The Tragedy of Colonialism in a Non-Colonised Society: Italy's Historical Narratives and the Amhara Genocide in Ethiopia.

This article critically examines how Italian colonial narratives, which portrayed Ethiopia as a collection of discrete ethnic groups dominated by Amhara colonialism, contributed to the rise of ethnic nationalism and the systematic targeting of the Amhara people. Drawing on diverse sources and interviews, it argues that Italian divide-and-rule strategies were adopted and amplified by Ethiopian ethnic elites influenced by Marxism-Leninism from the 1960s onward, culminating in ethnic-based violence and genocide against the Amhara. The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and other ethnic liberation movements institutionalized these narratives after gaining power in 1991, leading to widespread and ongoing attacks, forced displacement, and cultural suppression of Amhara communities. The article highlights continuities between Italian colonial policies and contemporary ethnic conflicts, emphasizing the covert nature of the Amhara genocide and calling for further scholarly and international investigation.