Falls Church, Virginia—This weekend, the National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced that Ethiopia will postpone its scheduled elections by two or three weeks, owing to security and logistical issues that have impeded voting preparations.
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In light of the postponement, OLLAA urges Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to immediately implement the necessary reforms to ensure a free and fair election for all. These include,
- Releasing all Oromo political prisoners currently detained, including opposition leaders Jawar Mohammed and Dawud Ibsa.
- Allowing all opposition party offices to re-open, including the offices of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)
- Calling an immediate ceasefire to all current armed conflicts and military campaigns, including in Tigray, Oromia Special Zone, and the Oromia region.
- Ensuring that all citizens enjoy meaningful voting access and inclusion within the upcoming elections.
- Complying fully with European Union (EU) standards for elections observations and provide unfettered access for EU election monitoring teams.
OLLAA continues to be disappointed by NEBE’s rejection of the recent advocacy surrounding the elections. Earlier this month, five U.S. Senators submitted a letter to US Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman, expressing their concern that Ethiopia’s scheduled elections would lack legitimacy and representation on account of the Tigray conflict and the brutal repression of ethnic groups such as the Oromos, Kemant, and others throughout the country.
As an organization dedicated to peace, OLLAA urges the Ethiopian government to take seriously the concerns raised by the international community and invite a team of impartial, independent rights monitors to investigate the documented rights abuses perpetrated by the government against the Ethiopian people.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that represents dozens of Oromo communities around the world.