This report is part of OLLAA’s monthly report series documenting the ongoing pattern of human rights abuses perpetrated against Oromo civilians, both inside Ethiopia and throughout the world. These reports also document the humanitarian situation inside Oromia, including the effect of the drought and conflict on civilians.
Attacks on Civilians:
During the month of January, OLLAA received multiple reports of attacks against Oromo civilians committed by both state agents and non-state armed actors. Much of the violence attributed to the Ethiopian government is connected to the ongoing military operation against the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) inside Oromia. Regarding non-state armed actors, the Amhara militia group known as Fano reportedly launched attacks against Oromo civilians in the North Shewa and East Wollega zones. Clashes were also reported along the border between the Oromia and Somali regions, leading to the death of civilians.
As previously reported by OLLAA, in December 2022, a series of attacks were perpetrated by Amhara militias (fano) in the Kiremu district of the East Wollega zone, leading to mass displacement. According to a report by OMN, residents of the district who were displaced in these attacks have faced pressure from members of the Ethiopian government to return to their homes, despite the fact that Fano is still controlling the area.
On January 20, 2023, it was reported that Amhara regional forces, alongside members of Fano, launched a series of attacks on Oromo civilians living in Jille Dhumuga district, Wollo Oromia Special zone, Amhara region. Early reports suggested that at least 7 civilians had died as a result of these attacks, although later reports by the Oromo Liberation Front claimed that at least 65 Oromo civilians had died over a three-day period and that thousands had been displaced. They also reported that the homes of multiple civilians were burned down. On January 25, 2023, the Amhara regional government released a statement claiming that “anti-peace forces” were responsible for the attacks, while the Addis Standard spoke to multiple witnesses who claimed that Fano and Amhara regional special forces were responsible.
Arbitrary Arrests and Detentions
Tashitaa Tuffa, Photo Credit: Metropolitan Transit Network
Oromo civilians routinely face arbitrary arrests and detentions, which are arrests and detentions not in accordance with the procedures established by law. Often, such arrests are due to civilians’ purported–and tenuous–connections to the OLA. In other incidents, they are arrested for exercising their right to freedom of expression by participating in peaceful protests, for their involvement with leading Oromo opposition political parties, or because they are suspected of otherwise being Oromo nationalists. This trend continued throughout the month of January, with notable examples including:
- On December 30, 2022, Tashitaa Tuffa, a U.S. citizen and prominent Minnesota businessman, was detained at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa after traveling to Ethiopia to attend a funeral. He was released on Monday, January 2, 2023, following calls for his release from U.S. Senator Klobuchar and Representative Dean Phillips, who worked with the State Department to ensure his release.
- On January 3, 2023, it was reported that government forces were conducting mass arrests of youths and elders in the South West Shewa zone of Oromia. According to this report, the arrests were carried out because of suspicions that the detainees were supporters of the OLA.
- On January 5, 2023, four members of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council were placed under arrest while monitoring cases of forced evictions near Addis Ababa.
Once detained, Oromo civilians frequently face further violations of their human rights, including the right to a fair trial and due process of law. On January 3rd, the Addis Standard issued a report based on interviews they had conducted with two former prisoners in Oromia that highlighted these trends. They reported that both witnesses were arrested without a court order and accused of supporting the OLA. One of the victims interviewed was ordered released by a court, although the police refused to release him, while the other was never brought before a court of law. Both reported that they witnessed other prisoners experiencing torture and inhuman treatment at the hands of state agents, and unsanitary detention conditions at the Awash Melkassa detention center. Both victims were eventually released without ever being charged with a crime.
Finally, OLLAA has previously reported on the continued detention and denial of medical treatment for Gada Gabisa, a leader of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who has been detained since April 2021, despite a court order for his release. In early January, it was reported that Gada Gabisa was still not receiving adequate medical treatment from government officials at Burayu prison.
Prospects for Peace
As noted in OLLAA’s previous Situation Update, since the signing of a peace agreement between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government in November 2022, there have been calls for the Ethiopian government to enter into a similar negotiated agreement with the OLA. Despite these calls, on January 3, 2023, the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) released a statement renewing their pledge to eradicate the OLA in Oromia.
Nevertheless, there appear to be signs that the Ethiopian federal government and the OLA may be willing to initiate such talks. On January 23, 2023, the OLA published its Brief Political Manifesto, which called for the establishment of an “all-inclusive political process involving all stakeholders and representative political forces,” to resolve Ethiopia’s long-standing challenges and noted their willingness to participate in mediation efforts that are “formalized and observed by neutral third states.” In late January, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed gave remarks that indicated he might be willing to enter into peace talks, although he cast doubt on whether the OLA had a central command that would be capable of speaking for the group as a whole.
Controversy in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
The three excommunicated Archbishops. Left to right: Abune Zena Markos, Abune Sawiros,
and Abune Ewostateos (Photo: SM)
On Sunday, January 21, 2023, three Archbishops of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, including his Holiness Abune Sawiros, the Archbishop of South West Shoa Diocese, appointed twenty-six Bishops without the approval of the Holy Synod. According to his Holiness Abune Sawiros, they made this decision in response to the calls from Oromos for services to be conducted in Afaan Oromoo, and in order to “resolve long-lasting problems within the church for failing to serve believers in their native languages and detached of their culture.”
OLLAA recently spoke with Oromo members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church to discuss claims that Oromos have faced exclusion at the hands of the church. One of the common issue areas highlighted was the fact that the church has a defined liturgical language, Ge’ez, which is an ancestor of the modern Amharic language. In recent years, there have been calls from within the Oromo community for the Ethiopian Orthodox church to allow services to be performed in Afaan Oromoo.
The decision of the three Archbishops has been marked with controversy and condemnation. The Administrative Assembly has issued a statement deeming the actions of the Archbishops a “betrayal.” On January 23rd, the management assembly of the Archdiocese’s office issued an order for the suspension of the salary of those persons, “accused of having committed a crime of ‘destroying’ the church by illegally appointing bishops in Haro Beale Wold Church,” as well as orders for their offices to be sealed and guarded. During an emergency plenary session on January 26, 2023, the Holy Synod decided to revoke the titles and authority of the three Archbishops, alongside the titles conferred on twenty-five of the twenty-six Bishops they had appointed.
Humanitarian situation
©UNICEF Ethiopia/2021/Demissew Bizuwerk. In the village of Lafto, cow carcasses are scattered around, an indication of how drought severely hit the Borena zone.
The Oromia region of Ethiopia is currently experiencing a perilous humanitarian situation and increasing food insecurity due to a number of factors, including drought and conflict. The most recent UN OCHA situation report on Ethiopia was published on January 18, 2023. It noted that insecurities in the region have led to displacement and an increase in humanitarian needs, but that “access challenges” have forced displaced populations to remain without assistance. They also reported on the impact of the drought on civilians, and on the cholera outbreak in southern Oromia. Recent reports by UN OCHA note that there have been confirmed cholera cases in 6 of 13 woredas in the Bale zone and cases in the Nenesebo woreda of the West Arsi zone.
The Borena zone is one of the zones that has been one of the hardest hit by the drought. The District Governor of Borana has reported that over 800,000 people within the zone are in desperate need of assistance. According to reports, UNICEF has been working to treat children experiencing malnutrition in villages and IDP camps throughout the zone.
In mid-January, Save the Children issued a statement regarding the current food crisis in Ethiopia, alongside a call for additional funds to support their resilience programming.
Human Rights Watch Releases Annual Report on Ethiopia
On January 12, 2023, Human Rights Watch released its annual report on Ethiopia. While much of the report focused on the armed conflict in northern Ethiopia, a substantial portion focused on the human rights situation throughout Oromia and for Oromos throughout the country.
The report highlighted abuses committed by Ethiopian security forces, including the extrajudicial killings of Oromo civilians in Gambella following a clash between government forces and the two armed groups (the OLA and the Gambella Liberation Front) in June 2022. They also noted reports of civilian casualties linked to the Ethiopian government’s attempts to eliminate the OLA– including drone strikes–and reports of attacks on civilians by armed groups.
Finally, the report highlighted the cases of multiple Oromos who had experienced arbitrary arrests and detention, including ONN journalists Dessu Dulla and Bikila Amenu and prominent OLF political leaders.
International Response
Samarita Sewasiw, Minister of State for Finance, and French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna. Photo source: Ministery of Finance Ethiopia
- United Nations
The UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) was formed after a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in December 2021 and was tasked with investigating reports of human rights abuses in Ethiopia and providing “guidance on transitional justice, including accountability, reconciliation, and healing, as appropriate, and to make recommendations on technical assistance to the Government of Ethiopia to support accountability, reconciliation, and healing.”
On January 3, 2023, the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice released its policy paper, Ethiopia: Policy Options for Transitional Justice, and issued a call for stakeholders to share their comments on the formation of a comprehensive national transitional justice policy framework. In response, the ICHREE issued a statement that called on the Ethiopian government to engage with them so that they could “provide advice on the options presented,” in order to fulfill their mandate.
- United States
During the month of January, the US continued to focus its attention on the human rights situation in Ethiopia, including inside Oromia. President Joe Biden announced the nomination of Ervin Jose Massinga to be the new US Ambassador to Ethiopia, a position that has been left vacant for over a year. On January 21st, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the phone, and, alongside discussions of the implementation of the recent peace agreement, noted that they also “discussed the need to bring an end to ongoing instability in the Oromia region.”
- Humanitarian Assistance
Multiple European countries announced their decision to provide humanitarian assistance to address the impacts of drought and conflict in Ethiopia. France and Ethiopia signed a financial support agreement that provided 32 million euros to address food security in conflict-affected regions, including Oromia. The United Kingdom also announced that they would be providing £16.6 million in humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia, which will be used to assist vulnerable people across regions with rising insecurity, including inside Oromia.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The Oromo have faced systematic human rights abuses at the hands of multiple Ethiopian governments. Despite the repressive tactics they have faced for generations, they have, time and again, sacrificed their lives to advance human rights in Ethiopia, including by leading the peaceful protests that led to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s rise to power in 2018.
Unfortunately, over the last two years, the situation for the Oromo has only worsened, particularly following times of relative peace in northern Ethiopia. Since the signing of the peace agreement between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government in November 2022, there have been increasing reports of attacks against civilians, both by Ethiopian security forces and Amhara militias. As documented above, these trends continued in January 2023.
Despite the growing body of evidence of a systematic pattern of human rights abuses being perpetrated against the Oromo, the plight of the Oromo continues to be ignored by the international community. OLLAA fears that the continued failure of the international community to pressure the Ethiopian government to protect human rights and seek a peaceful means to end the conflict inside Oromia will only lead to further loss of life and the destabilization of the entire Horn of Africa.
As such, OLLAA calls on the international community to:
- Condemn the human rights violations noted in this report, as well as all other credible allegations of human rights violations throughout the country;
- Consider launching independent investigations into reports of human rights violations committed inside Oromia and across the country, and support the work of the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia;
- Pressure the Ethiopian government to find peaceful means to end the conflict in Oromia, as it has done with TPLF in northern Ethiopia;
- Ensure provision of humanitarian assistance to all who need it across Ethiopia, including inside Oromia;
- Ensure the Oromo are included in any transitional justice measures, including inclusive dialogue processes.