ONM-ABO (20 May 2026) — The humanitarian crisis across the West Shaggar and Qellem Wallagga regions has deepened significantly following the targeted shooting of a child herding cattle and an intensifying campaign of arbitrary detentions against professional Oromo civilians.
In the Kooluu village of Abuunaa Gindabarat district, West Shaggar, a sixth-grade student named Afrika Badhadha Gonfa was shot and critically wounded on 17 May by forces identified as elements of the PP regime. The young boy was merely herding his family’s cattle and had no political affiliations.
Compounding the horror of the shooting, regime forces blocked immediate medical treatment, actively obstructing his humble farming family as they desperately attempted to transport the bleeding child to a hospital. This blatant denial of basic humanitarian aid has left the young student in a highly critical condition.
Simultaneously, in Muggii township within the Qellem Wallagga region, security forces have ramped up arbitrary arrests, targeting anyone labeled as “anti-government”. Last week, these forces were reportedly responsible for the torture and deaths of several local residents, including Mr Kasahun, Wandu Kasahun, and Sultan Kadir.
The regime has also targeted essential professionals, drawing widespread condemnation for the arbitrary imprisonment of healthcare worker Mr Bantii Caalaa. Like many others currently held in crowded military facilities, Mr Caalaa was detained without legal recourse on unsubstantiated charges of “affiliation with the Oromo Liberation Army”.
Sources state that these brutal operations, carried out under the pretext of counter-insurgency, directly contradict public claims made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed regarding the democratic integrity of his administration. The worsening situation reflects a recent report by an international organization against torture, which cited severe instances of state-sanctioned torture in Ethiopia, ranking the nation among the worst global human rights offenders.
Lethal enforcement of militia training and daylight executions spark panic across Adaama and Booraa
ONM-ABO (22 May 2026) — A terrifying surge in extrajudicial executions and fatal torture has gripped the eastern Shagar region and the city of Adaama, as state operatives deploy lethal force to enforce mandatory military training and liquidate young Oromo nationalists.
In the Booraa district of eastern Shagar, a local mother was tragically killed after enduring brutal torture at the hands of PP forces for refusing to participate in compulsory militia training. This murder was part of a broader, violent conscription drive that has terrorized the local population.
On 18 May, at least 14 civilians were severely brutalized by state agents after refusing to join the mandatory militia. Following their initial assault, eight of these individuals were transferred from Hombollee to detention centers in Bote on 19 May, where they are currently undergoing severe torture. Among the identified victims are Koole Talila Gurmu, Ashana Shallo, Luuluu Nuguse, and Ashuu Maraqoo, alongside numerous unnamed detainees whose lives remain in critical danger.
Meanwhile, a pervasive atmosphere of panic has paralyzed the city of Adaama following the daylight execution of Waaqjiraa Waaqshum, a young Oromo man, on 20 May at approximately 8.00 a.m. Waaqjiraa was shot three times in the head at close range.
The execution was reportedly carried out by elements associated with extremist factions of the PP regime who openly advocate for the supremacy of past oppressive regimes. Waaqjiraa had previously been detained without charge for refusing to contribute financially to local militias and faced standard, fabricated allegations of OLA alignment.
Eyewitnesses explicitly identified the shooter as militiaman Addisuu Bakkuu, who carried out the assassination in broad daylight because Waaqjiraa could not afford to pay the financial contributions demanded by Bakkuu’s unit. This murder adds to a steep rise in targeted killings across Adaama since 1 May, leaving residents at the mercy of unaccountable paramilitary forces operating with absolute impunity.
Popular 21-year-old youth executed in front of family in Qondaalaa
ONM-ABO (22 May 2026) — Outrage and grief have consumed Jinbilaa village in the Qondaalaa district of West Wallagga following the unprovoked and brutal execution of 21-year-old Sadiq Bexaroo by security forces.
According to testimonies gathered from local residents, Bexaroo, a popular, non-partisan young man well-regarded for his community service, was cornered and shot dead by agents associated with the ruling Prosperity Party on 21 May. The lethal assault was executed directly in front of his immediate family, who were forced to watch the murder helpless.
Witnesses emphasize that Bexaroo had no political ties and that regime operatives routinely criminalize innocent Oromo youths without due process to justify their use of lethal force. Local inhabitants have vehemently condemned the killing as a reprehensible crime against humanity carried out with complete state backing.
The execution of Sadiq Bexaroo is perceived by many across West Wallagga as part of a coordinated, wider strategy. There is deep and palpable concern that the ruling faction is systematically deploying its forces across Oromia to scale up a concerted campaign against the Oromo people. Local communities warn that this strategy involves systematic looting, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests, leading directly to the mass extermination of innocent civilians in a desperate bid to crush the Oromo movement for freedom.
