OLLAA has spoken to a family member of Musa Muhammed Musa and Jemal Muhammed Musa regarding their extrajudicial execution by members of the Oromia Regional Militia forces in July 2023.
Musa and Jemal were born and raised in Burqa Gudina Village, Girawa District, East Hararghe Zone. Musa was the father of eight children – 3 sons and 5 daughters – and Jemal was the father of one son. The only thing that both brothers have ever done is work tirelessly on their farm to support their families. They have been recognized as being among the most successful farmers in their area.
On July 28, 2023, at 10:00 am, these brothers and their family members, including their neighbors, were gathered to chew khat, which is known locally as Ija Bana. Chewing khat is part of local social traditions in this area. While they were all sitting in a row, four militia members from the local administration approached and requested that each of them pay 2000 birr to the village militia support fund. With no receipts provided, half of the respondents said they would not pay for this type of illegal money collection. The other half of the respondents said they would not pay because they had not sold any of their Khat this year due to the falling price of locally produced khat and did not have the funds to do so. Angered with their response, the militia members began beating them.
According to OLLAA’s source, these seated individuals began to flee for their lives toward the bushes. In the meantime, the militias started firing on these unarmed civilians, shooting Jemal in the back of the skull and Musa in the back of the chest. As a result, both of them instantly died.
The perpetrators have reportedly been detained by the authorities. Although the case is still being investigated, it should be emphasized that no verdict or final decision has been made in the matter as of yet.
International Law
A number of international human rights treaties to which Ethiopia is a signatory, including the ICCPR and the ACHPR, as well as the FDRE Constitution, have recognized the right to life as a fundamental right that requires the enjoyment of all other rights.
International human rights legislation also mandates that persons be shielded from violations of their rights, including the right to life, which is safeguarded by a number of human rights treaties. However, the local militias are perpetrating attacks of similar nature in different parts of Oromia. Hence, the government must ensure the security of the community and hold the perpetrators responsible.