UN says humanitarian situation worsening for over 850,000 people displaced in Western #Oromia, urges multi-sectoral support

  Humanitarian situation worsening for over 850,000 people displaced in Western #Oromia, #UN urges multi-sectoral support

“Protection concerns have been reported amongst women and children displaced and exposed to different risks such as loss of families, gender-based-violence (GBV) and physical injury, as well as resort to dangerous and negative coping mechanisms,” the report stated.

Tens of thousands of children are out of school subsequent to damaged or closed schools, and high mortality and morbidity rates are reported due to damaged health facilities and poor health services.

Justice for Oromo
Community!

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the humanitarian situation in East and West Wollega zones of the Oromia state has shown to worsen in the last few months due to continued insecurity from conflict since 2020. 

Even though there is improved access, about 859,000 displaced people are in need of protection and other multi-sectoral support, OCHA said in its latest situation report on Ethiopia.

“Protection concerns have been reported amongst women and children displaced and exposed to different risks such as loss of families, gender-based-violence (GBV) and physical injury, as well as resort to dangerous and negative coping mechanisms,” the report stated. 

The report noted that tens of thousands of children are out of school subsequent to damaged or closed schools, and high mortality and morbidity rates are reported due to damaged health facilities and poor health services.

In December 2022, the UN had stated that humanitarian delivery to people in need in the Oromia regional state is “fast deteriorating”, adding that electricity, mobile network, health facilities, banks and markets are not functional following the ongoing fighting in the region.

The first ever attempt to peacefully resolve the war between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and government forces which was held in Zanzibar, Tanzania was concluded without an agreement on 03 May. 

Intense fighting supported with heavy weaponry has been going on in several parts of the Oromia region since the talks were concluded causing fears of worsened humanitarian situation and casting shadow on the prospects of the second round of talks. 

Civilians suffer “in silence” amidst armed conflict in Guji zones, Oromia

 

Abiy regime must
Stop Killing OROMO's!

The Oromo Legacy Leadership and  Advocacy Associations (OLLAA) said in a new report titled “Between a rock and a hard place”, severe rights violations of civilians have been committed amidst armed conflict in the Oromia region particularly in the two Guji zones over the past five years.

According to the advocacy group, the suffering of civilians and the human rights violations in the area have never received proper media coverage compared to other armed conflicts in the country. 

“As the conflict between Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the government forces increased, multiple states of emergency were declared and the civilians were forced to pay the largest price; the loss of their security and their lives, ” the report which was released on 12 May has stated.

According to the report, the “government security forces are known to arrest civilians based on false claims of either being supporters or members of OLA”.

It also pinpointed that “extrajudicial killings” are among the most gruesome human rights violations taking place in the Guji zones attested with a   document obtained from community members.

The report shares a partial list of victims of these extrajudicial executions, including seven prisoners who were executed in different prisons in the Guji zones, including Galma Utura, Dhadacha Mi’essa, and Abdulahi Golu, who were all removed from the prison in Raro, Goro Dola district on 28 September 2019 and executed as confirmed by Amnesty International of 2019.

“Another victim, Badhu Golicha, was taken from prison by members of the Ethiopian National Defense Force on 02 February 2023 in Hardot, Liban district and executed,” the report indicated, adding that “Osuman Abdulah was taken from a prison center in Jidola, Goro Dola district and executed in July 2022”.

Incidents of killings in those areas are so common that in January 2022, “14 civilians were publicly executed by government security forces in Birbirsa Kojawa Ela Dima town” in the West Guji zone and 18 civilians were shot to death and then burned within their homes in Fincawa district On 28 December 2018, the report added.

According to two informants, both OLA and government security forces routinely abduct civilians and children who after being traumatized and forced to terminate their education, pick up arms to fight with their captors.

The report also indicated that following protests against the formation of a new East Borana zone, the government took measures that claimed the lives of some of the protesters and physically injured others. 

“Three protesters, Mi’essa Hessa, Nenqo Wate, and Guyo Xephiso, were shot and killed by Oromia special forces during the Feburuary 28, 2023 protest” the report stated, adding that, during the protests, a significant number of protesters and non-protesters were arrested and detained in several prison facilities.

OLLAA urged both warring parties to cease hostilities and negotiate among other recommendations in order to prevent multiple and intersecting human rights violations civilians are facing due to the armed conflict. 

Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) senior officials go missing from police custody

 

Free All OLF political Prisoners!

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has warned that “the act of hiding prisoners from their families and close follow-up and blockage of their right to be attended to by legal bodies is a massive transgression of international conventions related to people under detention and other human rights instruments.”

The party said this in a statement it released regarding seven members of its senior officials who went missing from police custody in Burayu, Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne/Addis Ababa/, on the evening of 18 April.

The whereabouts of OLF Executive Committee members Abdi Regassa and Michael Boran, its Central Committee member Kenasa Ayana, and its Gulele main office head Gada Oljira (PhD), as well as senior officials Dawit Abdeta, Lemmi Begna and Gada Gebissa remains unknown since they went missing.

“Such irresponsible and inhumane treatment of detainees who need close medical attention reveals the blatant human rights abuses by the Abiy Ahmed regime,” the party said .

They acquitted court orders for their release or are held without charges brought against them at all. Furthermore, Central Committee member Kennasa Ayana “cannot walk due to ailments sustained after he was detained. His doctor recommended for better place and treatment where he could recuperate,” the OLF said , the “inhumane treatment of political detainees and belittling legal institutions is the hallmark of abusive regimes.”

In May last year, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released a report following an investigation into the detention of the party’s leaders in various detention centers in Oromia. The report confirmed that many OLF leaders and members are “illegally detained” and were subjected to abuse. “EHRC found that some of the detainees, who had been in detention for months to two years, had been subjected to various forms of abuse and ill-treatment,” the Commission said.

The OLF has been repeatedly demanding the release of its leaders since they were imprisoned in 2019, and at times accusing the police of torturing them while in detention.

#FreeAllOLFPoliticalPrisoners #Justice #StopKillingPeople #StopEvictingPeople #AbiyAhmedRegimeIsDictatorial 

Inhumane Treatment of Political Detainees and Belittling Legal Institutions is the Hallmark of Abusive Regimes

 OLF Statement on the Disappearance of Its Leaders and Officers

After our continuous and relentless appeal on the long year’s illegal detention of our members and leaders, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) initiated an investigation in 2022 GC. The Board instituted a committee which consisted of five members from the staff of the NEBE, a representative of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), and Prosperity Party (PP). The committee visited the Federal, Finfinnee City Administration and Oromiya Regional State’s prison and prison cells . The investigation committee confirmed, among other things, that, first, 'there are many detainees even beyond those listed by the parties. Second, 'those acquitted are still kept in detention'. Third, 'many of the detention houses lack a minimal level of appropriate toilet and ventilation'.

Despite the effort by the NEBE, little has changed. Party members continued to be illegally detained, harassed, and abused. OLF offices all over the country remained closed. Those leaders who were acquitted were illegally kept in substandard detention houses.

Again, based on our repeated appeal, the NEBE set out for a further investigation into the illegal detention of OLF leaders and officers. On April 18, 2023, the Board wrote a letter to the Oromiya Police Commission stating that it further wants to investigate the appeal of the OLF and informed the Commission that a committee consisting of the PP, OLF and OFC representatives and NEBE staff would be at the Burayyu police detention centre, on April 20, 2023, one day before the planned visit by the committee, on April 18, 2023 night, the detainees were transferred to an unknown place. This was for the second time that the Burayu Police dislocates prisoners to obstruct transparent investigation.

On April 20, 2023, on the day set by NEBE and consented by Burayu Police, the committee arrived at the detention centre in Burraayyu District of Sheger Town. The local police commander who gave the appointment was not in the office. Inspector Negash Gari, Head of Criminal Investigation at the Police office, gave attendance to the committee. After hearing the purpose of the visit, he said that he was newly transferred to the office and added that he was neither informed about the issue nor knew the whereabouts of the OLF leaders. The committee left disappointed, understanding that this was a ruse to obliterate the investigation. The whole drama was irresponsible and was deliberately setup to obstruct transparent investigation.

The OLF leaders, namely, Mr Abdi Raggasa, Mr Michael Boran, Mr Kennasa Ayana, Dr Gada Olijira, Mr Lammi Benga, Mr Gada Gabbisa and Mr Dawit Abdata, were acquitted by the court but were illegally detained by the Police for the last two years. Now their whereabouts are unknown. We are highly concerned about their life. All of them suffer from different kinds of illnesses. Mr Kennasa Ayana cannot walk due to ailments sustained after he was detained. His doctor recommended for better place and treatment where he could recuperate.

The act of hiding prisoners from their families and close follow-up and blockage of their right to be attended to by legal bodies is a massive transgression of international conventions related to people under detention and other human rights instruments. Such irresponsible and inhumane treatment of detainees who need close medical attention reveals the blatant human rights abuses by the government.

The OLF reminds the Oromo people that the rights abuses of its leaders have continued unabated. It only rests on their shoulder to protect their leaders and fellow citizens from such violations.

The OLF also calls up international communities, inparticular Human Rights organizations, to closely follow such inhumane acts, locate the detainees' whereabouts, and pressure the Ethiopian government to respect the right of the detainees. We strongly urge National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to press more that the Ethiopian government release the innocent without further delay.

Victory to the Masses!

Oromo Liberation Front

April, 2023 Finfinnee

Media freedom is “under significant attack” in Ethiopia

 

RESPECT FREEDOM OF PRESS!

Amnesty International has said that “media freedom has come under significant attack” in Ethiopia in 2022, with authorities arresting at least 29 journalists and media workers across the country.

In a statement released on Wednesday, 03 May together with the Media Institute of Southern Africa to mark the World Press Freedom Day, the rights group said that the northern Ethiopia authorities also charged five journalists with “collaboration with the enemy” the same year.

Authorities across East and Southern Africa escalated their attacks against journalists and press freedom across the region to suppress reporting of corruption and human rights violations throughout 2022 the statement added.

“Attacks, harassment, intimidation and criminalization of journalists have been escalating in East and Southern Africa for exposing allegations of corruption and human rights violations,” the statement quoted Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah as saying.

The statement further said authorities in the region must stop targeting journalists and media organizations for doing their job, and create a conducive environment which allows the press to work without repercussions, intimidation and imprisonment.

According to the latest press freedom index by the Reporters Without Borders, the press freedom situation in Ethiopia has further deteriorated as the country ranked 130 out of 180 countries with a global press freedom score of 47.7 in 2023. In 2022 Ethiopia was ranked 114 out of 180 with a global press freedom score of 50.53.

On 14 April Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that at least 8 journalists were detained amid renewed unrest in Ethiopia.