Humans of Oromia: 2021 Annual Report

Introduction 

The Oromo Legacy Leadership & Advocacy Association (OLLAA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for the human rights of Oromos throughout the world. As part of its advocacy, OLLAA publishes Humans of Oromia reports on an ongoing basis. OLLAA’s Humans of Oromia reports are used to expose the violations happening throughout Oromia under the government’s watch, and as evidence to advocate and advance the rights of Oromo people on the global stage. It is the fundamental duty of the State and every state organ to observe, respect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens. As such, the Humans of Oromia reports generally highlight the failures of the Ethiopia government, as the primary human rights duty bearers. However, the reports also include cases where armed groups and others perpetrate human rights violations in the region of Oromia.  

Throughout 2021, OLLAA has documented a wide variety of human rights violations perpetrated against Oromo civilians, including: extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, rape and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and the recruitment and use of children by armed forces. The following report contains a summary of OLLAA’s Human of Oromia reports in 2021, broken down by human rights violation. 

The OLLAA calls on the Ethiopian government to launch prompt, thorough and effective investigations by independent and impartial bodies into these allegations of human rights violations, particularly for those cases of extrajudicial executions, and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.

OLLAA  also calls on the international community to pressure the Ethiopian government to fulfill its obligation to respect and uphold fundamental rights and freedom in accordance with the principles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Ethiopia is one of the founding members. We also encourage relevant international bodies to launch independent investigations into the following allegations.

Key Violations Documented Throughout 2021

Summary of 2021 Humans of Oromia Reports

Throughout 2021, OLLAA staff documented human rights violations committed against the Oromo.  In order to develop these reports, OLLAA relied on a variety of sources, including reports by victims and their families, reports of human rights advocates on the ground, and reports by media and other human rights organizations.  OLLAA staff strove to independently verify the information received before reports were published. In cases where they were unable to do so, a disclaimer was added to that report. 

The following contains a summary of Humans of Oromia reports published during 2021, grouped by the type of human rights violation experienced.  It should be noted that, in many cases, the victims experienced multiple, overlapping human rights violations, in addition to the ones that they are grouped under in this report.  For example, in cases involving arbitrary arrests and detentions, there have often been complaints that prisoners experienced torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Those victims who were reported as being extrajudicially executed by Ethiopian security forces often first faced enforced disappearances or arbitrary arrests and detentions.

Enforced Disappearances 

Under international law, enforced disappearances involve the arrest or detention of a person by state officials or their agents, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the arrest or reveal the person’s whereabouts. Forcibly disappeared people are outside the protection of the law, making them more vulnerable to torture, extrajudicial execution, and other abuses.

Case Studies:

1.  Taken from Prison at Night and Never To Be Seen Again – On July 19, 2021, Boruu Guyoo and Darajjee Biraanuu, who had been held for months without charges by police, were taken from Miyo police station Ethiopian security forces to an undisclosed location.  Their families have been unable to locate them since.
2. Kidnapping of Oromo Musicians – On September 4, 2021, Mr. Danial Gammada, a musician who was known for using his platform to criticize the Ethiopian government for its human rights abuses against the Oromo, was taken from his workplace by a government security agent. His family has not been able to confirm his location since he disappeared.   
3. Oromo Youths Arrested and Detained After Traditional Annual  Thanksgiving Festival in Various Parts of Oromia Region of Ethiopia – On October 4, 2021, Oromia police broke into the backroom of a shop owned by Mr. Mahammadzeen Nurra without a warrant. They arrested Mr. Nurra and his friends, who were in the backroom celebrating Irrecha, and took them to an undisclosed location.  

Other Humans of Oromia Reports:

• The Story of an Activist
• Students Kidnapped by Government Security Agents
• The forced disappearance of Mr. Gummi Sericho Laye
• Students Kidnapped by Oromia Special Police in East Guji Zone 

     Extra-Judicial Executions

Life is the first and most fundamental right of individuals, without which no other right can be upheld. Extrajudicial executions are a violation of this right, designating the deliberate killing of an individual by a State agent (or with their consent) without a previous judgment affording all judicial guarantees, such as a fair and unbiased procedure.

Case Studies:

1. Extrajudicial Killings Continue in South Shewa Zone of Oromia – Mr. Amanteen was arrested by the Oromia special police based on the allegations that  one of his sons was a member of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and that he had provided goods to OLA. Mr. Amanteen was taken out of Garba Guracha Oromo Special Forces detention center early in morning on November 19, 2021, and extrajudicially executed. His body was found in the middle of the street. 
2.  Extrajudicial Killings continue in Horo Guduru – Mr. Birhanu Tolosa was arrested on October 21, 2021, alongside four friends based on allegations that they had supported the OLA, including by providing them with medical assistance. Around midnight on  October 23, 2021, Ethiopian security forces removed Mr. Tolosa from the prison where he had been detained. They then allegedly killed him and left his body near Gemede village. Mr. Tolosa’s body was found by locals early the next morning.
3. Executed while under police custody by Ethiopia security forces – Mr. Asefa Kushi had been arrested and charged with homicide. Mr. Assefa alleged that he had faced ill-treatment while detained at the North Shewa Zonal Police Station, including the denial of access to food, medicine, and to counsel. Upon hearing his complaints, the North Shewa High Court ordered zonal police to transfer him to the prison administration.  The police refused to obey this order, first citing the fact that he had not passed a COVID-19 test, and later claiming that the military command post and ordered them not to turn him over to the prison administration.  Eventually, the court ordered the Oromia Police Commissioner to testify before the court as to why Mr. Asefa could not be turned over to the prison administration.  However, on November 21, 2021, before the Commissioner appeared in court, police officers removed Mr. Asefa from his cell.  It has been alleged that the police shot and killed him near the Jama river. 

Other Humans of Oromia Reports:

• The Story of A Teacher 
• The Story of A Student
• Father Killed and Dumped in Forest
• Killed After Hospital Visit
• Extrajudicial Killing of Three Civilians in West Oromia
• Extrajudicial Killing of an Oromo Elder in West Shewa Zone 
• Extrajudicial Killings in West Hararghe, Oromia
• Extrajudicial Killings Continue in East Guji Zone
• Taken out of Prison and Killed by Government Security Agents

   Arbitrary Arrest and Detention

International human rights law sets out that the right to liberty protects citizens from arbitrary arrest and detentions, which are arrests and detentions that are not in accordance with the procedures established by law.

Case Study:

• A Vocal Ethiopian Political Analyst And Activist Has been Arrested – On December 7, 2021, Mr. Eyased Tesafaye, a political analyst and co-founder of Ubuntu TV, was arrested by police while he was in his home in Addis Ababa.  According to his mother,  eight officers broke into their home and searched  it for over three hours. Following the search, they arrested Mr. Tesfaye and confiscated his phone and laptop.  He is currently detained without charges at Addis Ababa police station. Despite numerous attempts by his family to learn the reason for Mr. After Tesfaye’s arrest and detention, the Addis Ababa Police Commander has failed to disclose this information to his family. 

Other Humans of Oromia Reports:

• The Story of Love (January 13, 2021)
• The Story of Diriba and Gonfe (Feb. 1, 2021)
• Former OMN Journalist Abdul Salaam Hasan Detained in Bishaan Gurraachaa Town in West Arsi Zone
• A Lawyer Known for Defending Oromo Political Prisoners Has Been Arrested by Oromia Special Police Forces

      Rape and Other Forms of Sexual Violence 

Sexual assault refers to any sexual, physical, verbal, or visual act that forces a person to engage in sexual contact against their will or without their affirmative consent. Rape commonly refers to forced sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration through physical force, such as being restrained or drugged, or threats to escalate violence. Under international human rights law, sexual violence can be considered to be a violation of the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women also regards gender based violence, including sexual violence, as a form of discrimination based on sex. 

Case Study: 

• Rape Allegation of Oromo Boys In East Guji Zone  –  OLLAA received an unverified reportfrom a human rights defender regarding the brutal rape of five male minors by Ethiopian military personel at Jiddolaa Military Camp, East Guji zone, between July and August 2020.  According to this informant, the victims had been arrested for participating in a protest against Abiy’s regime. They were detained at the military camp after their arrest for several days, during which time they were reportedlysubjected to rape at the hands of various Ethiopian soldiers.

 Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers by Armed Forces

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child bars States from recruiting children under the age of 15 to their armed forces, and imposes a duty on States to ensure that those who are under 15 do not take a direct part in hostilities. The recruitment and use of children under the age of 15 to the armed forces is also prohibited under international humanitarian law.  In addition, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict raises the minimum age for compulsory recruitment to the armed forces to 18.  It also requires States to make a binding declaration upon ratification of the protocol regarding the minimum age for which they will allow children to be voluntarily recruited into the armed forces. When Ethiopia ratified the optional protocol in 2014, it declared that “the minimum age at which it will permit voluntary recruitment into its national armed forces is 18 years old.” 

Case Study:  

• Oromo Child Soldier in Tigray War – Following the release of a video by Tigray Media House which appeared to show minors serving as part of Ethiopia’s armed forces, OLLAA was able to establish contact with the family of one of the young girls seen on the video.  According to them, Xumme Duba was 15 years old when she was recruited and joined the Ethiopian National Defense Forces to fight against the Tigray Defense Forces. She reportedly joined after her mother was promised money and a piece of land if she convinced her child to join the army.

Failure to Safeguard the Lives Civilians During Armed Conflict

International human rights law contains the obligation for States to protect individuals from human rights violations, including violations to the right to life, whether committed by State actors or armed non-State actors. A State may be found to have failed to meet this obligation, when they have “failed to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and respond to such acts.” Although States are the primary duty-bearers under international human rights law, this obligation may also extend to armed non-State actors, particularly when they have established territorial control over an area.  During non-international armed conflicts, humanitarian law may also apply, which calls for civilians to “enjoy general protection against the dangers arising from military operations,” unless they take a “direct part in hostilities”.

Case Study:

• Caught in the Crossfire: The Tragedy of Ethiopia’s Civil War in Oromia – During a clash between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and the OLA that occurred in the East Guji zone on December 6, 2021, it was reported that two civilians were gunned down.  According to OLLAA’s source, neither civilian had taken part in the hostilities. One was a taxi driver who was preparing to start his shift, while the other was a young man who had left his house for an early-morning jog.  It is unclear whether the bullets that killed them were fired by the OLA or the ENDF. 

Conclusions and Recommendations:

When taken together, these reports highlight the systemic nature of human rights abuses perpetrated by agents of the Ethiopian government against the Oromos. These violations predate the start of the conflict in northern Ethiopia in November 2020, and have continued to intensify as the civil war marches on.

Recommendation to the Ethiopian Government:

• Publicly order the security forces to immediately stop the use of extrajudicial executions, mass arrests and detention, forced eviction, and destruction of property during the law enforcement operations in throughout Oromia; 
• Establish an effective, credible, civilian, and independent security sector supervisory organ that also has mandate on the law enforcement operations of the EDF;
• Encourage and support inclusive, transparent, and fair justice processes to address legacies of past and current  atrocities in line with the Van Boven/Bassiouni Principles, and the African Transitional Justice Policy;
• Conduct independent, impartial, thorough, and credible, investigations on allegations of human rights violations committed throughout Oromia by security forces ostensibly deployed to maintain peace;
• Prosecute those individuals found responsible for human rights violations throughout Oromia.

 Recommendations for the International Community

• Publicly condemn these and other violations of human rights perpetrated against the Oromo;
• Pressure the Ethiopian government to fulfill its duty to protect and promote the human rights of the Oromo people, and to launch independent investigations into the allegations of human rights abuses;
• Consider launching independent investigations into allegations of human rights abuses committed in Oromia since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018.