Falls Church, Virginia (3/13/2023) — On March 13, 2023, OLLAA submitted a report to the United Nations Committee against Torture on the common pattern of violations that have been perpetrated against Oromo civilians in recent years. This report will be considered by the Committee as it reviews Ethiopia’s compliance with the obligations contained in the UN Convention against Torture during its next session, from April 17-May 12, 2023.
UN Treaty Bodies are committees of independent experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of the international human rights treaty they are associated with. As part of this process, they undertake a periodic review of each country’s compliance with their international obligations and issue recommendations. This October will mark the second occasion that the Human Rights Committee, which oversees the implementation of the ICCPR, has assessed Ethiopia. Its previous review concluded in August 2011.
In our submission, OLLAA discusses the systemic pattern of violations that have been committed against Oromos since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s rise to power in 2018, starting with the installation of military command posts in western and southern Oromia. Our report alleges that the Ethiopian government has continued the same pattern of abuses highlighted by the Committee in its previous concluding observations, in contravention of its legal obligations under the Convention against Torture.
OLLAA concludes its report by requesting that the Committee issue the following recommendations to the Ethiopian government:
- Launch independent and effective investigations into allegations of human rights abuses and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable
- Strengthen the rule of law inside Ethiopia in order to ensure that:
- Oromo civilians are not arbitrarily deprived of their right to liberty, and their rights to a fair trial are protected;
- Oromo civilians do not experience torture or inhuman treatment while detained, particularly in an effort to coerce them to confess to crimes;
- Ensure that the conditions of detention in police stations, prisons, and other detention centers throughout Oromia align with international standards, including the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that works in collaboration with dozens of Oromo communities around the world.