Joint Report of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch on Wolkait False

The recent joint report of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Wolqait contradicts the reality on the ground, according to Ethio- American journalist Betty Sheba Tekeste.

The journalist told ENA that the joint report is completely false as she had a chance to see the reality on the ground.

Betty said she had seen mass graves of people killed by the terrorist TPLF over the last three decades in Wolkait Tesgede and Telemt, and urged further investigation in the area.

The journalist revealed that she had visited various parts of the Amhara region to see the effects of the war in the region along with American journalist Anne Garrison and American photojournalist Jamal County.

Having heard about the report of University of Gondar about the killings and human rights abuses in Wolkait Tegede and Telemt, the team traveled to the region.

According to the journalist, the team that gathered information from the public was able to understand that the alleged report of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch is clearly far from the truth.

The journalists with her also witnessed the fact that ethnic Amharas living in and around Wolkait Tsegede were arrested, abused, killed and buried in mass graves.

“What we understand from the joint report is how false information is being spread when someone claims that this abuse was committed by someone else,” she pointed out.

A team from the University of Gondar briefed the Americans and has provided information on the mass graves, the journalist elaborated, adding that the team also noted that the number of mass graves in the area might increase.

Further investigation will be carried out, it was learned.

The journalist too stressed the need for detailed and deeper investigation on the mass graves using other scientific methods, including forensic tests.

“The story of the people who were killed many years ago is now being told as if it is recently committed by someone else. The injured native Amharas have now had the opportunity to tell the truth,” she noted.

“As a journalist, we must always tell the truth,” the journalist stressed, pledging to support the team of University of Gondar by bringing in international experts to help in further investigations.

ENA