Tears of Wollega Exhibition Production

My name is Jemal Countess, and I am a US-based photojournalist who formerly lived in Ethiopia. As a photojournalist, I have been covering the conflict in Ethiopia for the last 16 months, focusing on the human toll and suffering of civilian populations and those who have been internally displaced and forced to relocate to other regions due to war and ethnic cleansing.  One of the most under-reported and misrepresented aspects of the conflict has been the genocide of the ethnic Amhara in the district of Wollega in the Oromia region.  Ethnic Amharas, many of whom were initially relocated due to the famine conditions in Wollo between 1984-85 to the Oromia region by the DERG government, had been living and working in Oromia region peacefully for years alongside their Oromo neighbors.  But for the past 4 years, a proliferation of anti-Amhara extremist propaganda in the region has lead to multiple episodes of targeted ethnic killings that reached a crescendo since the start of the Ethiopian government's civil war with the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in November of 2020.  Viscous and violent episodes of ethnic cleansing have rocked the Oromia region but have never really received proper coverage or Western media attention due to being overshadowed by the war in the North of the country.  

Some of the former residents of the Wollega district that managed to escape the campaigns of ethnic cleansing and genocide perpetrated by the Oromo Liberation Army and its allies have found shelter in various internally displaced (IDP) camps in the Amhara region.  These IDP camps that have provided some refuge for those ethnic Amhara escaping terror and mass murder in the Oromia region are often impromptu living arrangements created in schools, warehouses and even barns.  These IDP camps are repurposed structures which were never meant to house human beings for extended periods of time, let alone large communities of people fleeing from both Oromia and the civil war. The conditions in these camps are harsh and hellish, with already vulnerable communities being exposed to the elements without proper sanitation, cooking facilities, or living conditions.

I have traversed both the Amhara and Afar regions, working in camps from Gojam to Semera, covering the stories of hardship and survival of those living in the camps, but the stories of the internally displaced Amhara from Wollega are the most deeply tragic and horrifying of these situations. The hardships mentioned above, combined with anxiety and deep core traumas experienced during these episodes of terror and genocide, are rarely treated and often go unaddressed.  

Witnessing these conditions and reporting on them have inspired me to create an exhibition that will truly convey the scale of this growing human tragedy.  I am seeking donations to go towards producing an exhibition of photos and testimonies I recorded during multiple trips to an IDP camp in Wollo. It is an exhibition that I hope will raise awareness and convey the depths of the horrific conditions internally displaced Amhara are facing in one particular camp located just outside of the city of Hayk in Wollo (Amhara region).    

The Amhara IDPs in this camp have experienced multiple episodes of ethnic cleansing in the Wollega region.  A lot of survivors in this camp have seen the murder of family and community members and other violence, which in turn forced them to flee, some of whom traveled on foot, walking up to 22 days to escape.  

I want to draw attention to this situation not only to raise awareness but inspire sincerely concerned individuals to step up and take action to support these IDP’s and call on the appropriate government entities to respond to and end the violence being committed against ethnic Amharas in Wollega and throughout the Oromia region.  There are still over 70,000 Amharas who are in Wollega, unable to leave and under threat of violence.  This work will convey the grave reality of the situation. 

 

The exhibition will consist of 20 large 30 x 40 Epson Premium Luster 260 GSM* prints to be printed at Icon Lab in Los Angeles at a cost of $150 each.  There will also be a series of smaller accompanying prints at 20 x 30 at $90 each.  The total will be $3900 for prints of exhibition quality that will travel the US and Canada before heading to Europe for a multi-country tour.  Framing/presentation costs will be minimal due to space and travel constraints.

Any and all support in this project would be greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to sharing this harrowing work and hope to meet those who have been along on this journey with not only me, but the Amhara people. Show dates and locations to be announced. Thank you for your time and your support.