The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) has reported that a total of 103 people were killed and 57 others were wounded as a result of excessive force used by government security forces against protesters in 33 woredas (districts) of the Oromia region, as stated by Wazema. The protests, initiated by Oromo youth, have been ongoing since November 2015 in response to the new Addis Ababa City’s master plan. The regional government responded to the protests with forceful measures, leading to loss of life, injuries, and property destruction.
The report indicates that the council’s investigators were only able to cover 33 out of the 342 woredas in the Oromia region due to resource limitations. Within these 33 woredas, they found that 103 people were killed, 57 were injured by gunshot wounds, 22 were subjected to torture and beating, 84 were detained, and 22 were reported missing. The perpetrators were described in general terms as government forces, federal army Agazi forces, or members of the Oromia or federal police.
The majority of the victims were young people under the age of 30, including students and youngsters. The council has expressed its willingness to collaborate with government institutions in order to bring justice to the victims.
March 14 , 2016
