The Oromia Support Group (OSG), a nonprofit organisation engaged in documenting Human Right Violations in Ethiopia since 1994 has released its 66th report.
Released on July 4, 2024, the report provides a grim overview of the current state of Ethiopia, a country marked by widespread violence, ethnic cleansing, mass displacement and potential genocide.
Dialogue or Disintegration?
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s promises of national dialogue and transitional justice appear increasingly hollow against the backdrop of ongoing violence and economic instability. Despite ambitious plans for economic development, Ethiopia remains plagued by internal conflicts, rampant inflation, and a humanitarian crisis. Over three million people are displaced, and nearly a quarter of the population requires food aid, according to OSG’s report.
The UN Human Rights Council has expressed concerns about continuing violence and human rights violations in the Amhara and Oromia regions. ENDF reprisal attacks on civilians in these areas are brutal. Human rights abuses in Oromia are particularly disregarded by the media and international Human Rights organizations.
Tigray Genocide
Ethiopia faces accusations of genocide, particularly in the Tigray region. The New Lines Institute found that all parties involved in the Tigray conflict, including the ENDF and Amhara Forces, Eritrean Defence Forces, committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report, endorsed by Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Director of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, highlights mass killings, starvation, destruction of infrastructure, and sexual violence against Tigrayans.
The humanitarian response to the crisis has been severely criticized. The Ethiopian government’s blockade of aid and obstruction of humanitarian efforts resulted in extreme suffering and death among the civilian population. The international community’s response has been deemed inadequate, failing to address the large-scale sexual violence and other abuses.
The Problem with Fano
Fano militants have been implicated in numerous atrocities, including ethnic cleansing and brutal attacks on civilians. On June 14, Fano forces locked wedding guests in a hall in West Showa and killed at least 24 people. This incident is part of a pattern of violence by Fano, which has targeted Oromos, Gumuz, Agew, and other ethnic groups, as well as Sudanese refugees seeking shelter in Ethiopia following the war in Sudan.
Widespread Violence and Abuses
The report documents instances of state violence, human rights abuses, and violence perpetrated by Fano militants in Oromia:
- Finfinnee: Killings, detentions, and property destruction.
- Amhara Region: Attacks against the minority Agew ethnic group, against Oromos in Oromia Zone in the Amhara region and on Sudanese refugees.
- North, West, and Southwest Showa: Mass killings, torture, and collective punishment.
- Horo Guduru and East Wallega: Killings and property destruction.
- Benishangul-Gumuz Region: Ethnic cleansing and disinformation by Amhara nationalists.
- East Hararge and Guji: Killings, injuries, and property destruction.
- Persecution of Waaqeffannaa Followers: Religious persecution and disappearances.
The OSG report paints a bleak picture of Ethiopia’s current situation and warns that the country is on the brink of disintegration. The international community must do more to put an end to severe human rights abuses and support efforts towards genuine national dialogue and justice in the country.
You can find OSG’s 66th report on their website here.