Open Letter from Amhara Association of America to the Chairperson of the African Union and Heads of State and Government
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Statement from the Amhara Association of America (AAA)
OPEN LETTER
February 14, 2026 (Yekatit 7, 2018 E.C.)
Open Letter to the Chairperson of the African Union and Heads of State and Government
Your Excellencies,
H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union
Heads of State and Government
We are writing this letter on the occasion of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit to express grave concern over worsening instability and the deteriorating security situation in Ethiopia and the surrounding Horn of Africa region which has become engulfed in contiguous wars. In response to this crisis, we urge the AU, and heads of state and government to mount a united response to address the root cause of this crisis, the Abiy Ahmed led Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP) regime of Ethiopia, in hopes of promoting regional peace, stability and mutual prosperity for all.
Situation Overview
As the summit is underway, the war in the country’s Amhara Region and surrounding areas continues to escalate while the OPP regime with backing from foreign actors exacerbates regional tensions.
Fighting in the country’s Amhara Region is an extension of the Northern Ethiopia War which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives across the regions of Amhara, Afar and Tigray. Since the start of 2026 alone, the Amhara Region has seen a concerning escalation in mass atrocities, arrests and abductions, internal displacement and communication disruptions. Mass atrocities have even occurred in densely-populated urban centers and rural areas.
For example, on February 11th, state forces bombed Debre-Tabor City with more than 18 drone strikes resulting in significant civilian casualties and property losses. Similarly, on February 6th, heavy artillery shelling in Wegdi District led to more than 113 civilian fatalities and countless injuries. The war has also severely impacted the region’s health system, with frequent reports of attacks on health professionals and medical centers. Notably, on February 3rd, a medical doctor identified as Dr. Tsegahun Simie was killed in the regional capital of Bahir-Dar City, as reported in a recent statement by the World Health Organization. Overall, in the absence of external pressure state forces have continued to operate with impunity towards civilian populations.
In recent years, the OPP regime has also escalated tensions with virtually all of Ethiopia’s neighbors. The regime has directly undermined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia by pursuing a unilateral Memorandum of Understanding with the breakaway region of Somaliland, a clear violation of the AU Charter. A recent investigative report by Reuters highlighted evidence of a secret camp in the Benishangul-Gumuz region training thousands of fighters for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in relation to the ongoing civil war in Sudan. This follows recent escalation of words and accusations made by Ahmed against neighboring Eritrea. Taken together, these trends point to a worsening regional crisis.
Recommendations
To address worsening insecurity and destabilization in Ethiopia and surrounding areas, AAA believes it is necessary for regional leaders to send a strong message to the OPP regime. In particular, the AU should pressure the regime to do the following:
Immediately cease hostilities both domestically and regionally.
Release all unlawfully detained persons and ensure the repatriation of internally displaced persons.
Restore communication services and allow independent humanitarian and media access to the Amhara Region.
Dissolve its administration and facilitate a peaceful transfer of power to an inclusive civilian-led transitional government managed by the Amhara Fano National Movement and their coalition representative of Ethiopia’s diversity.
Mandate and deploy an independent monitoring mechanism to the Amhara Region through the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC). This mission must have unfettered access to investigate atrocities throughout the region.
This would serve to deescalate regional tensions and progress towards restoring Ethiopia to its former role as a beacon of pan-Africanism, a regional anchor and an exporter of friendship not animosity to its neighbors. This would be a landmark historic process which would usher a new age for the region, the continent and the globe.
Sincerely,
Mr. Tewodrose Tirfe
Chairman, Amhara Association of America
