Press Release
Oromo flag
RESPONSE OF THE OROMO LIBERATION FRONT TO PM ABIY’S CALL
The speech made by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed on June 19, 2018 in the Ethiopian Parliament calling for reconciliation is admirable and his call for peaceful settlement of conflicts in Ethiopia deserves consideration. However, we will take this opportunity to reiterate the goal of the struggle of our organization, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), for more than 40 years, to come to the concrete content of our response to the call.
It is a well-known fact that the relationship between the Ethiopian state and the Oromo people is not based
on an agreement or a political contract entered voluntarily by both parties. The Oromo people were dragged
into it against their will. Ethiopia occupied Oromia by force and denied the Oromo people the right to identity, enslaved them, and used their resources and labour, put them in darkness and lived so far. Needless to say, that Oromia has been under occupation and was ruled by force for more than 130 years. It was out of this reality that the OLF was formed in 1973 to organize and lead the Oromo people in the struggle for the liberation of Oromia. The same persistent reality also created the current unrest in Oromia. [read more] [Afaan Oromoo]
Killings and Arrests in Response Oromo Protests,“Such a Brutal Crackdown”
State security forces in Ethiopia have used excessive and lethal force against largely peaceful protests that have swept through Oromia, the country’s largest region, since November 2015. Over 400 people are estimated to have been killed, thousands injured, tens of thousands arrested, and hundreds, likely more, have been victims of enforced disappearances.
Security forces, according to witnesses, shot into crowds, summarily killing people during mass roundups, and torturing detained protesters. Because primary and secondary school students in Oromia were among the early protesters, many of those arrested or killed were children under the age of 18. Security forces, including members of the federal police and the military, have arbitrarily arrested students, teachers, musicians, opposition politicians, health workers, and people who provided assistance or shelter to fleeing students. Although many have been released, an unknown number of those arrested remain in detention without charge, and without access to legal counsel or family members. read more
Source: HRW
Ethiopia: 25 Years of Human Rights Violations
Oromo protest against the Addis Ababa Master Plan erupted again in late 2015. The government labelled the protesters as “terrorists” and escalated its response against them, resulting in deaths, injuries and the mass arrest of protesters, opposition party leaders and journalists. The ATP permits up to four months of pre-trial detention, which contravenes international human rights standards. Amnesty International has documented the widespread use of torture and other ill-treatment of protesters during this lengthy pre-trial detention period. The Federal police, regional police and the military killed children as young as twelve years of age during the protests. The security forces and the military have discharged live ammunition, and beaten up protestors, wounding hundreds of people. They have also conducted mass arrests during the protests as well as its aftermath. read more
Source Amnesty International