Falls Church, Virginia (11/07/2023) – On November 05, 2023, OLLAA spoke to residents in Coqorso area who said the Amhara militias (Fano) had killed at least 17 Oromo civilians and injured 27 people. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. local time and the violence eventually spread to the Doobbi, Garboota, and Wanbe villages in the Artuma Furse District, Wallo Oromo Special Zone, Amhara Region of Ethiopia. This latest attack was triggered when tensions escalated between Oromo civilians and Amhara Fano in the same village. According to a source who spoke to OLLAA, on October 29, 2023, Fano had previously ambushed youth herding livestock, killing three cattle and injuring one person. As of today, an additional 3 people have died, making the total number of people dead 20 while injuring many others. The precise number of deaths today is still unknown as this is a developing story and the conflict is still ongoing.
For more than three years, OLLAA has documented instances when Fano committed grave human rights abuses against civilians, including burning humans. Since the war in Tigray broke out between the federal government and TPLF, Fano intensified targeting Oromo civilians in the past with the support or endorsement of regional government forces. However, in recent times, since the conflict in the Amhara region, Fano has claimed that Oromo civilians are supporting the government and has further intensified its violence against Oromos. Over the past several months, Fano has committed mass killings of Oromo civilians, including in the Gida Ayana District East Wallaga zone, where 30 civilians were massacred.
OLLAA is also alarmed by the increase in attacks against Oromo civilians by Ethiopian government forces. This video circulating on social media from October 29, 2023, shows the security forces threatening to kill Addisu Hiraye in Galana district in West Guji zone. Another report by BBC Afaan Oromo and Addis Standard shows a mother of 7 was tragically executed by government security forces in the Garri Nura Dhera village in Bosat district of East Shoa zone. Her body along with two other victims identified as Gada Godana and Boru Bekele were found in the morning of October 29, 2023. Furthermore, according to VOA, twelve civilians have been killed in recent fighting between the OLA and government security forces in Dagam and Wara Jarso districts of North Shoa region of Oromia.
OLLAA condemns this and all attacks against civilians and calls on the Ethiopian government to protect its citizens, label Fano as a terrorist organization and launch an independent investigation into all human rights abuses in Oromia and other regions. Moreover, OLLAA calls on international communities to investigate these attacks and human rights abuses against civilians as the Ethiopian government has failed to meet its international obligations to protect citizens.
Finally, OLLAA urges the US and international community to pressure the Ethiopian government to resume peace dialogue with the Oromo Liberation Army. We believe without dialogue and a durable solution between these two warring parties, violence and lawlessness will only intensify throughout the country.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that works in collaboration with dozens of Oromo communities around the world.