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
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