Falls Church, Virginia (01/19/2022) – As previously reported by OLLAA, on December 1, 2021, Ethiopian security forces interrupted the political and religious Gadaa ceremony in Motomoa/Karra village, Fantaalee District, Oromia. The security forces abducted 40 Karayu Oromo and killed 14 of them that afternoon, including the Abba Gada and Abba Boku, religious leaders of the Karayu. One survivor, who was recently interviewed by the Addis Standard, reported that the remaining 23 captives were detained near Moju, where one further abductee died. After roughly one month, he and 5 other captives were released, while 16 remain detained.
In the days immediately following the attack, the Oromia regional government issued a statement blaming the attack on the Karayu Abba Gada and others on the OLA; a claim that witnesses disputed. In late December, two members of the Ethiopian government accused the Oromia regional government of ordering the attack at the Gadaa ceremony.
Today, OMN published an article which alleges that the Oromia regional government is currently attempting to block the publication of a report by a committee established by the Prosperity Party Oromia Branch to investigate this attack. OMN claims that the committee’s investigation concluded that top officials from the Oromia regional government planned and ordered the execution of the Karayu Gadaa leaders, the looting of civilian properties throughout Oromia under the guise of searching for the OLA, and engaged in an illicit trade in counterfeit goods. Reportedly, the committee also issued a recommendation that those who took part in the execution of Karayu leaders and the looting of civilian properties should be prosecuted. Although OLLAA is unable to verify the accuracy of this report at this time, we note that any attempts by the Oromia regional government to suppress the publication of such a report would be an overstep of their authority and should be condemned by the international community.
OLLAA has previously condemned the attacks against the Karayu Oromo as a form of religious and political targeting, and reiterates its call for the Ethiopian government and the international community to ensure that the victims and their families receive justice for this attack, including by ensuring that independent, thorough, and impartial investigations are launched into the killings and detention of Karayu leaders.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that represents dozens of Oromo communities around the world.