“Such a Brutal Crackdown”

“Such a Brutal Crackdown”
Killings and Arrests in Response to Ethiopia’s Oromo Protests
Since mid-November 2015, Ethiopia’s Oromia region has been rocked by largely peaceful protests triggered by Ethiopian
government plans to expand the capital, Addis Ababa, and displace ethnic Oromo farmers. State security forces have used
excessive and lethal force to respond to the protests, killing an estimated 400 people and injuring thousands. Security forces
have also arrested tens of thousands of people and hundreds of others have been forcibly disappeared.
Based on more than 125 interviews conducted inside Ethiopia and abroad, “Such a Brutal Crackdown” describes and analyses a
grossly underreported crisis that poses a massive political challenge for Ethiopia’s government. Although the demonstrations
initially concerned the government’s expansion plans, the killings and arrests, coupled with longstanding grievances from the
Oromo community, have further fueled the protests.
Many of those killed or detained were students under 18. The authorities have also arrested opposition politicians, musicians,
teachers and other influential Oromos. Some have been prosecuted under Ethiopia’s draconian counterterrorism law. The
government has also sought to restrict information about the protests by detaining journalists covering the events and blocking
social media and other means of communication.
Although the protests have largely subsided since mid-April, thousands of students and others have fled their homes or are in
detention, education has been disrupted in many locations, and tensions remain high. This underscores the need for the Ethiopian
government to support a credible investigation into the events, release those who have been wrongfully detained, and take other
urgent measures to redress the serious abuses that have been committed.
Mersen Chala holds a photo of his brother Dinka,
who was killed by Ethiopian security forces a day
earlier, in Yubdo village, Oromia region, about 100
kilometers from Addis Ababa, December 2015.
© 2015 Zacharias Abubeker/AFP/Getty Images
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