Multiple media sources, including OMN and ONM, have recently reported about a series of attacks on Oromo civilians, including the destruction of Leta Lebeta’s home on June 5, 2022, launched by the ENDF inside the West Shewa zone.
According to these reports, at approximately 6 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, June 5th, Mr. Leta Lebeta, a farmer and father of seven from Sombo Cittu in Ilfata woreda, left his home to take his cattle to a nearby clinic. When Mr. Leta returned home, he was shocked to see his neighbours running to the forest in apparent fear for their lives. He asked what had happened and was told that members of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) were going to burn down their homes. He told reporters, upon hearing this news, “I decided to go and die right in front of my house,” but that his neighbours physically stopped him from approaching his home and the ENDF. Mr. Leta and his fellow villagers were then forced to watch as the ENDF burned down their homes, leaving his family, alongside many of his neighbours, homeless.
According to Mr. Leta, not only did the ENDF destroy his home, they also destroyed all of his property, including 30 quintals of grain that he had stored. In the days following this incident, his neighbours provided his children with food, because, “[The ENDF] left us with nothing. Even the clothes I am wearing right now aren’t mine.” Mr. Leta is gravely concerned about what will happen to his family in the future, as he claims that the ENDF is prohibiting the farmers from further cultivating their land.
When asked by reporters why he had been targeted by the ENDF, Mr. Leta claimed he had no idea, stating, “I did nothing and they burned down my house without any reason.” According to witnesses, Mr. Leta’s home was not the only one set alight by the ENDF without any justification that day, and many of the farmers whose homes had been destroyed had fled to the forest.
Unfortunately, Mr. Leta’s story is one that is far too common for thousands of Oromos in Ethiopia. OLLAA has previously reported on this practice, wherein Ethiopian security forces intentionally burn down the homes–and often entire villages–of Oromo civilians, leading to forced displacement. In many cases, security forces claim that the civilians whose homes they burned down supported the OLA. In practice, these security forces are able to commit these acts with impunity and are never required to prove that the victims were, in fact, connected to the OLA. Such attacks often appear to be a form of collective punishment against innocent Oromo civilians for the ongoing conflict between the Ethiopian government and the OLA.
International Law
Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out that, “Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others”, and that “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.” The African Charter on Human Rights also guarantees the right to property in Article 14, claiming “The right to property shall be guaranteed. It may only be encroached upon in the interest of public need or in the general interest of the community and in accordance with the provisions of appropriate laws.” Mr. Leta Lebetta had no history of arrest, nor participated in any actions against the government. It seems clear that there was no public interest by burning down his house, and thus this right was violated.
Under international law, forced displacement refers to a situation where a person is forced to leave their home, generally due to violence or human rights violations. When they do not cross international borders as a result of their forced displacement, they are referred to as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement recognize the right of an individual not to be arbitrarily displaced from their home or place of residence, and elaborates upon the rights of those who have been displaced. In particular, it sets out that the property of IDPs must be protected, including from “Being made the object of reprisal” and “Being destroyed or appropriated as a form of collective punishment”. Although it is unclear at this time if, ultimately, Mr. Leta and his family will be forced to leave the area due to the destruction of their home, many Oromos whose homes have been destroyed by government forces are internally displaced.
It is also possible that international humanitarian law may apply in this situation, as a Noninternational Armed Conflict (NIAC). If so, the destruction of property of an adversary is also prohibited under customary international humanitarian law, unless required by imperative military necessity.