By exploiting the absence of major stakeholders and silencing genuine opposition, the regime is cementing an ecosystem designed to secure its survival, not the nation's peace. Fake dialogue will only fuel more conflict. @CrisisGroup@africanews@ReutersAfrica#Ethiopia@Babysho16
# Urgent Press Release
--- Addis Ababa Media Council
---- We Strongly Condemn the Regime’s Arrest of Clergy and Journalists Following the Arsi Massacre of Orthodox Christians.
--- June 19, 2026
--- Nu 19//2026/011
As previously reported, a horrific wave of violence was unleashed across three districts of East Arsi on May 31,2026 and June 1, 2026, carried out by the Prosperity regime and one of its ideological allies, OLF-Shene.
The initial reported toll of this brutal campaign was devastatingly heartbreaking: over 50 innocent civilians were massacred, more than 300 homes and two Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo churches were burned to the ground, nearly 190 people vanished, and over 500 families were displaced.
Since then, ongoing efforts to uncover the full scale of the tragedy have revealed an even darker reality: the death toll has now climbed past 112. Desperate to bury the truth, a regime that fears exposure is now aggressively cracking down on the very people breaking the silence, arbitrarily hunting down and detaining the clergy and journalists who dared to report on these atrocities.
Among those unjustly arrested in this crackdown are several Orthodox leaders, including Kesis Memhir Dr. Zelalem Mezgebu. More recently, authorities abducted independent journalist Salsawit Baykedagn and ordered her into solitary confinement. This follows last week’s retaliatory expulsion of French journalist Augustine Passilly, who is widely respected for her balanced coverage of Ethiopian affairs.
Salsawit Baykedagn, a former journalist for state-affiliated outlets Fana and Walta who now works independently, was picked up by security forces on June 8, 2026. Her sole "crime" was reporting the truth about the East Arsi massacre. After days of being held in total isolation, our Council confirmed that she was brought to court on June 16, 2026, tied to the same arbitrary case file as Dr. Mezgebu Kassa.
While these heavy-handed tactics are entirely expected from a regime that orchestrates mass violence against its own citizens, we cannot look away. We must speak out for those who have been silenced behind bars.
The motive behind murdering civilians and then jailing the journalists and community leaders who report on it is obvious. The government wants to rule through fear, forcing the public into absolute silence while innocent people are slaughtered. This is a desperate strategy that is bound to fail.
The Addis Ababa Media Council remains fully committed to ensuring that the victims of the East Arsi massacre are not forgotten. Equal to that mission, we fiercely condemn the wrongful imprisonment of the clergy and journalists targeted simply for exposing the truth. We will continue to champion their cause and amplify their voices on both the national and international stage.
Our unity is our strength; together, we shall overcome !!!
The Addis Ababa Media Council.
June 19, 2026
@AfricanUnion@StateDept@EU_Commission@EUinEthiopia@CPJAmericas@amnesty@cnni@hrw@BBCBreaking@GenocideWatch
URGENT ALERT
Reports from Showa Dera (Kolu), an area with a large Amhara population currently administered under the Oromia region, indicate that homes and properties have been set on fire and civilians have been affected by ongoing violence.
We call on the international community, humanitarian organizations, human rights institutions, media outlets, and diplomatic missions to urgently monitor the situation, investigate the reported attacks, and help protect civilians.
The world must not remain silent in the face of allegations of ethnically targeted violence. Independent verification, accountability, and immediate humanitarian access are urgently needed.
#Ethiopia #HumanRights #Amhara #StopViolence #HumanRightsInEthiopia #ProtectCivilians #JusticeAndAccountability
Addis Ababa Media Council
📍 At the ESFNA Soccer Tournament & Cultural Festival
📢 Come—We’re Looking for You!
Join us for a noble cause!
Friends of Addis Ababa and Addis Ababans, come together!
📍 Minnesota – Near Tent #59
Let’s meet, connect, and share our love for Addis Ababa and Ethiopia.
“Addis Ababa, Our Home; Ethiopia, Our Nation!”
🛑.@StateDeptSpox@SecBlinken@FCDOGovUK @AmbassadorTaiwe Ethiopia’s June 1 election was a facade held amidst civil war & regional exclusions in Amhara, Tigray, & Oromia. The @_AfricanUnion's validation of this vote must be questioned by global democratic partners. #Ethiopia @Babysh@Babysho16
⚖️ .@hrw@amnesty @humanrightsfirst @CPJAfrica Independent media is nonexistent under the current regime, with journalists & opposition figures systematically jailed. @_AfricanUnion’s endorsement of Ethiopia’s election rewards political repression. Stand with us! #PressFreedom @Ba@Babysho16
✊🏾Durable peace in #Ethiopia won't come from rubber-stamping flawed processes. It requires a halt to military campaigns against civilians, freeing political prisoners, and creating an inclusive political space. @youssouf_m must withdraw the AU endorsement! @AfricanUnionUN@Babysho16
🇺🇳.@UN_UNOWAS@UNHumanRights@USUN@UKUN_NewYork Validating elections held during widespread political repression & violence weakens global confidence in democratic institutions. We urge international bodies to reject @_AfricanUnion's certification of Ethiopia’s vote. 🛑 @Babysho16
A powerful and thought-provoking speech by H.I.H. Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Ethiopian author, political analyst, and member of the Imperial House of Ethiopia. His reflections on Ethiopia’s past, present, and future offer valuable perspective at a critical moment for the nation. Well worth listening to in full.
#Ethiopia #EthiopianVoices #FutureOfEthiopia #EthiopianHistory
@EUCouncilPress@EU_Commission
A powerful speech by H.I.H. Prince AsfaWossen Asserate. His remarks provide a thoughtful and timely reflection on #Ethiopia’s past, present, and future, offering important insights that deserve to be heard in full. END A genocidal #WarOnAmhara and #EOTC