Falls Church, Virginia(03/25/21)— The Oromo Legacy, Leadership and Advocacy Association (OLLAA) commends the US Senate for amending its resolution 97 (S. Res. 97) to include the Oromo people. On Wednesday, the bill was submitted for formal consideration by the Senate at large. This bill would mark the United States’ official recognition of Ethiopia’s political repression and human rights abuses throughout Tigray, Oromia, and other regions, while urging Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to take action.
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Res. 97 calls upon the Ethiopian government, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and other belligerents to cease all hostilities, protect human rights, allow unfettered humanitarian access, and cooperate with independent investigations into atrocities committed in the country.
Thanks to significant advocacy by OLLAA and the US Oromo community, the Senate also expanded the bill to include several important measures for the Oromo people in Ethiopia.
Thanks to significant advocacy by OLLAA and the US Oromo community, the Senate also expanded the bill to include several important measures for the Oromo people in Ethiopia. S. Res. 97 would formally recognize the rise in violence and human rights atrocities in Oromia and other regions of the country, citing documentation of human rights abuses by Amnesty International. This documentation includes Amnesty’s 2020 report, Beyond Law Enforcement, which reveals the extent of government atrocities against the Oromo population.
Crucially, S. Res. 97 would call upon Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to release all political prisoners, like Jawar Mohammed and Bekele Gerba. Under the bill, the US would also urge PM Abiy to establish a national dialogue between the federal government and all political and ethnic groups—including Oromos. This dialogue would allow Oromos to register their grievances with the government and actively shape a more democratic, peaceful Ethiopia.
Ethiopian diplomats celebrated the bill’s advancement, hopeful that the US will at last provide key support to the embattled Oromo population, who for decades have suffered repression and violence by the Ethiopian government.
The inclusion of Oromos within S. Res. 97 would not have happened without the leadership and dedication of the US Oromo community. OLLAA urges the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to rapidly advance this important legislation. Senate leaders must continue to engage the US Oromo community in dialogue and collaborate together to ensure the US effectively promotes the needs of Oromos within its foreign policy.
