The Oromia region of Ethiopia continues to face a heartbreaking loss of life under the current government administration, with a further 33 documented extrajudicial killings occurring in December.
Once again, the number could be much higher than the presented data as we were unable to contact all towns, cities, districts, and villages due to unstable environments.
The past month has seen an escalation in violent clashes across Ethiopia, with deep polarization in Ethiopia leading to an ever-worsening human rights crisis. The ongoing conflict in
Tigray, as well as the December 23 massacre of more than 222 civilians in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region (Reuters, December 25 2020), have seen ordinary civilians bear the brunt of these clashes.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 56,000 Ethiopian refugees have fled the country since early November.
The blurred line between combatants and civilians suggests government forces are indiscriminately targeting civilians in an attempt to stamp down on opposition, according to an article by Foreign Policy (January 6, 2021).
A Human Rights Watch research mission into the conflict in Tigray also found that “A number of refugees said that they witnessed extrajudicial executions by federal forces and their allies during the fighting or after they took over towns.” (December 23, 2020).
OLLAA emphasizes that the role of government security forces in this unprecedented loss of civilian life must be uniformly condemned.
In Oromia, an atmosphere of fear permeates the region. During our efforts to collect data on the victims, family members were not willing to talk to us for fear that they would face dire consequences from local authorities, including torture, imprisonment or even death. Therefore, some of our data was collected by interviewing neighbors or by other processes.
The civilians murdered in the region over December were mostly students, farmers, teachers, and local elders. Among the community, there is a sense that no one is safe from persecution by government officials and security forces. Young Oromo, in particular, are at risk of being targeted as “enemies of the peace.”
Families and neighbors cannot gather to mourn the loss of their loved ones and victims continue to be denied proper burials.
It is clear that the situation across Ethiopia continues to worsen, threatening to destabilize the entire Horn of Africa.
OLLAA continues to call on the international community to condemn the severe human rights atrocities that are occurring in the Oromia region and across Ethiopia.
We call on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to act to immediately put an end to the violence and to bring to justice those government security forces complicit in the killings.
Graphics and Figures
December Incident Data
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| Name | Birth Location | Sex/Gender | Profession | Date of Incident | Zone | District/Town | Incident | Remark |
| Daniel Fikru | Lalo Assabi | M | Student | 02/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gimbi/ Lalo Assabi | Killed | He was student. He came to visit his mother with his brother. Security forces took them from his mother’s’ home while she was begging not to kill them, but security forces forcefully took him, his brother, and their friends, and shot and killed them. |
| Ebba Fikru | Lalo Assabi | M | Student | 02/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gimbi/ Lalo Assabi | Killed | He was student. He came to visit his mother with his brother. Security forces took them from his mother’s’ home while she was begging not to kill them, but security forces forcefully took him, his brother, and their friends, and shot and killed them. |
| Abboma Dareje | Lalo Assabi | M | Student | 02/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gimbi/ Lalo Assabi | Killed | He was killed in the same incident as Ebbaa and Daniel Fikru |
| Isiyak Indalu | Lalo Assabi | M | Student | 02/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gimbi/ Lalo Assabi | Killed | He was killed in the same incident as Ebbaa and Daniel Fikru |
| Ermias Hambisa | Lalo Assabi | M | Student | 02/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gimbi/ Lalo Assabi | Killed | He was killed in the same incident as Ebbaa and Daniel Fikru |
| Kasim Kemer | Badasa | M | Former Head of Security in Doba wareda | 4/12/2020 | West Hararge | Doba/Badasa | Injured | Shot and injured by government security forces. He is currently in critical condition |
| Sabom Tamam Hussen | Gulliso | M | Taekwondo Trainer | 10/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gulliso | Injured | He was imprisoned and tortured two years ago. Recently he was shot several times by Ethiopian army and was in intensive care, but he couldn’t survive. He died of his injuries. |
| Dabale Bellami | North Shawa | M | Farmer | 10/12/2020 | North Shawa | Hidhabu Abote | Killed | Government forces took him from his home and took him to Fiche town Police Station. Later security forces took him from police station and killed him. His wife was denied to know his whereabouts at the time and was later told that he was killed. |
| Shallamaa Lammaa | North Shawa | M | Unemployed | 10/12/2020 | North Shawa | Hidhabu Abote | Killed | Security force accused him of being supporter of OLF. |
| Mohammed Hasuu | Wallo | M | Local Elder | 11/12/2020 | Wallo | Harxummaa Fursi | Killed | Killed by Amhara Regional Government security forces. |
| Fatuma Sultan | Wallo | F | local Elder and Wife of Mahammed Hasuu | 11/12/2020 | Wallo | Harxummaa Fursi | Killed | Killed by Amhara Regional Government security forces. |
| Bulti Jalata | West Wallaga | M | Father of Three | 11/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo District Daancoo Village | Killed | Government Security forces opened fire on him and killed him instantly. He was a father of three. |
| Ahmed Garado | Wallo | M | Unemployed | 12/12/2020 | Wallo | Haxaye | Killed | Killed by Amhara Regional Government security forces. |
| Nuru Sheik Aliyyi | Wallo | M | Businessman | 11/12/2020 | Wallo | Jille dhummuga | Killed | Killed by Local Amhara Region Militia. |
| Oromo Mallasa | Horro Guduru Wallagga | M | Unemployed | 07/12/2020 | Horro Guduru Wallegga | Habebe Village | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of prison |
| Nugusa Getacho | Horro Guduru Wallagga | M | Unemployed | 07/12/2020 | Horro Guduru Wallegga | Habebe Village | Killed | Killed by security forces at his family home |
| Abdi Sani | West Hararge | M | Unemployed | 15/12/2020 | West Hararge | Habro District Haro Carcar Village | Killed | Local security forces shot and killed him |
| Diriba Tarfasa | Meti Marami | M | 15/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo/Meti Marami | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home | |
| Yigazu Karayu | Meti Marami | M | 15/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo/Meti Marami | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home | |
| Balina Karayu | Meti Marami | M | 15/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo/Meti Marami | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home | |
| Gutu Kumara | Meti Marami | M | 15/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo/Meti Marami | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home | |
| Balina Wak-kenne | Meti Marami | M | 15/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo/Meti Marami | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home | |
| Ebba Mosisa | Meti Marami | M | 15/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo/Meti Marami | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home | |
| Baru Tujuba | Idoro Jirma | M | Farmer | 01/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Qilxu-Karra/Idoro Jirma | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home |
| Biranu Tujuba | Idoro Jirma | M | Farmer | 01/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Qilxu-Karra/Idoro Jirma | Killed | Killed by security forces after they took him out of his family home |
| Matiwos Bekele | Qilxu Karra | M | Teacher | 05/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Najjo | Killed | Security forces killed him while he was visiting his relatives. They shot him three times. |
| Gabeyo Abdana | Jimma Genna-Gidami Dabsho | M | Student | 11/12/2020 | Horro Guduru Wallegga | Horro | Injured | Security forces took him while he was taking 8th grade final exam. They shot and injured him. |
| Abdisa Ukulu | Shashamane | M | Unemployed | 21/12/2020 | Shashamane | Shashamane | Injured | Security forces shot and injured him severely. He is currently in intensive care at Malkaa Odaa Hospital |
| Bona Tasfaye | Anfillo- Ashi | M | Bajaj Driver | 06/12/2020 | Kelem Wallegga | Dambi Dollo | Killed | Security forces stopped him while he was driving his bajaj. They accused him of looking at their face while they were patrolling. They executed him. |
| Jafer Adem | Aweday | M | Businessman | 11/12/2020 | East Hararge | Aweday | Injured | He was badly beaten by security forces and sustained injury. |
| Abule….. | Nawir Gala’o | M | Farmer | 13/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gulliso/Calliya Ekka | Killed | Security forces took him from his home accusing him supplying food to OLF and detained him. Later, they took from prison and killed him near his home. |
| Daniel Gameda | M | FIB TV presentor | 09/12/2020 | Finfinne | Asko Subcity Addis Sefar | Injured | He was travelling with his friend when Suddenly armed security personnel stopped him and through him in their car. They tortured him, threatened him with death, and forced him to drink their urine. After torturing him all the night, they left him on the street while he was unconscious. Later his family found him and took him to hospital. | |
| Solomon Birru Kejela | Calliya Ekka | M | Student | 15/12/2020 | West Wallegga | Gulliso/Calliya Ekka – Gute | Killed | Security forces took him from his and home and imprisoned him. Later they took him from prison at night and killed him. |