Falls Church, Virginia (02/24/2022) – On February 28, 2022, OMN published a report claiming that Amhara militias targeted the family of Dawud Ibsa, the Chairman of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). According to this report, on February 16th, eight members of Mr. Ibsa’s family were kidnapped by Amhara militias operating in Horo Guduru Wollega zone. Of the eight taken, four family members later released, while four were killed, including a mother and a 60-year-old woman. The report alleges that the Amhara militias, operating with the support of the Ethiopian government, purposely chose to target Mr. Ibsa’s family in this attack, likely due to his status as a leading Oromo political figure.
OLLAA expresses is alarm at this report, and extends its condolences to the Mr. Ibsa and his family for what appears to be a deliberate act of targeting political opponents and their family members. As the primary duty bearer under international law, States have the responsibility to protect their citizens from attacks by non-State actors, such as militias, and to launch independent and effective investigations into such acts, ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice, and that the victim’s and their families receive proper restitution. Given the reports that the Ethiopian government may have directly supported the Amhara militias who carried out this attack, the Ethiopian government may also be found to have directly violated the rights of Mr. Ibisa’s family members. As such, we implore all relevant bodies, including those within the international community, to consider launching independent investigations into these allegations.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that represents dozens of Oromo communities around the world.