BBC Araan Oromoo has issued a report on the death of Fenet Alamayo, 16, and her brother, Eyob Almayo, 27, on November 7, 2022.
According to her father, Fenet Alamayo was born and raised in Nekemte City, in the East Wollega zone of Oromia. She was known throughout the community as a brilliant student, who had recently joined the local high school after scoring in the 99.91 percentile on the grade 8 national examinations. While Fenet was a top scoring high school student, her brother, Eyob, was on the verge of graduating from university. By all accounts, they had a bright future ahead of them.
On the morning of November 7, 2022, a period of heavy fighting erupted between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Ethiopian government security forces. After some time, members of the OLA entered the city and released some political prisoners before withdrawing.
According to Fenet’s father, at around 8:30 that morning their family had gathered together to go to church, however, they decided not to leave when they heard gunshots in the distance. As they sat inside their house, Fenet and her elder brother, Eyob Alamayo, were shot and killed in their bedroom, taking away two members of their family. According to her father, they were shot by Ethiopian security forces from rooftops in the distance.
International Law
International human rights law contains the obligation for States to protect individuals from human rights violations, including violations to the right to life, which is guaranteed under numerous human rights treaties that Ethiopia is a party to, including the UDHR, ICCPR, CRC, and ACHPR. As a party to these instruments, and the primary duty bearer under international law, the Ethiopian government has the duty to protect the rights of those who live under its jurisdiction. This duty includes not only the obligation for a State to exercise due diligence to prevent violations, but to investigate and respond to such acts when they occur, including by ensuring that the perpetrators are held to account and that the victims’ family has access to justice.