ONM-ABO May 5, 2024
Recent reports from reliable sources indicate that the Ethiopian military forces have been involved in violence and extrajudicial killings in the Roobbee Dida’aa County of East Arsi. Many young men in the region have lost their lives at the hands of regime forces without any apparent reason. These victims were said to be politically inactive.
According to a related report by the ONM-ABO on April 23, 2024, the situation in East Arsi has become tense as government forces brutally attack civilians. Regime forces and militia, organized by the Prosperity Party, are responsible for most of the violence. Due to restricted movements of citizens, the full extent of the killings in remote villages remains difficult to estimate. Individuals who were killed or detained are accused of having connections with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which is currently advocating for peace, justice, and equal access to economic opportunities.
In another tragic incident in the same Roobbee Dida’aa County, ONM reported on April 21, 2024, that a physically challenged young man who was deaf and unable to speak named Aabbishuu Qaasoo was brutally murdered in the village of Mararoo Sibee. Despite his physical limitations, the Ethiopia army unit operating in the area falsely claimed that he was an OLA combatant. This claim is unlikely as Aabbishuu’s condition makes it impossible for him to be involved in armed conflict. The callous display of his lifeless body has caused outrage within the community.
