Summary Execution of Civilians by Ethiopian Government Security Forces Exacerbates the Volatile Situation in Oromia.
Statement of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)
While calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the northern part of the country, the government of the Prosperity Party has declared a brutal war on the Oromo people and Oromiya. Government security forces, Gambella and Amhara Regional State Police forces, militiamen, and Fano have targeted peaceful citizens. The Gambella incident and Hartuma Fursi massacre attest to this.
After the reported attack of the allied forces of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Gambella Liberation Front (GLA) on Sene 6, 2014 (June 13, 2022), Gambella Regional State Security Forces targeted Oromo peaceful civilians in the city. They brutally murdered civilians by singling out Oromos due to their ethnic background. One of such cruel acts was shown in the video that went viral on social media. The video showed a young man whose hands were chained on his back and the government security forces raining several gunshots on him. Such a brutal act happened in a country where security forces were supposed to protect civilians.
As restated by Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, in Hartuma Fursi of Oromo Zone of Amhara Regional State, Amhara Regional State security forces and Fano militants conducted similar brutal summary execution of Oromos. The security men were seen drugging young men and women from a track and shooting on the spot. Corpses are seen thrown on the ground. The killers were heard speaking the Amharic language.
The Oromo Liberation Front condemns, by all possible terms, these illegal, hidden and unhidden summary executions of peaceful Oromos. We have disclosed similar unwarranted killings and summary execution of Oromos in Guji, Wollega, and West Showa Zones earlier. Such irresponsible deeds are unacceptable by any standard, and we strongly request our people to stand against it.
Such barbaric measures will undoubtedly aggravate the already volatile situation in Ethiopia in general and Oromiya in particular. The repetitive actions vividly show the irresponsible behaviour of members of the security forces and institutional and individual lack of interest in correcting such criminal acts.
OLF believes that the Ethiopian government is solely accountable for such heinous perpetration.
Therefore,
1. We demand the immediate cessation of such vicious killings and summary execution. We strongly request an impartial investigation, by a neutral body, into this monstrous act against innocent Oromo civilians.
2. We strongly demand the perpetrators of this criminal act should, without delay, be held accountable in the appropriate court of law transparently.
3. The security forces should refrain from such criminal acts and remain loyal to the people and respect to the constitution and international law rather than siding with a party in the grip of power.
4. We call upon the Oromo people and the rest of the Ethiopian peoples to put pressure on the government so that it renounces armed confrontation in favour of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Oromiya and elsewhere.
5. We also call upon the international community to pressure the Ethiopian government to stop the hidden war and concomitant mass kiillings in Oromiya and encourage it to settle the conflict which is dragging the country into an endless quagmire. If our international allies leave the current condition in Ethiopia unattended, the downward journey will inevitably sink the country deeper.
Finally, we call upon the Oromo people to stand by the Oromo Regional National Transitional Government of Oromiya, their grantor of peace and security, so that the brutal killings and suffering will end soon.
Victory to the Masses
Oromo Liberation Front
June , 2022
No comments:
Post a Comment