A preliminary report on an Adi Hageray Massacre

The following report is based on an eyewitness account who fled from Adi Hageray, Tigray.  

The Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) had an army base around the town of Adi Bukray.  On 12 November 2020, Ethiopian troops came to the town and killed anyone and everyone they found on their way.  Then they left the town for the Eritrean troops,  who from November 12-18, engaged in massacring  innocent civilians. The Eritreans killed anyone on the streets.  They also visited houses killing anyone in those houses including old people.  When people came out to collect the bodies of their killed family members or friends, the Eritrean soldiers shot them dead too.  

The Eritrean soldiers  transported anything they could take to Eritrea and burned anything they could not.   Hotels, shops, and garages were all looted, and many torched.  

Many of the killed were not buried for weeks. They were eaten by night animals and voltures.  When the stench of rotting bodies that littered the town were eventually unbearable for the Eritrean troops, they told remaining residents to pick up and bury them. By this time, the dead bodies were completely unrecognizable.  

From eyewitnesses, we have gathered some of the names of the massacred people. Ages are approximate, as they are estimated by eyewitnesses.

1.       Tesfay Gebrekirosas Atlay (56)

2.       Kiflom Bahari Bashay (38)

3.       Semera Bahri Bashay (35)

4.       Haben Azenawu (26)

5.       Haile Aregay welegebrial (41)

6.       Hagos Taye Tareke (37)

7.       Semere Maesho Gebremedhin (45)

8.       Masho gebremedhin (they killed him for saying, “Today woyane, Tomorrow weyane”. They burned him after they tying him and shooting him. He was around 80 year old

9.       Yabrah Hagos (32)

10.   Awet Haftom (40)

11.   Nugese Shishay (70)

12.   Yared Gebrencheal Gebremedhin (23)

13.   Aboy Arefayne 90

14.   Hayelom Gayme

15.   Gebrewahd Mekonen (25)

16.   Gebremedhin Gebrenicheal (80)

17.   Gebrehiwot Assefa (42)

18.   Tewele Gebrmicheal (38)

19.   Tsefaldet Gebrenisea (17)

20.   Kibrom Gebremiskel Yagzawu (26)

21.   Bereket gebremiskel yagazwu (24)

22.   Gebrehiwot birhanu nega (39)

23.   Haben tekiea (26)

24.   Tsefanchial Mekonen (45)

25.   Birhanu (38)

26.    Hailesellassie Teklom (62) with his two kids

27.   Gebremedhin Hailessalie Teklom (17)

28.   Hailom Hailessale Teklom (19) and their co-worker (works in bank unknown name)

29.   Haftom Shiwendm (45 age) (owner of Abyssinia Hotel in Adi hageray)

30.   Kibrom Gebremedihn (25)

31.   Abbey Kefela Gebresellasie (70) with his 2 sons and his son-in-law

32.   Dejen kefla (19)

33.   Esayas kefla (17)

34.   Jambo (35) and (Legese) 38 (both brothers)

35.   Aboy Gebremedihn Gebreegizbher (78)

36.   Tajebey (35)

37.   Wedi Nega Tadessa, in Zgar by ENDF

38.   4 people in zgar buried behind a church. They are unknown because their faces were not recognized. Killed by ENDF.

39.   8 buried in Zgar, killed by ENDF.

40.   Habret weladerafeal (38)

41.   Gebrekidan hagos (35)

42.   Gidey Abeba (55)

43.   Mengsteb haftu (61)

44.   Abrehaley zekariyas

45.   Aboy alemayo (42)

46.   Haile gebrekidane (70)

47.   In a high school 6 bodies of unknown

48.   Aba Endga kidane 3 bodies

49.   Aba Mehari and two other bodies

50.   Aboy Gebremariam Denguru (75)

51.   Gidey Berhe. Her body was found in the mountain after the Eritrean troops occupied the town. She was killed accused of having worked for the city and having ties with TPLF even though she was a civil servant)

52.   Adey Gidey Gebrekidan (80). She was killed by a tank by ENDF.

53.   Mawucha Frehiwot (25)

54.   Zenebe Frehiwot (19), a cousin to our source.  

55.   Berhe and Kewani Yabrah (brothers, cousins to our source)  

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Also massacre in the nearby Sheraro