Re: Ethiopia
Arrests of journalists, closure of tv/radio stations & security forces commiting atrocities...these all sadden and deflate the public. No journalist enjoys covering such depressing topics. But it would be immoral & equate to erasure not to...

Doing so doesn't downplay mob killings nor does it make a mockery of others' suffering. The assumption among far too many is that there's no overlapping between recognizing victims of state violence among the Oromo and Wolaita...& recognizing Amhara victims of targeted killings.

Entrenched loyalties combined with the mass media spin coerced far too many to align themselves with contrasting viewpoints calling for either Abiy's consolidation of power, or his ouster. But the viewpoints don't address the aggrieved's concerns: safety, dignity & accountability

The common denominator for atrocities carried out between now and June 29th, is the questionable conduct of Ethiopian security forces. Prompt to fire upon gatherings of unarmed civilians, they were suspiciously absent, uninvolved when mobs laid waste to towns across Oromia.

If Ethiopians weren't so quick to adopt the trench warfare approach, specific incidents could be probed and initiatives that could lead to closure and prevention could be implemented. Alas, denial of learnt experiences from merely weeks, days back is common & fueling the rift.

Examples of erasure: The "Solidarity Movement For a New Ethiopia" went to visit victims of violence in Oromia & document testimony. They omitted all mention of killings by state security forces from their report & likely made no effort to reach out to them.

The "Oromo Advocacy Alliance" listed events starting June 29th, mentioning Hachalu Hundessa's murder & conveniently skipping the murders of Amhara residents of Oromia. The OAA condemned army killings, internet outages, Hachalu's murder, but brutal mob killings got no mention.

Both communiques are the result of the polarized political wrangling, where each side highlights the suffering of those deemed to be their kin while sugarcoating other killings. Both reports ethnicized bloodshed. This does little to foster trust between scarred communities.