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Ethiopia: Civilians Suffer ‘In Silence’ Amidst Armed Conflict in Guji Zones, Oromia Region – Report


Addis Abeba — 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 got 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.