Wasihun D was born and grew up in Cala Foka Kebele, Guduru district Horro Guduru Wallaga zone of Oromia. He was forced to drop out of school in ninth grade to support his family by farming. He had been supporting them since. Wasihun was not married and had no children.
OLLAA staff spoke to Wasihun’s relatives regarding his extrajudicial killing by government security forces. Guduru district is the place where Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has been operating and is among the places where the OLA has a stronghold. There has been ongoing armed conflict between the OLA and the Ethiopian government in these places over the last five years. In June 2023, after the Tanzania peace talks, there were reports of intense fighting between these forces in the area. During the fighting, the OLA managed to control the Kombolcha, Dadu and Bate towns. According to sources, many civilian casualties were reported, and properties were destroyed due to the fighting. A week later, OLA withdrew from the towns it controlled. Government security forces then regained control of these towns. It was during this period that government security forces killed Wasihun, alleging that he had cooperated with OLA at the time they controlled Kombolcha town. According to OLLAA’s sources, Wasihun was not the only one who was killed; there were similar incidents. Further, the government is unlawfully arresting the people en masse.
International Law
International human rights law imposes the obligation for states to protect individuals from human rights violations, including violations of the right to life, which is guaranteed under numerous human rights treaties that Ethiopia is a party to, such as the UDHR, ICCPR, CRC, and ACHPR. Extrajudicial executions involve the deliberate killing of individuals by state agents outside of any legal framework and constitute a violation of this right. Wasihun’s treatment and killing represent a clear violation of international human rights instruments and the Ethiopian Constitution.