Falls Church, Virginia (10/21/2022) – On October 23, 2022, OLLAA, Open Society-Africa, the Open Society Justice Initiative, and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa will be hosting a side event at the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. This panel discussion will bring together a variety of experts with knowledge of the human rights situation in southern Ethiopia, and will focus primarily on the systematic pattern of violations that have been perpetrated against the Oromo, one of the major ethnic groups in Ethiopia.
While OLLAA, Open Society-Africa, the Open Society Justice Initiative, and IHRDA recognize the gravity of the ongoing conflict in Tigray in northern Ethiopia, we hope this panel will help to place that conflict in the context of other abuses actively being perpetrated throughout the country. The Oromo have faced countless abuses throughout Ethiopia’s history, and which continue to this day. These include attacks against civilians by state actors and non-state armed actors, violating their right to life. In addition, Oromos frequently face arbitrary arrests and detentions, which are frequently followed by further human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial executions, and violations of their right to a fair trial. During the panel, the experts will discuss the history and scale of the ongoing violence against the Oromo, as well as the need for international attention to the issue and avenues for accountability.
We encourage all interested parties to tune into this panel discussion, which will be available via livestream here. The event will begin at 5:30pm (GMT)/1:30pm (EDT) on October 23, 2022.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that works in collaboration with dozens of Oromo communities around the world.