HRLHA: 2 Months Murders, Tortures, Abductions & Imprisonments

HRLHA  Press Release

60 Evil Days In Oromia:  Two Months of Everyday Murders, Tortures, Abductions, and imprisonments under the State of Emergency in Ethiopia 

HRLHA: December 11, 2016

The TPLF/EPRDF’s  hidden agenda, under a democratic facade  in the past quarter century, has been challenged  by Oromo youth for freedom against subjugation “Qeerro Bilisuma” ever since March 2014. The Oromo youth for freedom against subjugation has been  supported by Oromos from all walks of  life; the cause was reignited in November 2015 up until the TPLF/EPRDF declared the State of Emergency on October 8, 2016.

Since  the State of Emergency was declared, human rights violations in Oromia have intensified on a daily basis, specifically targeting Oromo youths and elites. In the past  sixty days  since the State of Emergency  was declared,  several  Oromo youths, students of universities, colleges and high schools  were targeted and oppressed. The HRLHA monitored the TPLF/EPRDF atrocities against humanity through its reporters and will continue to share them with the world.

According to these reports, the TPLF/EPRDF government killing squad Agazi force has committed all sorts of human rights violations, including  killings, rapes,  abducting and  detaining of Oromos on a daily basis.

Among the eight students who were abducted from  Wollaga University in Nekemt Town in the first week of December 2016 are Sabona Chalshisa (4^th year Civil Engineering) , Keraji Motima (2^nd year Civil Engineering), and Nabuli Misgana Workneh (2^nd year Accounting)  from Rift Valley University. In the same way, an economics teacher Abebe Angassa was abducted from Hibrest school in the Tulu Bollo District, South West Showa Zone on December 1, 2016.

The HRLHA also received from its informants in south Oromia, Bale zone, in Adabba district, Gadedo community and Daraba Town information that a  number of  Oromo youths and elites  had been picked  up  on December 6, 2016 at  night and had been taken to  an unknown destination

The following are among the many Oromos in Adabba district who have been abducted by TPLF forces

In the same month-December 2016- over 53 Oromos were taken from the southern Oromia Guji Zone, Saba Boru district. Their names are below:

The TPLF/EPRDF has turned Oromia Regional State into a state of mourning every day. Citizens are crying, no one appears to be helping, even though the world community is aware of what is happening.  The world community  is in a state of silence and is refusing  to take concrete actions  to stop the crimes against humanity taking place in the country. How many people have to be murdered before there is an intervention?

The HRLHA again expresses its deep concerns and calls on the world community to show solidarity with the Oromo  people by taking concrete action against the TPLF/EPRDF dictatorial government.

Background:

Under remembering from the past, the HRLHA highlights  the human rights violations reported by HRLHA and other human rights organizations against Oromo youths  in the past ten years which continue to the present.

The TPLF/EPRDF  government has  targeted Oromo youth since  the Oromo youth  peaceful revolt against subjugation started in Oromia in 2005.  The following is a summary of  Oromo students  killed,  imprisoned, and disappeared  by TPLF/EPRDF security forces  in different universities in school year 2007

. January 1, 2007, Dembi Dollo, W. Wollega: Two Students KilledOne Oromo student, and perhaps two, died as a direct result of police beatings, and other students were severely injured and hospitalized in Dembi Dollo. Between 30 and 50 have been detained and remain detained without charge in the central Dembi Dollo jail and in two district police stations. (Human Rights Watch, February 20, 2007) ·  January 4, 2007, Ghmbi Wollega: Two Brothers Murdered Two cousins, Gemechu Benesa Bula and Lelisa Waqgari Bula, were killed by members of the militia and police officers. On the evening of January 4, police and militia members were on patrol near Guyi High School when they came upon several students walking together. Unlike previous incidents, where security force patrols had been used to break up student demonstrations, there was no demonstration, but several students fled as the police and militia members approached. The patrol shot at the fleeing students, severely wounding Gemechu. Lelsa returned and covered the fallen Gemechu with his body. The patrol ordered Lelsa to leave. When he refused, he, too, was shot. Both cousins died shortly after. (Human Rights Watch, February 20, 2007 ·  January 18, 2007, Ghmbi, W. Wollega: Two Students Died Due to Severe Beating In its appeal Letter to Ethiopian Ministers on Human Rights Violations Against Students, February 20, 2007, the Human Rights Watch stated “as students were gathering at school to march to the zonal administration headquarters to present a petition to the zonal administrators concerning the arrests and beatings, a squad of police broke into the school and beat yet more students and arrested others. According to reports from credible sources, dozens of students and some adults were injured in these two incidents. Eight students were hospitalized. A tenth-grade student was beaten so severely that he died a few days later. Human Rights Watch received an unconfirmed report that a second student also died as a result of the beatings.” (emphasis mine) ·   January 18, 2007, Dembi Dollo, W. Wollega: at Least 27 Detained and Tortured OSG report No. 43 stated that the following students have been detained without charge and beaten in Dembi Dollo jail : Mitiku Abdisa; 2. Mezgebu Bekele; 3. Dawit Warati;m 4. Binyamin Zerihun; 5. Amana Ayale; 6. Amanuel Magarsa; 7. Cali Kebede;8. Worku Tamrat; 9. Amanuel Degefu; 10. Gamachu Ligaba; 11. Waqgarri Habte 12. Bacha Yadesa; 13. Ashenafi Degefa; 14. Ishetu Getaneh; 15. Amanuel Aklilu; 16. Kedir Suleiman; 17. Wakshira Jabessa; 18. Geremew Mitiku; 19. Abraham Hora Gusa … ·   January 25, 2007, Ganalle, Bale: at Least 11 Students Detained OSG report No. 43 stated that the following students from Bale, most of whom were reportedly associated with Ganelle Secondary School, were detained. 1. Adan Mohammed, 2. Abdulahi Anajo 3. Ahmed Aliyi, 4. Ahmed Yaqub,  5. Aliyi Mohammed, 6. Hamza Mohammed, 7. Ibrahim Mohammed 8. Jamal Hussein, 9. Kalil Sheik Hassan, 10. Mohammed Abdulahi, 11. Tajudin Badru  .  February 21, 2007, Gaara Suufi, Hararge: Ayisha Ali, 14, Murdered and Her Body was Eaten by Hyenas A 14 year-old girl, Ayisha Aliyi, was taken by security forces at night in February, wearing only her nightgown. Local police later denied knowledge of her whereabouts, but government officials announced that dissidents would be killed on nearby Mount Sufi. When the news that some 20 people had been killed and thrown into a mountainous area known as Gaara Sufi, Ayisha’s mother, along with local people, went to the jungle and found some of Ayisha’s hair, clothes and body parts among the remains of 19 people who had been taken to Mt. Sufi and shot. Their bodies had been left there to be consumed by hyenas – leaving few remains for grieving relatives to bury. Even then, mourners were interrogated and funerals interrupted by security forces challenging relatives who had collected remains from Mt. Sufi “without authorisation.” (OSG report No. 43, VOA Afan Oromo. (2007 report will continue) Source: Revisiting Oromian Students’ Resistance Against Tyranny

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