All documented incidents
Page 25 / 35
Every published incident, newest first. Open one to read the full record.
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Killing by government forces in East Wollega (21 Apr 2024)
Nine people attending a wedding in Tinfa village, East Wallega, were killed ‘by bomb’ by ENDF on 21 April, but their names were not reported. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66 (2024-07-04), p.34.…
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34 people killed by government forces in Borena (20 Apr 2024)
On 20 April 2024, at least 34 civilians were killed by ENDF soldiers in a single day in the small town of Qarsaa, Guji. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 69 (2025-04-10), p.37.…
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Detention in Mega, Borena (19 Apr 2024)
Mahamed Doyyo Kukubo, OFC member, was detained in Mega town, Dirre district, Borana zone, on 19 April. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66 (2024-07-04), p.42.…
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Killing by government forces in Jeldu, West Shewa (19 Apr 2024)
On April 19, two cows belonging to Hirphaa Dirribaa were killed by artillery fire in Faalloo village, Jaldu district. ENDF mortars destroyed homes in Warqee Waleensuu village, Matta Robii district. The house and belongings of Baqqalaa…
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Remembering Jaal Battee Urgessa: A Beacon of Hope for the Oromo People
On the 9th of April, a brave champion of peace was brutally slain in the middle of the night plunging his beloved nation into a state of profound sorrow and disbelief. Jaal Bate Urgessa, one of the most vocal opposition party officials…
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Two killed and over 100 cattle looted by OLA in Dera Tirtiri kebele, Ameya woreda
On 16 April 2024, the OLA killed two civilians in Dera Tirtiri kebele and looted more than 100 cattle; on 21 April it looted 36 cattle and three motorcycles in Gomnbore Aliy kebele. Source: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission statement…
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Batte Urgessa's brother Millo held eight months despite court release orders
After Batte Urgessa's killing, authorities detained his younger brother Millo for eight months despite court orders for his release. Source: Human Rights Watch, "World Report 2025: Ethiopia", 2025-01-16.…
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Killing by government forces in Borena (14 Apr 2024)
Dambobi Boru, father of four, in Qarsaa, Guji, was killed by government forces on 14 April 2024. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 69 (2025-04-10), p.37.…
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Detention by government militia in East Wollega (14 Apr 2024)
Koree Nageenya The secretive Prosperity Party security committee, known as Koree Nageenya, which organises the killings and detention of government opponents, was exposed by Reuters in February. Former Oromia Region minister, Milkessa…
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Killing in Adaba, West Arsi (14 Apr 2024)
According to social media reports,26nine members of one family, including nephews and grandchildren of the informant, were shot dead in Adaba district, West Arsi, on the orders of the District Governor, Kamal Haji Tola, on 14 April.…
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Detention by police in Meki, East Shewa (11 Apr 2024)
Milo’s sister, Simbo Urgessa, was also detained at Meki police station on 11 April and released after several weeks. Milo’s friend, Ebba Wane, is also detained. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was forced to end its investigation…
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Detention in East Shewa (11 Apr 2024)
Milo Urgessa, father of two and younger brother of OLF political officer and peace advocate Bate Urgessa, remains in detention, despite a court order for his release, as OSG went to press. He was arrested on 11 April after the funeral of…
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3 people killed in West Wollega (11 Apr 2024)
Three men were killed in an unnamed location in West Wallega on 11 April, including a young man Abiti Zarihun and ‘Zarookoo’. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66 (2024-07-04), p.36.…
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OLF member Batte Urgessa killed in his hometown
On 10 April 2024, Batte Urgessa, an OLF member who had been detained in February while meeting a French journalist, was murdered in his hometown in Oromia. Police announced 13 arrests, including his younger brother. Source: Human Rights…
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Killing in Nekemte, East Wollega (9 Apr 2024)
Among their advocates and a regular visitor was Bate Urgessa who would have been released alongside the others if he had not been freed because of severe ill health in March 2022. His assassination by Ethiopian security forces on 9 April…
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Sexual violence in Karrayyu, East Shewa (8 Apr 2024)
Breaking development – detention of unmarried Karrayyu girls There is a new development in Karrayyu that is of great concern to the community. Starting April 8, following a visit by a powerful Prosperity Party leader to a big recently…
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Homes / property burned or looted by government forces in Tole, South West Shewa (8 Apr 2024)
ENDF destroyed two homes by fire in Tole district, Southwest Showa, reported 8 April. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66 (2024-07-04), p.22. https://oromiasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/OSG-Report-66.pdf
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20 people killed by government forces in Tole, South West Shewa (5 Apr 2024)
ENDF soldiers killed nine people in Bacho district, Southwest Showa on 5 April. OSG received an unverified report of at least 20 civilians being shot dead on 5 April by ENDF in Tole district, Southwest Showa. Among those killed were:…
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31 civilians killed and 3 wounded in OLA attack on Kota town, Ameya woreda
On 5 April 2024, the OLA attacked Kota town in Ameya woreda, killing 31 civilians and wounding three, looting cattle and other property and burning property. Source: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission statement (Amharic (summarised in…
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Three residents killed in crossfire between Oromia anti-guerrilla police and Amhara militants in Kota area; residents displaced
After an OLA attack killed people at Kota (Friday market) on 4 April 2024, Oromia anti-guerrilla police arrived and exchanged fire with Amhara armed men; three local residents not involved were killed. Residents of the three kebeles were…
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Homes / property burned or looted by government forces in West Shewa (2 Apr 2024)
Homes in two villages, Cofira Shaashe and Cofira Hulluqo, in Gadab Hasasa district, Arsi, were burned down by ENDF, reported 2 April. They belonged to: Muktaar Husseen Kadiir Jamaal Husseen Kadiir (5 properties) Source: Oromia Support…
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Local officials refute al-Shabab operating in Oromia’s Bale zone, posing security threats
Local officials have denied a report that al-Shabaab is operating in the Bale zone of the Oromia region, and that it killed several zonal police officers and militiamen. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 130-page, National…
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Displacement by government forces in Sheger, Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne (30 Mar 2024)
Promises by Ethiopian Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed of a genuine commitment to national dialogue and a programme of transitional justice are no more realistic than his forecast last year that Ethiopia would be exporting surplus grain to more…
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Torture / ill-treatment in Fiche, North Shewa (29 Mar 2024)
Dejene Girma Hurrisa, member of North Showa OFC Committee, was abducted from Fiche town on 29 March and reportedly tortured up to the time of the press release. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66 (2024-07-04), p.42.…
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Killing by government forces in Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne (26 Mar 2024)
Fano and ENDF kill 119 civilians in March On 26 March, OSG was given the following eye-witness account of an attack on Oromo villagers in the Oromia Special Zone of Amhara Region, ‘Wollo’. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66…
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Four residents shot dead and five wounded in Denaba kebele, Dodola woreda
On the night of 25 March 2024, at about 11 p.m., unidentified armed men shot dead four residents of Denaba kebele, Dodola woreda, and wounded five. Source: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission statement (Amharic (summarised in English)),…
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Seven killed in their homes in Dodola town, including a church servant's and a deacon's families
Between 9 and 11 p.m. on 25 March 2024, unidentified armed men killed seven people in Dodola town 02 kebele: a servant of St Gebre Kristos church with his wife and two children, and a deacon with his wife and sister, all in their homes.…
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IDPs recently returned from Amhara to Oromia region opt to turn back, while others choose to stay despite turmoil
When authorities announced last year the potential repatriation of individuals displaced from the Oromia region who had sought refuge in Amhara in recent years, lingering skepticism persisted within the displaced community regarding…
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Killing by government forces in Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne (17 Mar 2024)
On 17 March, ENDF and Fano killed four civilians and injured several others in Wollo. The OCHA Ethiopia Situation Report 29 April stated that 36,450 individuals affected by hostilities required urgent humanitarian assistance in Oromia…
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Killing in East Hararghe (Mar 2024)
Followers of Waaqeffannaa have been persecuted and discriminated against by government authorities, denied land for burials and for building places of worship. They have been imprisoned and their Galma halls have been burnt down. Two…
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Killing in Karrayyu, East Shewa (Mar 2024)
The account by OAA shows how the Karrayyu and their rich, ancient and venerated culture, are regarded as mere disposable assets by Prosperity Party leaders and, like all of Ethiopia’s peoples, their individual and group rights which are…
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Sexual violence by Fano in Jardega Jarte, Horo Guduru Wollega (Mar 2024)
Rape in IDP camps An in-depth article in Addis Standard at the beginning of March ‘Silent Suffering: Tales of gender-based violence echo across conflict hit Western Oromia’ 30 described Fano attacks on villages in Jardega Jarte district,…
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Homes / property burned or looted by government forces in Borena (14 Mar 2024)
On 14 March 2024, government Oromia Police set fire to Qilxaa village, Sabba Boru district, Guji. Homes were destroyed. A video taken by the police showed their members rejoicing and whooping with delight as homes burned and collapsed,…
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Killing by Fano in Lugo, East Wollega (14 Mar 2024)
More Wollo killings in March 2024 Qeerroo activist, former detainee and torture survivor, Ibrahim Sadan Shakal, now a refugee in Cairo, reported on 14 March the killing of eight people in Makkah, Wollo, on 20 February. The names of six…
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IDPs in Western Oromia face challenges as authorities expedite return programs amid absence of essential infrastructure
In the heart of Western Oromia, a relentless battle has been unfolding for years, plunging the region into a maelstrom of chaos and uncertainty. The clash between government forces and rebel factions, including the Oromo Liberation Army…
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Detention in Becho, South West Shewa (13 Mar 2024)
Committee, was released from detention on 13 March and rearrested on 16 March. Sorsa Sima, OFC member, was arrested on 29 March in Tulu Bolo town, Southwest Showa. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66 (2024-07-04), p.42.…
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9 people killed by Fano in East Shewa (11 Mar 2024)
Twelve: nine women and three children were shot dead by Fano in a single home in Naannoftuu Nageesso village, Wollo, on 11 March. Seven of them were named: Said Abbagar Shindee Xaahir Said Ahmad Abbaattee Jemaal Ahmed Sarboo Aliyii Dagaa…
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Killing by Fano in Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne (10 Mar 2024)
On the first day of Ramadan, 10 March, Fano and Amhara militia attacked two kebeles in the Bate area near Sanbate, a small town in a mountainous area, killing 94 people. One village, Wasan Qurqur, was totally destroyed. In each kebele…
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Two elderly residents killed outside their homes in OLA attack on Silkamba town
On 10 March 2024, in an OLA attack on Silkamba town, Nono woreda, two elderly residents of Abeyi Heben kebele were killed in front of their homes. Source: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission statement (Amharic (summarised in English)),…
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25 civilians killed, homes burned and residents abducted by Amhara armed groups in Dera woreda border kebeles
From 7 March 2024, armed groups operating in Amhara Region carried out repeated attacks on Dera woreda kebeles on the border, killing 25 civilians, injuring four, abducting an unknown number and burning many homes. Source: Ethiopian Human…
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Killing by government forces in Limu Seka, Jimma (5 Mar 2024)
A young Qeerroo, Abdul Nasir Mohammed, from Limu Seka district, Jimma, was killed by ENDF around 5 March. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 65 (2024-03-14), p.20.…
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20 people including children, women and elderly abducted in Babu Iteya kebele, Debre Libanos woreda
On 5 March 2024, the OLA abducted 20 people, including children, women and elderly people, from Babu Iteya kebele. Eighteen were released by mid-May after paying varying amounts, and the last two after paying 120,000 birr each. Source:…
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Torture / ill-treatment in Guliso, West Wollega (3 Mar 2024)
The report named 17 who had been wounded mostly during beatings and kickings between 3 March and 8 July in Guliso district, seven in Chalia town. Galana Lema was shot in the chest on 28 June in Ogio Jaro, Guliso. Source: Oromia Support…
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Detention in Burayu, Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne (2 Mar 2024)
Kebebe Wakjira Beji, Chairman of the OFC League for Individuals with Disabilities, was arrested in Burayu town, 2 March. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 66 (2024-07-04), p.42.…
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Silent Suffering: Tales of gender-based violence echo across conflict hit Western Oromia
When the residents of the Jardega Jarte district within the Horro Guduru Wollega Zone of the Oromia region were compelled to evacuate their residences in pursuit of safety subsequent to what locals characterized as “an assault perpetrated…
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Killing in Begi, West Wollega (1 Mar 2024)
Waaqeffannaa followers killed by Muslim extremists The Western Centre of the Waaqeffannaa Religion Followers Association reported the killing of two followers of the traditional Oromo monotheist religion, on 1 March. In Tullu Bandara…
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Killing in Gida Ayana, East Wollega (28 Feb 2024)
Three of the 5-7 killed on 28 February were named by former Qeerroo activist, OSG reporter Ibrahim Sadan Sheikhal, from Cairo: Dr Eebbaa Fufaa, a medical doctor born in Warro village, Lammu Galila district, East Wallega, working in Gida…
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5 people killed by Fano in Gida Ayana, East Wollega (28 Feb 2024)
Several sources reported that 5 or 7 Oromo were killed in Dicho, Gida Ayana district, by Fano militia on 28 February. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 65 (2024-03-14), p.13.…
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Killing in Borena (24 Feb 2024)
On 24 February 2024, six young men, three from Arsi, two from Guji and one from Borana zone, who were detained together in a small detention centre in Goro Dola district, Guji, were taken to a place called Biqa Fora near Sokora village…
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Killing by government forces in Gelan, Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne (24 Feb 2024)
On 24 February 2024, three young men were killed by government forces in the small town of Qarsaa, Galan, Guji. Source: Oromia Support Group, OSG Report 69 (2025-04-10), p.36.…