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 effects of the drought and conflict on civilians.
Humanitarian Situation
Massive Displacement is Exacerbating the Ongoing Healthcare Crisis in Oromia
Critical infrastructure, including health facilities and water systems, has been severely impacted by violence and ongoing conflict within the Oromia region, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) claimed. On June 22nd, the Committee noted that the current health posts had been looted and damaged in Begi, a district of 100,000 inhabitants in the West Wollega zone, Western Oromia. There are shortages of emergency drugs, water supplies, and other materials. In addition, “the community pharmacy was also destroyed, and all the drugs and materials were taken,” Dr. Alemayehu Kiri of Guduru Primary Hospital said. His hospital, which serves more than five districts, was damaged as a result of the conflict. With influxes of people who have been fleeing their homes, the number of patients has been elevated. About 859,000 displaced people are in need of protection and support, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a situational report on Ethiopia.
WFP Leadership in Ethiopia resigns amid aid diversion probe
The senior leadership of the World Food Programme in Ethiopia has resigned, shortly before findings of the probe into the misappropriation of food aid in the country are due to be made public, according to several sources who witnessed the resignations. The specific link between the resignations and the probe were not immediately clear, but neither the WFP nor its aid partners in Ethiopia responded to several requests for comment. WFP country director Claude Jibidar announced his resignation at an all-staff meeting on June 2nd, with more senior staff resignations expected to follow.
USAID cuts food aid supporting millions of Ethiopians amid charges of massive government theft
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has cut off food aid to Ethiopia following revelations of a massive fraud scheme that has diverted desperately-needed humanitarian assistance from at least seven of the nine regions in Ethiopia. Investigations have revealed the involvement of both regional and federal government officials in the plot, in which local officials appear to have inflated the number of people in need and then diverted food aid to feed members of the military or sell to mills for re-export. Displaced persons in the Tigray region are suffering from severe malnutrition and report receiving very little aid since the November peace accords. Other regions of the country, including Oromia, also face dire threats of hunger following years of drought and conflict.
Human Rights Situation
OLLAA published three Humans of Oromia in the month of June. These depict people who have experienced violence and suffering, and not only the events, but also their feelings and perspectives.
The Singer Languishing in Prison
Sa’ad Anwel, a talented singer hailing from the Bate district in the Wollo special zone of Oromia, has endured immense hardships due to his unjust imprisonment and suffering in Kamise for nearly two years. A devoted husband and father of two, he dedicated his life to the passion of music. During his time in prison he has suffered various forms of mistreatment, including physical abuse. The impacts have been extended to his family, as his brother was forced to flee town and his wife and her six children were detained. Sa’ad and his fellow inmates have had their rights severely violated, with Sa’ad enduring beatings and his rights to a speedy trial disregarded. Prison conditions have generally fallen below international standards.
Elementary School Girl Raped by Two Government Soldiers
Fayo Ahimed (name changed), is a 14 year old elementary school student in the fifth grade. Born in South Eastern Oromia, she is a bright student who gave her family high hopes of climbing out of poverty. She has long dreamt of bringing a better future to her family. Fayo’s family was home when two government soldiers violated their privacy and entered their home with weapons. The soldiers then took Fayo to another house and proceeded to rape her. After explaining the horrific event to her family, she was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, the event has had a devastating effect on her life, as it has led to her dropping out of school and struggling with serious mental trauma. As a victim of rape committed by the government army, this was a brutal, traumatic experience for not only Fayo, but her family and the local community. OLLAA has also confirmed another rape of a woman in the same village who is afraid to speak out. The conflict has taken a large toll on innocent civilians, with girls like Fayo suffering the most. These atrocities must be acknowledged by the government as well as condemned by the international community. There must be adequate punishment and legal repercussions for such crimes made by government officials.
Two Family Members Among Those Executed by Fano
Two family members and others were brutally murdered by Fano armed forces. Muhammad Umer and Aliyi Adam were relatives, as Aliyi was Muhammad’s uncle. They were both born and raised in Matahora, Jile Dumuga Woreda, Wollo Zone, Ethiopia. Aliy was 19 and Mohammed 15 at the time of their deaths. Facing difficulties and hardships, they ultimately decided to leave their homeland in the hopes of providing a better life not only for themselves, but their families. However, during a stop in Debra Birhan, the victims called their families “and expressed how they were abducted by Fano and their hope that one day they would be able to resume their journey and find the better life they hoped” according to family members who spoke to OLLAA. After two days in Debra Birhan, they were brought to Shewa Robit with 12 other travelers and brutally murdered; only one traveler managed to escape and return home. The incident has left a deep scar in the community, and families are facing tremendous hardship as they are unable to properly bury them.
OLLAA Releases Report in June about Ongoing Violence
Ongoing violence in Oromia has resulted in violent abductions, killings, and displacements of civilians. Over 100,000 people have been displaced, and justice has largely been ignored. Oromos have been specifically targeted, and there is an intense need for international recognition of Oromo suffering and a corresponding international effort to address the crisis. As a result, the “Endangered Enclave: Systematic Ethnic Cleansing of Wollo Oromo in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia” report was released by the OLLAA, in June 2023. It describes the government’s neglect of its obligations under multiple instruments such as the UN Convention Against Torture.
The Endangered Enclave highlights the dire situation faced by the Oromo community in the Wollo zone of Ethiopia. The violence and human rights violations against the Oromos in Wollo have intensified during the period of 2021-2023. Extremist groups have carried out violent attacks, disappearances, abductions, and extrajudicial killings, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Oromos have been specifically targeted, with incidents such as abductions and public executions taking place. The federal government has also participated in the attacks, including a brutal airstrike that resulted in civilian casualties. This report calls on the Ethiopian government to fulfill its obligations under international human rights law and urges the international community to take notice of the atrocities being committed in Wollo. It also emphasizes the need for a pressure campaign on the government to cease the violence.
Debre Elias district in East Gojjan zone (Map: Addis Standard)
Addis Abeba – A graphic video of uniformed government security forces shooting two people, in civilian clothes with their hands tied behind their backs and facing away, in the back of their heads surfaced on social media this month. The uniformed security forces involved in the execution were seen wearing Sidama regional special forces’ uniform.
Other News
According to a Foreign Policy article published on June 29, 2023, the Biden administration has quietly informed Congress that as far as it is concerned, Ethiopia is no longer engaging in a “pattern of gross violations of human rights.” This lifts a legal designation that will pave the way to resume the dispatch of U.S. and international economic aid to the East African country, according to an internal U.S. Treasury Department notification and officials familiar with the matter.
According to a report published by Addis Standard, The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said critical infrastructures including health facilities and water systems have been seriously affected in the Oromia region, mainly by the ongoing violence. The Committee said on 22 June that nearly all 42 existing health posts have been looted or damaged in Begi, a district of 100,000 inhabitants in the West Wollega zone in conflict-ravaged Western Oromia. Patients with life-threatening medical conditions cannot receive urgent care because health facilities are no longer functioning in the district, according to the press release.
Addis Abeba – In the aftermath of the Tigray war, Ethiopia has unveiled a draft of its comprehensive Transitional Justice Policy, marking a decisive moment in the country’s effort to come to terms with its turbulent past. However, the document, while embodying substantial potential, raises considerable questions about the feasibility of its implementation, revealing a nation caught in a vortex of post-conflict justice and accountability issues.
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 three 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 in Oromia and other regions, both by Ethiopian security forces and non-state armed actors. As documented above, these trends continued in June 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 renewing and support the work of the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia;
- Pressure the Ethiopian government to implement a ceasefire, pending further peace talks;
- 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.