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Oromia Human Rights and Justice Council (OHRJC)
The Oromia Human Rights and Justice Council (OHRJC) is a non-political and non-profit organization which works to raise awareness of human rights violations in Ethiopia and the greater Horn of Africa region. The OHRJC monitors and gathers first hand and credible information from victims, relatives of victims, eye-witness, and other sources including government’s own documents and publishes them.
The current and previous governments of Ethiopia had signed and ratified various covenants, protocols and agreements on human rights, it appears, only to win over the support of the international community. However, as regularly reported by many human rights organizations regarding this government’s conduct of human rights violations, the true nature of this regime has been characterized by massacre, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, gang-rape, disappearances, confiscation of property, detention for a long period without trial, displacement, and conscription to non-ending wars on political opponents. The brunt of these hideous acts is borne by Oromo nationals.
In addition, the OHRJC monitors and reports on the several thousand Oromo refugees, including university and high school students and high-ranking officials, who fled their homeland to escape government security intimidation, killing and detentions. The OHRJC appeals to international community and governments to help with all possible means as these refugees are stranded in neighboring countries of Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea, Yemen, Sudan and other African countries.
Even in neighboring countries, Oromo refugees continue to live in fear for the safety of their families and their own. Many refugees have been killed or kidnapped by murder-squads organized by the government in Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, and South Africa. Others have been subjected to a forced repatriation particularly with the cooperation of Djibouti and Kenya governments.
The Ethiopian government bent on destroying the Oromo people’s aspiration for peace, justice, and democracy throughout Oromia is once again killing innocent Oromo students, farmers, teachers, women and elderly. Since 1992, hundreds of thousand Oromos are believed to have been in the government detention centers at one time or another and never have charged of any violation by the court of law. The majority of these detainees never saw a day neither light nor seen by their loved ones. They never appeared in front of a judge nor charged with any crime.
The gross and systematic human rights violations of Oromo nationals and others by the government have been monitored and reported by various human rights organizations and governments, including Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Survival for Tribal Peoples, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), International PEN, The Committee to Protect Journalists, Oromia Support Group (OSG), the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO),the Society for Threatened Peoples and Genocide Watch, The Oromo Human Rights and Relief Organization (OMRHO) Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA),the US State Department and the European Union. However, these reports have fallen on deaf ears. Western governments, who are major donors to the Ehiopian government, are turning a blind eye to sustained human rights abuses carried out on civilians by the regime. Women were raped and many, including children, were sent to torture chambers. Ethiopian government’s major patrons, the USA, UK and EU have maintained a conspiracy of silence around these crimes against humanity.
The worsening human rights situation in Oromia has reached the level never seen in the history of the country. Since July 2007, Oromia Human Rights and Justice Council has been compiling human rights abuses, detentions, Oromo students expulsions from schools and institutions of higher education, extra judicial executions and tortures. These reports by all means are not complete, and they are only to show how intentionally and systematically the Oromos are being targeted for just being an Oromo and because they demanded their basic fundamental human rights. The information below is presented by regions to show that no region of Oromia is immune to the systematic human right abuses including killings.
Table 1.
|
Name
|
Sex
|
Education
|
Sub-region
|
Prison
|
Status
|
|
Nagasa Waggasa
|
M
|
|
Midaqanyi(W.Shawa
|
Midaqanyi
|
|
Iddosa Saboqa
|
M
|
|
Midaqanyi(W. Shawa)
|
Midaqanyi
|
|
Girma Nagasa
|
M
|
Student
|
Midaqanyi(W.Shawa
|
|
Escaped imprisment
|
|
Getachew Iddosa
|
M
|
Student
|
Midaqanyi(W.Shawa)
|
|
Escaped imprisment
|
|
Badhasa Fijara
|
M
|
Student
|
Midaqanyi(W.Shawa)
|
|
Escaped imprisment
|
|
Amansisa Gaddisa
|
M
|
Student
|
Gudayya Bila(E.Wall)
|
Gudayya
|
|
|
Waqtale Dabala
|
M
|
Student
|
Gudayya Bila(E.Wall)
|
Gudayya
|
|
|
Hafiz Fayyisa
|
M
|
|
Manna(Jimma)
|
Manna
|
|
|
Surra Abdi
|
M
|
|
Jimma
|
Ma'ikalawi
|
|
Sulxan Abba Gissa
|
M
|
|
Jimma
|
Ma'ikalawi
|
|
Fuhad Abba Sambi
|
M
|
|
Jimma
|
Ma'ikalawi
|
|
Mahammad Abba Naga
|
M
|
|
Jimma
|
Ma'ikalawi
|
|
Dawwit Qana'a
|
M
|
|
Jimma
|
Ma'ikalawi
|
|
Mahammad Abba Digga
|
M
|
|
Jimma City
|
Jimma
|
|
|
Rashad Abba Zinab
|
M
|
|
Jimma City
|
Jimma
|
|
|
Befeqadu Bulti
|
M
|
lecturer
|
Jimma City
|
Jimma
|
|
|
Mahammad A/Tamam
|
M
|
|
Qarsu Toli(Jimma)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Nazif A/Jihad
|
M
|
|
Sarbo town(Jimma)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Mahammad Amin
|
M
|
|
Qarsu Toli(Jimma)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Mrs. Almaz Abebe
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Muktar Ahimed
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Arabu Ahimed
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Sufan Hussen
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Miss Hode Kebed
|
F
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Jihad Said
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout |
| Hussen Ahimed's Mother |
F
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Mrs. Mammitu Tamam
|
F
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Lalli'ee Bogale
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Miss. Sada Tamam
|
F
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Abbiyyi Aseffa
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Mengistu Farada
|
M
|
|
Ababo Guduru(Horro)
|
Ababo
|
|
|
Fekadu
|
M
|
|
Ababo Guduru(Horro)
|
Ababo
|
|
|
Yassin A/Macca
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Abiyyot Hailu
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
Mattu
|
|
|
Itoyoppiya Temesgen
|
M
|
|
Jimma City
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Hirkisa Tesema
|
M
|
|
Mattu(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Wandimmu Fikire
|
M
|
|
Beddelle(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Tammirat demise
|
M
|
|
Beddelle(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Muzayyin Guddeta
|
M
|
|
Beddelle(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Muzayyin Ittana
|
M
|
Teacher
|
Beddelle(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Nasir A/Garo
|
M
|
|
Beddelle(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Chanallew Ballihu
|
M
|
|
Beddelle(Illubbabor)
|
|
Ma'ikalawi
|
|
Banti Gabi
|
M
|
|
Beddelle(Illubbabor)
|
|
Unkown whereabout
|
|
Gali Jamal A/Bulgu
|
M
|
|
Qarsa(Jimma)
|
Qarsa
|
Minor
|
|
Jafar A/Biyya A/Bulgu
|
M
|
|
Qarsa(Jimma)
|
Qarsa
|
Minor
|
|
Kalifa A/Rayya A/waji
|
M
|
|
Qarsa(Jimma)
|
Qarsa
|
Minor
|
|
Gali A/Maca A/Wari
|
M
|
|
Qarsa(Jimma)
|
Qarsa
|
Minor
|
|
Tofiq A/Bor A/Bulgu
|
M
|
|
Qarsa(Jimma)
|
Qarsa
|
|
|
Hadha Dilbi A/Garo
|
F
|
|
Qarsa(Jimma)
|
Qarsa
|
|
|
Alawiyya A/Gar
|
F
|
|
Qarsa(Jimma)
|
Qarsa
|
a girl
|
|
Qamaru Jamal A/Bulgu
|
M
|
|
QarsaToli(Jimma)
|
Qarsa Toli
|
|
Godana Hawwetu
|
M
|
Farmer
|
Limmu Deno(Jimma)
|
|
Murdered
|
|
Takkala Irrana
|
M
|
Farmer
|
Limmu Deno(Jimma)
|
|
Murdered
|
|
Qalbessa Lammi
|
M
|
Farmer
|
Limmu Deno(Jimma)
|
|
Murdered
|
|
Taddase Amante
|
M
|
Farmer
|
Limmu Deno(Jimma)
|
|
Murdered
|
|
Latu Negari
|
M
|
Farmer
|
Limmu Deno(Jimma)
|
|
Murdered
|
|
Wali Hares
|
M
|
Teacher
|
Negelle(Guji)
|
|
Murdered
|
The Oromo people live in fear of terror in their own land. Oromia has become a living hell for her children. The government seems to believe that it can curb the popular uprising of the Oromo people for justice and democracy by sheer use of force and instilling fear in the population. The brute force exerted against the Oromo youth in particular, rather than cowing them, is making them more resolute. More and more are putting their lives on line for freedom and justice than ever before.
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