Rights body urge action in Ethiopia’s Oromia region

The state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has urged officials to pay closer attention to the tensions and violence in the Oromia region.

The commission, which made the call in its annual report this month, said there have been attacks in 13 of the 20 zones in the Oromia region, leading to an alarming number of casualties and an extremely concerning overall situation.

The Ethiopian government blames a rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), for the violence. But the commission said the response of government forces has also resulted in rights abuses.

Deputy Commissioner Rakeb Melese said the rights commission is emphasizing the need for peaceful negotiations.

“The retaliation measures taken by government equally incurs human rights violations because civilians are affected, people are displaced, because of the retaliatory measures.” Rakeb said.

Attempts to call and text a spokesperson for the Oromo region went unanswered.

Fighting between the federal government and the OLA has caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people in the region over the past four years.

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In April, federal government orders to integrate Amhara special forces, including Fano, into the federal military or the police triggered widespread protests.

More recently, Amhara and Oromo militias have been targeting each other’s neighborhoods, one example of Ethiopia’s long-simmering ethnic conflicts.

Amanuel Adinew, executive director at the Center for Development and Capacity Building, which works in Oromia, said the conflicts have created mistrust in the community.

“The state of anarchy created around these areas of conflict is behind increasing levels of cruelty. It has eroded the trust that people had in one another,” Amanuel said.

In addition, he added, many social institutions aimed at helping people in need are no longer functional.

Peace talks between the Ethiopian government and the OLA took place in April, but ended without any agreements.