make effort to ideally improve the article rather than using this talk page for defending certain groups. We dont want to engage on edit warring, Wikipedia:Edit_warring. Petra0922 (talk) 17:25, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Let me ask directly here:

Are you accusing me of being a genocide denier?

And if so, what's your basis for this? 185.176.244.66 (talk) 18:56, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

The page about edit warring says this:

"This page in a nutshell: Don't use edits to fight with other editors. Disagreements should be resolved through discussion".

Previously today, I edited parts of the article, after having explained on this Talk page why I did it. You quickly overrode my edits. You also accuses me in your revision of "heavily participating" in genocide denial, and accuses me of having an "intent on defending political systems and alleged perpetrators".

I'm discussing on this Talk page TO AVOID EDIT WARRING.

And then you tell me to avoid this talk page, since "We dont want to engage on edit warring".

Is this a joke? I'm sorry here, but I feel that you're attacking me for just what I'm trying to avoid. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 19:15, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

The layout and how the above comments structured made it difficult for me to find an identifiable and meaningful spot to add comments. See prior comments by Petra0922. Responses are given on topics that are within the scope and related to the article. Petra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Unfounded claims about anti-Amhara "manifesto rethoric" from the TPLF, 1980s

Claims in the Wikipedia article:

"The TPLF-designed Manifesto is criticized for incorporating polarizing contents that symbolize the Amhara people as the responsible ethnic group for socio-economical, and country-level political and historical issues".

And

"The Amhara genocidal process can be classified into four phases: The Pre-1991 rebels movement can be characterized as a phase of Manifesto preparation that influenced the ethnic federalist constitution, with campaigns, reprisal, and guerrilla wars".

"Phase 1. The manifesto rhetoric and historical accounts".

And

"The doctrine consists of anti-Amhara rhetoric that portrays the group as the all-time-sole-ruler".

I've read through the manifesto...

I first recommend this article about how "Amhara" is a term for two distinct groups:

Pausewang, Siegfried. "The Two-faced Amhara Identity". In Scrinium: Revue de Patrologie, d'Hagiographie Critique et d'Histoire Ecclèsiastique, year 1 (2005), p. 273-286.

A) An ethnic group by the name of Amhara, who speaks the Amhara language, are mostly subsistence farmers, have historically been similar to the Tigrayans and who mostly live in the Amhara region.

B) A social class which is urban, educated, speaks the Amhara language, and has violently conquered, incorporated and colonialized other nations into today's Ethiopia since the 19th Century. This social class lives in different areas all over today's Ethiopia, in mostly urban, affluent areas. They usually refer to themselves as "Ethiopians", not Amharas, and claim that they're against "tribalism and ethnic politics". A critical approach to Amhara as a ruling class may refer to them as "neftegna". This term may be translated as "murderous rapist colonizer". A literal translation is "rifle-bearer". "Neftegnas" conquered and colonized. Neftegnas intimately and daily terrorized and subjugated their victims, and bore rifles at all times to oppress and kill.

THE MANIFESTO:

I've read it.

The manifesto is a historical and 1980s critique of oppression against both ethnic Amharas and ethnic Tigrayans. The manifesto is not against ethnic Amharas, it's solely a critique of colonial elites. Actually, it harshly criticizes and confronts 18th Century Tigrayan elites, and discusses oppression of Amharas.

Quotes from the manifesto:

"By the middle of the nineteenth century, Tigrayan feudal rulers gained the upper hand over their rivals, the Amhara feudal rulers. They then set themselves as overlords of the Amhara and other nationalities and perpetrated many crimes. Tigrayan feudal supremacy, which was led by Yohannes IV, lasted for 17 years".

Another quote:

"There were a number of revolts by the people of Tigray against Amhara national domination and oppression. The Amhara ruling classes, in their desire to suppress the resistances and perpetuate their rule, carried out repeated raids and committed untold atrocities against the people, thus, laying the historical basis for the current sharp national contradictions".

The Wikipedia article accuses the TPLF of wishing to commit genocide on ethnic Amharas, even though the Manifesto is obviously about a urban class, and even though the manifesto is harshly critical of oppression against ethnic Amharas. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 18:53, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

The Manifesto specific contents on Amhara, that you simply put as "a critique of colonial elites", that accuses the Amhara with the propaganda and various forms of hate speeches listed in the articles, evolved with time and became the foundation of various derogatory labeling of the group and have been used by perpetrators in the process of genocidal acts, especially when committing the violations. I see now, it is important to include the Amharic version of the Manifesto in which there are unambiguous contents that target the Amhara. In another section, you are defending the TPLF and other alleged perpetrators while denying the suffering of the Amhara, quoting what you wrote, " wishing TPLF to commit genocide on ethnic Amhara." Content dispute is accepted but be respectful of the victims and their stories. I encourage you to follow the Neutrality guideline when editing especially contentious topics such as genocide. I noticed your historical editing showed that you don't have a traceable engagement in any other human rights articles while claiming you are an expert on the matter. You claimed in your comment that, quoting, the voters don't have experience as you do. From the nature of comments added, I have to ask whether this account is used by a single user or multiple editors? Could you please provide information on this? A lot of the comments you added demonstrate randomness while many of the contents are out of scope. Petra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Dear Petra:

1.

Of course, it's possible to hide genocidal intent under code-words. I know that Amharas are a target of ethnic violence. My concerns are if the Wikipedia article misrepresents non-genocidal political analysis and state models as being TPLF hate speech against ethnic Amharas and a comprehensive plan, goal and and systematic extermination of ethnic Amharas.

If you read the article by Pausewang, "The Two-faced Amhara Identity", that was published as long ago as 2005, you'll both see that "Amhara" is a term used for two different groups, and also that educated, urban, socio-economic Amharas in the West often takes on a non-consented role of speaking for ethnic Amharas in general. Much of the Wikipedia article seems to be built around a political opposition towards multi-national federalism ("ethnic federalism" in the article) and claims that so-called ethnic federalism with self-determination rights, right to decolonization and independence are in reality organized genocide. Especially the Ethopian constitition's article 39 (on self-determination and independence) seems to be targeted as a source of evil.

Question, Petra:

Do you believe that art. 39, the multi-national constitution and right to self-determination against colonizers, are a great problem for Amharas?

2.

I have never said that I wish for any actor to commit genocide, I'm not defending perpetrators of genocide, and I'm not denying suffering. You have taken a quote from me out of context and adding a context I never said, with the effect that you made it look like if I wish for "the TPLF to commit genocide on ethnic Amhara".

You wrote this about me:

"In another section, you are defending the TPLF and other alleged perpetrators while denying the suffering of the Amhara, quoting what you wrote, " wishing TPLF to commit genocide on ethnic Amhara." Content dispute is accepted but be respectful of the victims and their stories."

What I actually wrote was this:

"The Lemkin Statement seems to confuse and conflate those two groups, and accuse different actors (TPLF; OLA) of wishing to commit genocide on ethnic Amharas, simply because those actors have [...]".

I hope this was just a misunderstanding from your part, but I must nonetheless please ask you to refrain from such presentations.

3. I haven't claimed to be an expert on human rights topics, which you claim I have.

I refer here to your previous accusation towards me about me having supposedly claimed so, when you wrote on the 18th of September:

"You seem to be sure of yourself claiming expertise in Human Rights cases".

I answered you, also on the 18th of September:

"I have not been "claiming expertise" in human rights cases, as you say that I have, and neither am I saying I don't have such an expertise. I hadn't said anything about it at all. My concern here is about what I'm stating in my comments".

4.

You ask me this, Petra:

"From the nature of comments added, I have to ask whether this account is used by a single user or multiple editors? Could you please provide information on this?"

My answer: I'm a single person. I'm new to Wikipedia, and I haven't even made an account yet. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 20:03, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Talk page changes as unacceptable behaviour

I'm trying to discuss several problems with the Wiki article here on the talk page. An editor (Petra) reacts by personally attacking me about being a genocide denier and having "intent" on "consistently defending" alleged perpetrators of genocide + "political systems". Petra then took all my created sections (the sections are about different topics) and moved them into a section they created on "Genocide denial".

I don't think that's OK. 185.176.244.66 (talk) 20:25, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

I am not sure if you intentionally skipped it, but request was made to you to approach the contents in the article in more logical manner and to reduce confusion by posting various topics in random sections. The reason the contents placed under the Genocide denial is because of the repeated denial statements that you built your arguments on. These are just the two quoted examples you included in your comment but there are more:

"I'm concerned that this whole page "Amhara Genocide" is a propaganda set-up, to be honest…."

"Much of the "Amhara Genocide"-entry as a whole is not sourced, and is propaganda and conspiracy theories."

If you are seriously interested in improving the topic, revisiting the key questions, 1 to 11 that are covered in the article would be a good starting discussion points. However, instead of taking a Neutral approach, you kept adding opposing opinions about the issues which is absolutely fine except it shifted quickly towards defending various groups, which are sourced and allegedly described as perpetrators and root causes. Considering the acknowledgement of the Armenian genocide took up to 106 years, I encourage others to participate in such discussions from understanding of the existence of conflicting groups in such violations, ideas, perspectives and approaches when it comes to this complicated topic. I am not even bringing up the Holocaust denial.

If you decide to move your contents out of the Genocide Denial section, which I believe, it fits best under this section, I suggest, you put them under one major section so that other editors could also follow through the arguments. Petra0922 (talk) 21:05, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Hi again, Petra. I added several new sections today, about several different topics. The two quotes you're referring to were were not something I wrote in any of those new sections. Yes, I'm concerned that the core claims in the "Amhara Genocide"-page are conspiracy theories and false, and also that this page is a part of spreading an unfounded genocide claim. That doesn't make me a genocide denier. Unfounded genocide claims, especially when there's a real genocide at the same time, are not exactly unheard of. It's so common that an almost certain sign of a real genocide, are false accusations towards a victims group about a counter-genocide. This is a type of incitement that's called "accusation in a mirror": https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Accusation_in_a_mirror

You mention the Armenian genocide. I can mention that Turkey (of course) has as a central part of its genocide denial to claim that the Turks were the real genocide victims.

The Armenian genocide and the Holocaust are both exceptionally well-documented, and there's scholarly consensus that they were genocides. You can't compare those to for example claims about a "Hutu Genocide" in Rwanda in 1994, even though there were ethnic reprisal attacks against Hutus from the army which stopped the (recognized) Rwandan genocide on the Tutsis. Genocide denial is either 1) Denial of a recognized genocide, or 2) Specific psychological traits and processes to deny overwhelming evidence of a real genocide where the genocide was not recognized or recognition was disputed (we might discuss if historical Turkish attitudes used to fit into the latter category).

The claim about an "Amhara genocide" is not recognized, and the questions I'm raising do not give you evidence of me being a genocide denier. Again, stop calling me a genocide denier, and reverse your unwarranted moving of the sections I started. Just don't do it.

Here's the guidelines for Talk pages: https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Wikipedia:Talk_page_guidelines#Behavior_that_is_unacceptable

"Never edit or move someone's comment to change its meaning".

"Insults: Do not make ad hominem attacks, such as calling someone an idiot or a fascist. Instead, explain what is wrong with an edit and how to fix it".

Don't call me a genocide denier or falsely accuse me of having "intent" about "consistently defending" genocide perpetrators. Don't move my sections or comments on this talk page as a personal attack. Yes, I know that you moved my whole sections, not single comments, but this is still a personal attack. Regarding section heading, this applies: "Whenever a change is likely to be controversial, avoid disputes by discussing a heading change with the editor who started the thread".

I don't wish for such a massive heading change. Will you be reversing it?

Regarding your repeated requests to me: Yes, I read them, I've not "intentionally skipped" them. Your requests basically tells me to not talk on the Talk page, and instead tell me make edits that you agree with. I'm free to Talk (this is a Talk page) about the Wikipedia article and discuss it, including unreliable sources and sources that don't correspond to claims in the article. Do you have a problem with people disagreeing with you? 185.176.244.66 (talk) 21:50, 18 September 2022 (UTC)

Editors need to follow the guidelines when editing, or for addressing comments/questions/recommendations directly addressed to you (at the articles' talk and also to your user pages). Please see the note left on your user talk page. The recommendation is to keep the discussions concise, and followable, improve the layout, limit the extensive volume on the articles talk page, keep the discussion within the scope, and review the Wikipedia guidelines on Wikipedia:Tendentious_editing,Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view, and others. Petra0922 (talk) 12:37, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Borkena

According to their website's own disclaimer page, they say (in part):

While this website (www.borkena.com) strives to inform readers with accurate information, the editor and/or owner assumes no partial or full responsibility for the authenticity of news published in any category or page of the website. As well, unless clearly specified, opinion’s published on www.borkena.com do not necessarily reflect values, views, perspectives, beliefs and principles of borkena website and/or that of the owner.

I think this, just on it's own, should make us cautious about using Borkena as a source without qualification. DJ (XTheBedrockX) (talk) 06:46, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

@Petra0922 I noticed you reverted my removal of the Borkena links while claiming I'm a sock-puppet (for who?). My rationale for why I removed them is right here, if you were curious. DJ (XTheBedrockX) (talk) 19:24, 30 October 2022 (UTC)

@XTheBedrockX I think I like to break the questions into two:

The first question that probably needs to be discussed on your talk page is that you seem to be dominantly using a revived unused WP:SLEEPER account that edits selectively focusing on building the Tigray matters and narratives in the Wikipedia platform while it is clear that the situations in Ethiopia involve additional, at least other 79 ethnic groups. I will create a section on your talk page for a broader discussion. Related to that such contentious topics that this article is addressing are usually exposed to various destructive efforts from opposing or partial groups and it is not the first time that the Amhara genocide article to go through such processes. Any article should be open for edits however caution also needs to be taken when editing patterns with specific focus are demonstrated through the editors' history. Besides that, you claimed that "you know enough" to push for Wikipedia:Edit warring with other editor who can be described as expert in the matter based on their track record.
The second question about defining reliable sources remains open for discussion however needs to be assessed in the context of the content, and should carefully be weighted, i.e. whether the content in the source is also supported by other complementing references.WP:CONTEXTMATTERS Wikipedia:Reliable_sources While there seems to be a general tendency to associate validity with reports that are covered by the “Western” media as “true or reliable,” it needs to be emphasized that local media and others such as Addis Standard, Borkena, AllAfrica and Black Agenda Report, Mereja, BBC local, DW local…..coverages in English and Amharic provide crucial ground coverages especially in the events when Western media sources are evicted from the country. It is important that there needs to be awareness on every coverage given by “familiar” Western sources could be partial and lack accuracy. Again the point emphasized here is that in this article, any content cited by Borkena is also supported or complemented by other sources too. If you read through the article sources of various backgrounds are given. Petra0922 (talk) 15:32, 31 October 2022 (UTC)

@Petra0922

I tend to fixate a lot on things I care about (currently it's Ethiopia, but I also have keen interests in politics in general); I understand the concern, and I'll be alright discussing this more later.
I have a lot of respect for Addis Standard, Africanews, BBC/DW local, AllAfrica, etc., and the reporters who work at them do an incredible amount of work. I don't have issues with them at all. And I have plenty of my own issues with Western news outlets. My issue with Borkena is the same issue I have with something like EritreaHub, and arguably Martin Plaut (who tend to lean pro-Tigray) - I find the reliability of a lot of their original work questionable, and they often don't fit the standards for Wikipedia, per WP:SCHOLARSHIP. That doesn't mean a source like Borkena can never be used (as you said, WP:CONTEXTMATTERS), but they shouldn't be used excessively. Especially considering they disclaim, outright, that they assume "no partial or full responsibility for the authenticity of news published in any category or page of the website." I will apologize, though, if it seemed hasty or sudden.

DJ (XTheBedrockX) (talk) 16:24, 31 October 2022 (UTC)

I've generally thought that Borkena is usable to represent the authorities' point of view. The info is often rather dubious, except in the sense that it's quite likely to be a fair summary of the Ethiopian authorities' POV, or when it's fairly neutral, such as reporting the appointment of a new Minister. When the info is uncontested or neutral, then specific attribution is not always needed.

The disclaimer does sound like a claim to be an unreliable source. However, my guess is that this is due to an insufficient mastery of nuances in English: what does "authentic" really mean here? BBC would say that its news is "authentic", in the sense that it's based on well-defined methods of seeking information, cross-checking it and increasing its Bayesian probability of being true, and that it's all based on evidence. But the BBC wouldn't say that its reports are necessarily true (similar to Wikipedia; we can't guarantee truth, we only do our best to attain it by known methods). My guess is that Borkena's aim in the disclaimer is to avoid any legal responsibility for defamation, and that this a problem with the nuance between "authentic" and "true".

What would be constructive would be for someone to create the article Borkena - based on good, independent sources of media analysis, so that readers could judge the reliability themselves. Boud (talk) 20:37, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

As stated in one of the above comments on this talk page, Borkena does use hate speech in the Ethiopian context in some cases. Boud (talk) 21:06, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

Essay

XTheBedrockX self-reverted in this edit, removing the essay tag. However, I would tend to agree that the article is currently written like an essay with a strong tendency to WP:SYNTHESIS, especially given that the four-phase structure of "the genocide" is defined in a completely source-less section. Boud (talk) 21:38, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

The article certainly could use some work, I'll agree with that. I self-reverted largely because I didn't really know if it was my place to judge if it was, given the subject of this article. XTheBedrockX (talk) 22:27, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

OK, I see your point; it is more than an essay, even if it's rather messy and has some essay-like qualities and has quite bad sourcing problems. Boud (talk) 21:11, 6 November 2022 (UTC)

Neutrality

The "Partial list of massacres committed by Tigrayan forces" is extensive, but contains only two events for which a separate Wikipedia article exists. The author adding the material is relying on sourcing from the Amhara Association of America, a group whose purpose is expressly to advocate for Amhara. This source cannot be considered neutral in this matter. Either better sourcing must be found, or the extensive list must be pared down to those events that can be indepdently and neutrally verified. WikiDan61^ChatMe!_ReadMe!! 23:01, 3 January 2023 (UTC)

You completely dismissed the response I provided to your other note that you put on my user talk page. My response specified that the edit is a work in progress and other supporting sources are being included. You seem to be restlessly reverting edits and adding a tag in the middle of communication. This is why I am doubting your neutrality as an editor. You seem to insist on destructive edits for articles other than the Tigray situation. As for AAA, it is used as a key source for international publishers including the U.S. Government. Your statement on the work of human rights organizations as illegitimate or unreliable is poor labeling. I have a problem with the tag you added in the middle of discussion, and we should discuss the timing further probably with engagement of other Neutral editors.Petra0922 (talk) 00:08, 4 January 2023 (UTC)

@WikiDan61 More sources are added to the War crimes section and the TPLF invasion of Afar and Amhara. Could you please review it?

The shelling and attacks in the whole region of Amhara except Gojjam and some parts of North-Shewa occurred from August 2021/with an earlier massacre in November 2020, until its last withdrawal in fall 2022. During this period (two full years), TPLF committed a long list of massacres as captured in the article. These crimes are reported by various sources and also by an additional human rights organization, Amhara Association of America (AAA) which provided field data with witness testimonies, victim lists, photos, and locations. Technically, if we look into the purpose of other non-profits such as Amnesty, and Human Rights Watch, they are all set up to "demand/advancing the cause of human rights." The same applies to AAA but this US-based organization was able to leverage its grass-root network to collect data especially when access was restricted. AAA is legally required to abide by the U.S. Non-profit accountability, transparency, and ethics standards for the organization to exist. Petra0922 (talk) 12:38, 4 January 2023 (UTC)

@Petra0922: Thank you for clarifying your sources. I will consider the matter closed now. WikiDan61^ChatMe!_ReadMe!! 12:40, 4 January 2023 (UTC)

Thank you! Petra0922 (talk) 12:46, 4 January 2023 (UTC)

Murder of Amhara elites

I only came across this article today, it often lacks coherence and often appears to be trying to argue a point, rather than report events. A small, but clear, example of the lack of coherence is: The systematic murder of Amhara elites, including internationally renowned diplomats, began in 1975 following the rise of the Derg; however, the mass violence against ordinary Amhara, and intellectuals and civic leaders would not commence until 1990. If intellectuals and civic leaders were not targeted until 1980, who were the elites who were murdered in 1975? Pincrete (talk) 23:29, 15 January 2023 (UTC)

Pincrete Do you mean "until 1990,..."?

I think it's saying elites were picked off singly (though systematically) beginning in 1975, and mass murder began in 1990. But it's unclear, and I agree with your points overall. The article has lots of issues. Larataguera (talk) 00:08, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

This explanation is correct. The rise of the communist Derg, the execution of elites including Emperor Haile Selassie with the massacres of elites under the "Red Terror" campaign, and other forms can be elaborated further. Systematic killings started in the 1970s but organized ethnic-based mass murders intensified from the early 1990s with the implementation of ethnic federalism. Petra0922 (talk) 11:21, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

My point was that the intended meaning was not clear - and the text was superficially self-contradicting. I'm afraid it is one of many examples where meaning is not clear. Pincrete (talk) 12:29, 16 January 2023 (UTC)

House of Representatives Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs publisher: US government printing office

Hello User:Petra0922 you might find this source useful in the article. It's Asrat Woldeyes appeal on behalf of All-Amhara People's Organization to the House of Representatives. The paper alleges grave human rights violations against Amharas including massacres, ethnic cleansing, genocial intent and acts of genocide, committed by the EPRDF, Islamic fundamentalist radicals, the Oromo Liberation Front and OPDO (the forerunner of the Oromo branch of Abiy Ahmed led Prosperity Party) among others, in several areas including Arsi, Bale, Harrarghe and South Shewa.^[1] Dawit S Gondaria (talk) 14:23, 17 January 2023 (UTC)

@Dawit S Gondaria This helps. Thank you. The UN refworld cited as attachment, a translated reference about the Amhara genocide, but it didnt provide the link for it. I am thinking the reference you shared could be related to that. Here is what I found from the refworld: "Ethiopian Review [Addis Ababa, in Amharic]. December 1992. Asrat Woldyas. 'The Genocide of the Amhara People by Ethiopian Government Forces.' (translated by Almaz Berhie Bjornson, Mosaic Translation Services, Vancouver)" Petra0922 (talk) 16:38, 17 January 2023 (UTC)

References

^ Looking Back and Reaching Forward: Prospects for Democracy in Ethiopia : Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session, September 17, 1992, Volume 4 (Report). U.S. Government Printing Office. 1993. pp. 104–109. ISBN 9780160401756.

Dubious

Regarding the 'dubious' tag inserted in this edit:

Prosperity Party appears to be mainly Amhara and Oromo dominated, not just "Oromo-dominated" - unless this is based on the Oromo fraction of the total Ethiopian population being bigger than the Amhara fraction? In any case, a proper source is needed, or even better, remove the adjective "Oromo-dominated" because it's rather weaselly, telling the reader what s/he should think about the PP, rather than providing an NPOV adjective, if needed to very briefly tell the reader what the PP is without him/her having to go to the actual article.

If a national-level Ethiopian political party tends to have more members from the ethnic group that has the biggest fraction by national population, then that doesn't give any useful info to the reader except that the party reflects the national demographic balance. (For example, we don't write "the German-French-Spanish-Italian dominated European Union" in Wikipedia.) Boud (talk) 21:20, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

@Boud: Could you please share the source for the Amhara positions in the Prosperity Party? My research couldn't lead me to the claim. Agreed on the actual population- both make the highest in number.

Here is the clarification for "Oromo-dominated":

This is referring to the ethnic federal system and describes the dominating and highest-level decision-making ethnic group in political, economical, and military systems. For its 27 years of ruling, the Tigray TPLF group dominated EPRDF and that governance was described as TPLF-dominated. See the report by Australian Foreign Affairs. Ethiopia continued a similar system replacing TPLF with ODP (Oromo Democratic Party) and changing the EPRDF coalition with Prosperity Party- having some party representatives from various regions even if the political power is generally dominated by the major party. Please note that Abiy Ahmed is an Oromo and still serves as chairman for ODP, and prime minister of prosperity. The same was true for the late Meles Zenawi (in the previous ruling).

-Abiy’s cabinet is dominated by Oromo ministers in a 13:2:2 to 4 ratio for Oromo: Tigray (interestingly the current Defense minster is led by Tigray region's prosperity party): Amhara, respectively showing most military, economic, judicial & political systems are dominated by Oromo.

-Notice the two consecutive Oromo mayors of Addis Ababa appointed by Abiy Ahmed and the subsequent restructuring of the capital city with various policies, including the annexation of Addis to the Oromia region is another example, although it is resisted by certain groups.

- The European Peace Institute disclosed Oromia building a large number of special military forces (at least 31st rounds already graduated since 2018) with over 100,000 armies with state-of-the-art artilleries, vehicles & accessories. Notice unlike Afar, Tigray, and Amhara, the Oromia region is a NO-WAR zone but there is some political unrest and the Amhara are continuously massacred in the region. In contrast, by the time the report was produced Tigray had heavily armed 80:000 soldiers, and the Amhara force increased its militias from 20,000 to about 60,000 during the war in the later cases both Tigray, and Amhara encountered significant losses while the Oromo military keeps growing despite the war in the North and North-east.

-Other events that are related to dominancy includes impunity, lack of action when OLF groups robed over 20 banks in just a few months, lack of protection of the Amhara civilian in the region for the continuous massacres, other massacres and evictions of non-Oromo in Addis Ababa Shashemene…and other places. Sources are included in this article but more can be provided.

-About ADP (formerly known as ANDM): This political group was formed by TPLF when they took power with mostly non-Amhara members of EPRDF. Just as an example, Bereket Simon was Eritrean- one of the founders and former chairman. Ordinary Amhara oppose the foundation of ADP, which blames the Amhara for the issues in the Country, and ADP's failure to protect the people. Instead, it was accused of allegedly killing the youth/resistance forces, and corruption that led to protests in Amhara and Oromia that resulted in the 2018 “reform.” However, the majority of ADP resumed their position in the Prosperity Party continuing the crack-down arrest of resistance forces and journalists. The Amhara don’t seem to trust ADP to protect the interest of the people and those leaders grown into the role were assassinated. See this source for Amhara vs ADP and this for a report on resentment of Amhara against Prosperity. I've seen your other recommendations as well and I will add the archives. BTW, the Lemkin Institute link was not taken from twitter. Petra0922 (talk) 23:18, 13 November 2022 (UTC)

I don't have a source for the relative roles of Amharas and Oromos in the PP, but the fact that Amhara forces were heavily involved in the Tigray War makes it seem likely that Amharas had a strong influence in decision-making by Abiy's government, although that may have recently changed because of the tentative Tigrayan peace process.

The question of Abiy's parents' ethnic attributions is currently rather poorly presented in the first paragraph of the section Abiy Ahmed#Early life, with the WP:WEASELly "Despite ... claiming" used to describe one POV, and the alternative POV is supported only be a YouTube video, which normally is not a reliable source, and based on the apparent information there, is not a neutral source - it's Abiy talking about himself. In any case, whether or not Abiy has Amhara origins in addition to Oromo is at best only a hint of what the dominating groups in the PP are.

The ratio of ministers (which I haven't checked) would imply that Abiy's government (which is not the PP itself) is Oromo-dominated.

The two Addis Ababa mayors both appear to be from Oromia State, but again, to say how this relates to the PP would require interpretation of power relations. You and I can make personal guesses, but that's not good enough for Wikipedia.

This Addis Standard article uses the abbreviation "APP" for Amhara Prosperity Party, not "ADP". It only describes disagreement between the APP and the OPP - I don't see how it establishes Oromo dominance of the PP. The Africa Report article describes Amharas in Amhara Region being angry with the PP, but again, while that does suggest "Oromo-dominated", it doesn't show that.

Independently of whether "Oromo-dominated" is justified by the sources, it would be best to establish that with good sources in the article Prosperity Party itself, where people can focus discussion on that question. For this article, the WP:WEASEL problem remains. Adjectives on a subject should generally be used if they are uncontroversial and well accepted and help clarify information to the reader about what the subject is, rather than what the reader should think about the subject. For example, a reader may not realise that PP is (currently) the dominating party in federal government in Ethiopia, or that it was essentially created by Abiy. We currently have the rather confusing phrase after PP, "ruling began in 2018". If we had ", the ruling party of Ethopia since 2018", then that would be enough to inform the reader of the main information about the party. Let the reader go to Prosperity Party and then try to decide from the sources there if PP was or is Oromo-dominated.

I hope this helps to explain. Boud (talk) 11:41, 15 January 2023 (UTC)

@Boud The section title has now changed to Oromo-Led and I did check the majority of the ministers in the Prosperity Party are ethnic Oromo. Also improving the overall section. Another thing related to independent sources is that Addis Standard's Notability is disputed and contents are criticized although in this case, the statement made on the naming change from ADP to Amhara Prosperity aligns with the general fact. I also sourced Addis Standard in the past but like to avoid it whenever possible. For Abiy’s ethnicity as partly Amhara, could you share a source for that too? I can't also find any reference that reports the Amhara making the decision on the war, and how that is related to their position in the prosperity party. Could you please share? It is also important to note that Amhara Prosperity Party still consists of the same ADP members; just the name changed (not to forget, the people on the ground expressed issues with the fact that their interest is not represented by the Amhara Prosperity (ADP), since its inception. There are many examples that I can add, especially for the last part. But I think I already mentioned majority non-Amhara elites established ADP (the current Amhara Prosperity Party). Petra0922 (talk) 13:56, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

@Petra0922: I see your point about ADP/APP, that sounds highly credible. The best way to present that information would be to (1) find some WP:RS and edit the body of Amhara Democratic Party to explain how/when/why (depending on what info is in the sources) ADP became APP; (2) ask/propose/discuss on the talk page which name should be the main name, so that after seeking consensus, either Amhara Prosperity Party becomes a redirect to Amhara Democratic Party or vice-versa; (3) after a reasonable delay (e.g. 1 day is very likely too short, 1-2 weeks would be reasonable), do the WP:REDIRECT.

My impression is that Addis Standard is the Ethiopian newspaper of record (though I don't have sources that establish that). Are there any other high quality English-language Ethiopian online newspapers?

"Oromo-led" closely overlaps with "Oromo-dominated". Maybe Larataguera or Pincrete can better explain to you why either adjective, even if it could be supported by sources, is weaselly in this context, and the information should go into Prosperity Party, not here (and editorial disagreements can be sorted out on the talk page over there, not here). Abiy's ethnic origin should be sorted out, based on sources and respecting WP:BLP guidelines, over at Talk:Abiy Ahmed. Boud (talk) 18:10, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

I generally agree with Boud about commentary on the parties. It's maybe less a matter of weasel words and more a matter of scope. This isn't an article about the parties. If there were a source establishing that leadership of the Prosperity Party is important background for understanding Amhara genocide, then you could include it.

I would like to say that this is a somewhat minor detail compared to the article's broader issues (although perhaps it indicates a widespread tone issue). It's difficult for me to determine what's meaningful background and what isn't, because there are so many sources and most of them aren't very good (sorry!). We desperately need 1/2 dozen really good sources to form the bedrock of the article. Petra0922, I know you've proposed some in the move discussion. The formatting of these proposals is awkward and makes it more difficult to review them, but I'll try to look them over. Larataguera (talk) 01:34, 20 January 2023 (UTC)

I don't disagree with what Larataguera says about scope - he seems to be implying that sticking to the main narrative, using best sources will produce a more coherent, more focused article. I admit to knowing very little about this part of Africa or these conflicts, (which may make me a very typical Western WP reader), but the lack of a clear, concise account of events is what I notice most about the article. Sometimes fairly basic mistakes in use of English or unintended ambiguities impede that narrative. Pincrete (talk) 11:43, 20 January 2023 (UTC)

Graham Peebles piece in Counterpunch

Writer and charity worker Graham Peebles wrote a new piece^[1] this time for counterpunch.org. The magazine is listed in WP:RSP but could be considered reliable if it's discussed by a subject matter expert. The person has been engaged with Ethiopia for over two decades and wrote several pieces for different publishers about the political history and human rights abuses. I'm not certain whether Graham Peebles falls under the category of expert, but he seems neutral. Dawit S Gondaria (talk) 18:07, 20 January 2023 (UTC)

References

^ Peebles, Graham (2023). "Ethnic Terrorism Continues to Stalk Ethiopia". Counterpunch.

[1] Looking Back and Reaching Forward: Prospects for Democracy in Ethiopia : Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session, September 17, 1992, Volume 4 (Report). U.S. Government Printing Office. 1993. pp. 104–109. ISBN 9780160401756.

[2] Peebles, Graham (2023). "Ethnic Terrorism Continues to Stalk Ethiopia". Counterpunch.

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