Our Methodology
"A central hub aggregating international reports to document undercovered atrocities, preserve evidence, and amplify voices often absent from mainstream discourse."
Addressing the Documentation Crisis
EthiopiaCrisis.org was founded to confront a stark reality: the vast majority of ethnic-based violence, civilian killings, displacement incidents, torture, and atrocities across Ethiopia are not adequately covered or reported by international media, human rights organizations, or UN bodies. This documentation gap is not accidental—it reflects the marginalization of certain ethnic communities, competing international priorities, and the limitations of mainstream media capacity in conflict regions.
We serve as a central repository aggregating verified reports and investigations from established international sources including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and other media outlets and UN bodies. Critically, we also integrate research from diaspora-led and community-based monitoring networks whose on-ground access and community connections often capture ethnic-based atrocities that international organizations miss or document too late to preserve critical evidence.
Our objective is to create an authoritative, cross-ethnic record of ethnic-based violence affecting all communities—Tigrayan, Amhara, Oromo, Afar, and others. We preserve evidence, document names and contexts, and establish a permanent record of systemic atrocities. By combining international rigor with community-led monitoring, we amplify voices typically absent from international consciousness and ensure experiences of all affected ethnic groups are preserved for future accountability mechanisms.
We operate with complete independence and strict editorial neutrality across all ethnic communities. We receive no political funding and maintain transparent sourcing standards. Our allegiance is solely to accuracy, evidence, and all civilian populations of Ethiopia whose experiences of ethnic-based violence demand to be heard, documented, and preserved for justice.
Aggregating International & Community Sources
We systematically aggregate verified reports from international media outlets (Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters, France24), established human rights organizations (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch), UN bodies, and regional investigative agencies. Critically, we also integrate research from diaspora-led and community-based monitors whose community networks and field presence capture ethnic-based atrocities affecting all populations—Tigrayan, Amhara, Oromo, Afar, and other communities—often before or after mainstream international coverage. This dual-sourcing approach ensures that both internationally-documented incidents and community-verified accounts inform our cross-ethnic database.
The 5-Step Verification Standard
Every incident undergoes exhaustive verification: (1) Source authentication and credibility assessment across all sources, (2) Corroboration across multiple independent sources, (3) Metadata extraction and geospatial validation, (4) Legal classification against international humanitarian law and Rome Statute definitions, (5) Final audit by our review committee. We accept reports from international organizations, established media, diaspora and community monitors with verified track records, and eyewitness accounts that pass credential verification. Only cases with 95%+ confidence are marked 'Verified'. We maintain strict neutrality across all ethnic communities.
Rigorous Classification
We adhere to Rome Statute definitions for crimes against humanity. A 'Massacre' involves extrajudicial killing of 5+ civilians in a single, targeted event. 'Atrocities' include systematic displacement, ethnicity-based violence, torture, gender-based violence, or destruction of civilian infrastructure. We ensure transparent source attribution and document attacks affecting all ethnic communities equally—Tigrayan, Amhara, Oromo, Afar, and others—distinguishing between international media reports, human rights organization findings, and community documentation.