Gedeb Drone Strike Kills Over 100, Escalating Ethiopian Conflict and Human Rights Crisis
- Human Rights Research Center
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 29
Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
April 25, 2025
HRRC strongly condemns the indiscriminate drone strike in Gedeb, which constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law. The targeting of civilians under the guise of security operations is an unacceptable erosion of human rights and must be urgently investigated.
![Fano militia in 2022 [Image source: Ethiopia Insight]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_e312edaa133544e686edaf17dbfe7545~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_720,h_332,al_c,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_e312edaa133544e686edaf17dbfe7545~mv2.png)
On April 17, 2025, a drone strike in Gedeb, a rural town in the East Gojjam Zone of Ethiopia’s Amhara region, reportedly killed over 100 individuals, according to multiple sources, including residents and local media. While the Ethiopian government maintains the strike targeted Fano terrorists (an armed Amhara organization), residents and witnesses allege that the victims were civilians.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) confirmed monitoring of the situation. Human rights organizations contend that the drone strike poses major legal and ethical issues, notably with the principle of distinction under international humanitarian law, which forbids assaults on civilians.
This incident is part of a broader trend of growing violence in the Amhara region, which has been in disarray since the federal government's decision in 2023 to dissolve the regional forces. Many in Amhara saw the transfer as a loss of their ability to defend local interests, fueling armed opposition and the rebirth of the Fano militia.
Drone strikes have become more widespread in the region, frequently resulting in civilian fatalities. In February 2025 alone, drone attacks in Ambasel and Efrata Gidem districts reportedly killed civilians, including children and pregnant women.
Since the escalation of the conflict, over 900,000 people have been displaced, and thousands have died. Security and legal obstacles have severely curtailed humanitarian access. The establishment of a state of emergency in August 2023 further limited civil freedoms, allowing for arbitrary arrests and mobility restrictions.
Domestic and international human rights groups have recorded allegations of extrajudicial murders, widespread detention, and enforced disappearances. The scenario in Gedeb is now indicative of the larger crisis, an escalating war characterized by a breakdown in accountability, civilian targeting, and a mounting humanitarian calamity. Observers are urging an independent inquiry and quick humanitarian access to the impacted communities.
Glossary
Arbitrary – Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system; often refers to actions taken without fair procedure.
Asserts – Declares confidently or forcefully; to state a fact or belief firmly.
Calamity – A sudden and severe disaster or misfortune causing great damage or suffering.
Curtailed – Reduced or limited in extent or quantity; cut short.
Detentions – The act of keeping someone in official custody, especially for legal or political reasons.
Enforced disappearances – When individuals are secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization, with the intent to place them outside the protection of the law.
Extrajudicial murders – Killings carried out without legal process or judicial oversight, typically by state actors.
Forbids – Officially refuses to allow something; prohibits.
Guise – An external appearance or manner of presentation, often concealing the true nature of something.
Indiscriminate – Done at random or without careful judgment; affecting people or things in an unselective way.
Militia – A military force made up of ordinary citizens to provide defense or emergency services, often without full government authorization.
Mounting – Increasing or rising steadily in amount, intensity, or pressure.
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