ONM-ABO – April 15, 2025 | Eebantu District, East Wallagga, Oromia
Government-aligned militia forces under Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party (PP) have reportedly intensified attacks on civilians in East Wallagga, with fresh allegations of extrajudicial executions and targeted destruction of property surfacing from the Eebantu district.
According to Oromia National Media – Arrata Biyyoolessaa Oromiyaa (ONM-ABO), PP militia operatives executed Fayyeeraa Saaqqataa Hirphaa, a young man from Dongoroo Muxaa village, on April 13, 2025, after accusing him of supporting the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA)—a charge villagers say was made without investigation or proof.
Community members speaking to ONM-ABO described the killing as part of a broader pattern of repression targeting Oromo youth suspected of sympathizing with the OLA, which has gained significant support among local populations for resisting state violence and advocating self-determination for the Oromo people.
“This was not law enforcement; it was political retribution,” one local resident stated under anonymity, fearing reprisal. “They are hunting down anyone who believes in freedom.”
A day earlier, on April 12, the same PP-aligned forces allegedly set fire to the home of Obbo Taaddasaa Bayyanaa Damee in Safaraa village, reducing it to ashes. No justification was provided for the destruction, which residents denounced as a deliberate attempt to displace civilians and sow fear.
Legal analysts point out that these actions violate both national and international law. Article 15 of the Ethiopian Constitution guarantees the right to life, while Article 40 protects private property. These rights are also enshrined in international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Ethiopia is a party.
These latest abuses appear to be part of a sustained campaign by the PP to suppress Oromo resistance movements, including the OLA. Since 2018, Abiy Ahmed’s administration has forged informal alliances with hardline Amhara militias, including Fano, to consolidate power and weaken autonomous regional movements. Similar tactics used during the Tigray conflict are now being replicated across Oromia, especially in strategic zones like East Wallagga.
The OLA, which has increased its operations across western Oromia, continues to gain legitimacy among Oromos who view the federal government’s policies as oppressive and colonial in nature. Armed resistance, OLA officials have argued, is the only remaining path for securing Oromo rights in the face of systemic marginalization and violence.
Despite widespread documentation of atrocities by independent outlets and human rights organizations, international actors have remained largely silent, a point of frustration for many in the region.
As security forces continue to act with impunity, communities across East Wallagga are calling for international accountability, solidarity with the Oromo struggle, and renewed support for the OLA as a liberation force defending the rights and dignity of its people.
