Roba A (name changed for security reasons), 28, was born and raised in Arsi Zone, Merti Woreda, in Abomsa Town. He is an energetic young man who worked in the local bus station where he earned his livelihood as a driver.
Back in 2021, there was a clash between the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups in Abomsa Town. On the Epiphany, a Christian holiday, Amhara groups hung a flag in the center of town. However, this flag – with the colors green, yellow and red and no star at the center – has no connection with the religious celebration and displaying it is against the country’s constitution because it symbolizes a political ideology. It was under this flag that the emperors, such as Menelik, who led Ethiopia subjugated the Oromo.
Angered by the Amhara’s action, some members of the Oromo community in the area attacked those responsible, which led to a conflict between the two ethnic groups. As a result of bribes they presented to ENDF, the ENDF tortured or imprisoned individuals based on information they got from these groups. Roba, who was not part of the violence, became a target of the Amhara groups who were working hand in glove with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) stationed in the town.
They zeroed in on Roba because he was an active young man working in the Abomsa bus station, a place where the Amhara dominated the transportation service. Fed false information, the ENDF jailed Roba in both Abomsa Town and Asela City prison for more than a year without a concrete reason. Though a trial was held, he couldn’t defend himself against a coordinated prosecution armed with fabricated evidence. While under arrest, Roba was tortured. Roba relocated from Abomsa Town to Adama City after being released, where he settled down. He continued making his living as a driver.
To this day, the ENDF in the Abomsa are still torturing and killing innocent civilians.
International Law
The right of a person to liberty is acknowledged as a core human right by a host of international conventions to which Ethiopia is a party, including the UDHR, ICCPR and ACHPR, and the FDRE Constitution. However, Roba was arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned for more than a year. The security forces’ irresponsible action is also a clear violation of international human rights instruments and the Ethiopian Constitution.
Therefore, OLLAA urges the Ethiopian government, as a signatory state to the aforementioned human rights instruments, to protect its citizens’ right from arbitrary detention. It is also obligated to uphold these rights under its own constitution.