(Dejen News ) August 2 — Over 400 Ethiopian-Americans residing in the DMV metropolitan area gathered in Silver Spring, Maryland on July 30 to show their support for the Amhara Popular Front. The group was formed earlier this year by Eskinder Nega, a prominent civil society leader and journalist advocating for human rights and democracy in Ethiopia. During the Town Hall meeting, attendees expressed their concern about human rights abuses in Ethiopia. Eskinder Nega sent an audio message to the audience from Ethiopia.
The event was organized by a support group for the Amhara Popular Front in North America. Chairman of the support network Major Dawit Woldegiorgis, who was a senior official during the Mengistu regime. Speakers at the meeting urged Ethiopians to come together peacefully and work towards defending and alleviating the suffering of the Amhara people. They emphasized that the human rights situation is worsening and that the Amhara community must unite to stop the violence and repression before it escalates further.
During the meeting, Major Dawit answered questions from the audience about reaching out to other Amhara organizations. He stated that the Amhara Popular Front is actively communicating with all other Amhara organizations to unite in the struggle for their rights. Clashes between Amhara militias and the federal defense forces are reportedly escalating across the Amhara region. After the federal government launched military attacks to disarm armed groups in the region, tensions have been increasing significantly over the past few weeks.
