ONM-ABO, June 1, 2025
Prosperity Party (PP) forces operating in Qilxuu Kaarraa district, West Wallagga Zone, have intensified a campaign of repression against Oromo civilians, with new reports emerging of looting, extortion, arbitrary detention, and extrajudicial violence.
According to a statement issued by Oromia National Media–Arrata Biyyoolessa Oromiyaa (ONM-ABO), security personnel aligned with the ruling party have spent the past week targeting rural and urban communities under the guise of law enforcement. In reality, locals say the operations are part of a broader strategy to weaken Oromo resistance and punish those believed to support the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
In the village of Guyyoo Daallee, residents described a four-day operation marked by systematic coercion. Armed militia reportedly demanded 100 birr per household, along with three sacks of grain and construction materials, claiming the items were needed for state-led development projects. Meanwhile, a separate levy of 1,000 birr was imposed across the wider district, with both town and countryside residents forced to comply under threat of violence.
“These are not law enforcement activities,” said one local resident, speaking to ONM on condition of anonymity. “This is organised extortion carried out by armed agents of the regime. If you refuse to pay, you are arrested, beaten or disappeared.”
The ONM-ABO statement accuses PP-aligned military leaders of implementing policies that amount to collective punishment—acts which violate international humanitarian and human rights law. It also alleges that such tactics are part of a coordinated campaign to erode civilian support for the Oromo national movement and crush political dissent across Oromia.
No response has yet been issued by federal authorities or regional representatives of the Prosperity Party, despite repeated attempts by local civil society groups to raise alarm over the deteriorating security situation.
As reports of abuses mount, residents of Qilxuu Kaarraa and surrounding areas are calling on the international community to take urgent action, warning that continued silence risks enabling further atrocities.
