Escalating conflict in Oromia’s Darra district exposes women, children to gender-based violence; displaced households left without livelihoods

 For years, the Darra district in the North Shewa Zone has been a hotspot of conflict within the Oromia region.

The district has been hit by waves of violence involving government forces and armed groups operating in both neighboring Amhara and Oromia regional states.

According to a recent report , the conflict in Darra has claimed the lives of at least 43 civilians since July 2024.

The recent brutal beheading of a young man in Darra, which has sparked widespread outrage, serves as further evidence of the ongoing instability and escalating violence in the district.

However, the violence in Darra is not a new phenomenon. For years, residents have expressed growing concern over the deteriorating security situation and have repeatedly called for urgent intervention by authorities to restore peace and protect civilians.

The conflict in Derra has taken a particularly harsh toll on women and women-headed households, who face challenges such as killings, gender-based violence including rape, and displacement, incapacitating them from providing for their children.

Zewditu Terefe, 41, is among the many displaced individuals from Ganda Koro Barbare Kebele in the Darra district—a place where she was born, raised, married, and nurtured her five children.

Since their displacement, life has been unbearable for Zewditu and her family.

“More than a year has passed, but there’s no sign of us returning home,” she explained. “We currently live in a plastic shelter with no access to food, proper housing, or medical care.”

Her children, too, face bleak prospects.

“They’re out of school because there’s no temporary education center in Merhabete,” she said. “I live with anxiety and depression, constantly worrying about their future and our survival.”

Gadise Tolamariam, 37, from Jiru Dada Kebele in the Derra district, also faced a similar fate. Nearly two years ago, she was forcibly displaced from her home due to escalating attacks.

Now a mother of four, Gadise faces overwhelming challenges.

“I am struggling to feed my children, and my two youngest are suffering from malaria, but there’s no clinic to treat them. My daughter is also battling measles,” she explained. “We are relying on traditional medicine to cope, as there is no assistance from the government or humanitarian organizations.”

Neither the Oromia nor the federal government has provided a humanitarian response to the crisis in the Darra district or the region in general.

 The government must create a conducive environment for internally displaced people to receive humanitarian assistance from international and non-governmental organizations.

Furthermore the government must recognize the internally displaced people from the Darra district.

Human Right reports forced conscription, arbitrary detentions and extortion in Oromia with victims including minors as young as 11

 Rights Commission (EHRC) has reported cases of forced conscription and arbitrary detentions in Oromia Regional State, accusing regional authorities of engaging in unlawful practices, including extortion targeting civilians, with victims as young as 11.

The investigation, released on December 5, 2024, was conducted between November 13 and 29, 2024. The EHRC investigation focused on detention centers in Adama, Bishoftu, Jimma, and Shashamane. Evidence was collected from detainees, their families, and local government officials.

The commission revealed, “Individuals were detained against their will under the pretext of military recruitment, and in some cases, were held until families paid for their release.”

One family in Adama reported being asked to pay 30,000 birr for the release of their 16-year-old son, who had been detained while at work.

The investigation also uncovered the detention of minors under the pretense of military recruitment. In Shashemene, the EHRC identified 14 minors aged between 15 and 16, as well as one child as young as 11, among the 32 detainees interviewed. Two 15-year-old students recounted, “When leaving school, someone promised us 25,000 birr if we joined the military. We were then taken to a detention center in Halu district, where we were not allowed to leave.”

In Adama, extortion practices were also documented. A 15-year-old boy was detained while running errands and held in a storage facility until his family paid 20,000 birr. “They told us we had to pay, or our son would be sent for military training,” the boy’s mother told the commission.

The EHRC reported that families across Oromia were coerced into paying amounts ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 birr to secure the release of their relatives.

The commission found evidence of detentions violating Ethiopia’s constitutional guarantees under Article 17, which prohibits arbitrary detention, and international treaties prohibiting forced recruitment. Military recruitment regulations under Proclamation No. 1286/2015 require enlistment to be voluntary and restricted to individuals aged 18 to 24.

There is also similar allegations of forced conscription in Oromia, with security forces allegedly targeting youth and detaining individuals who refused to enlist. Families were reportedly coerced into paying large sums to secure the release of relatives or risk them being sent for military training.

A mother from Adama City recounted how her 17-year-old son was detained while street vending and told he would be “sent to a military training camp” unless she paid 30,000 birr. Similar reports from other areas described youth being “rounded up” and taken to training camps or unknown locations.

The EHRC also highlighted the involvement of local officials in unlawful detentions, noting that defense force personnel and regional administrators collaborated to meet recruitment quotas. “Evidence indicates that certain officials exploited military conscription processes for financial gain, coercing families into paying for releases,” the commission said.

Oromia regional government and the Ministry of Defense must release all unlawfully detained individuals and ensure recruitment processes are conducted transparently and in compliance with established regulations. “Future recruitment must fully respect human rights and adhere to the rule of law,”.