Abduction / extortion / forced conscription by government militia in West Hararghe (28 Mar 2026)

More spurious demands included arbitrary payments extorted from non-Oromo in Shanan Dhugo district, West Hararge. ONM reported on 28 March that Somali residents in the Lubbu Dhaqqab area were ordered to pay 10,000 to 20,000 birr ‘because of their ethnicity.’ The population, already impoverished by Ethiopia’s cost of living crisis and never-ending demands for taxes and levies, have struggled to pay even relatively small amounts. Often, there is little pretence that payments are other than mere extortion for the personal benefit of government cadres.

Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 73 (2026-06-12), p.37. https://oromiasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/OSG-Report-73-12-June-2026.pdf