OLLAA has received a credible report on the extra-judicial killing of Mr. Xaxo Mio Jarso Gababo, a resident of Boobaa in the Liban district, East Guji zone. Boobaa village is located in an area that had previously been under the control of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and the OLA is purported to still be operating in that area. Xaxo was 22 years old and a pastoralist whose source of livelihood involved taking care of his family’s cattle and goats before his untimely death.
At approximately 10:00 am on February 18, 2023, Ethiopian government soldiers reportedly began attacking the residents of Boobaa village, shooting indiscriminately, and accusing them of supporting the OLA. According to OLLAA’s source, after the shooting began, many villagers fled to the bushes in order to save their lives. However, Xaxo was sick and resting at his parent’s home when the fighting began and was thus unable to flee. Our source reports that the government soldiers shot Xaxo twice in the head, killing him instantly, and that, before shooting Xaxo, the soldiers accused him of providing support to the OLA. Other residents have refuted the soldiers’ claim that Xaxo had supported the OLA.
International Law
International human rights law contains 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, including 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.