Falls Church, Virginia (09/20/2022) – As previously reported by OLLAA, on August 30, 2022, an attack was perpetrated by Amhara militias and fano on Oromo civilians in Agamsa town, Horo Guduru Wollega zone, which led to the death of at least 60 civilians and the displacement of 20,000. Recent reports suggest that such attacks have continued in the zone, leading to the death of at least 100 civilians throughout the Horo Guduru Wollega zone in the period from September 22-26th. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission recently released a statement on the violence, which they claimed was perpetrated by, “both members of the OLA, Amhara informal armed group, armed individuals in Amuru, Horo Buluq, and Jarga Jarte districts of the zone.” The Oromo Liberation Front has also issued a statement on the violence, in which they claimed that, “Amhara Regional Forces and Fano,” perpetrated these attacks.
OLLAA’s staff has spoken with the families’ of several victims of this latest series of attacks. Through these conversations, alongside social media reports, we can confirm that at least 100 Oromos were killed, while thousands were displaced in the Amuru and Jardega Jarte districts of the Horo Guduru Wollega zone in these latest attacks. Our sources claim that the OLA is operating in the area, and that members of Fano, the Amhara regional special forces, the Oromia special forces, federal police, and Ethiopian National Defense Forces launched this attack against civilians in the zone after claiming they supported the OLA. Our sources also claim that the OLA engaged in combat with these forces after they had launched their attack against civilians.
As an organization devoted to the protection of human rights, OLLAA condemns this attack as well as all attacks against Ethiopian civilians. We note that, under international law, the Ethiopian government has a duty to protect civilians, including by launching independent investigations into allegations of human rights violations, and ensuring perpetrators of such attacks are held accountable. However, we are gravely concerned that the Ethiopian government has consistently failed to do so, particularly in cases where the perpetrators of such attacks may be State agents. We therefore call on the international community, including the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, to independently investigate these attacks, as well as all allegations of human rights abuses committed throughout the country.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that works in collaboration with dozens of Oromo communities around the world.