Ethiopia: Rights league says 248 civilians killed in three weeks in Oromo region

ESAT News (February 14, 2017)

The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) said 248 civilians  were killed and 3706 were detained in just three weeks (from 8th October – 30th October, 2016).

In a written appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the League renewed “its call to the international community to act collectively in a timely and decisive manner – through all available mechanisms of the United Nations in accordance with the UN charter to stop the Ethiopian government assault on its own citizens before it is too late.”

“HRLHA calls for intervention by the international community to end human tragedy in Ethiopia,” the document addressed to the United Nations Human Rights Council said.

It said “several Oromo youth from universities, colleges and high schools have been arrested and taken to unknown locations or summarily executed right in their houses and in front of their own family members. The violation of the rights of the peaceful youth reached an unbearable level forcing many affected youth to leave the country seeking sanctuary in neighboring countries and abroad.”

The League requested that “members of the UN Human Rights Council urge the Ethiopian government to allow the UN Human Rights Special Rapporteurs to visit the country to assess the human rights situations of political prisoners and others in detention centers all over the country.”

The League listed the number of people detained in each district in the Oromo region and and partial list of those detained incommunicado.