 confirmed in its fifth annual report.){kind=link}
The rights watchdog documents extrajudicial killings, insurgent violence, and widespread civilian casualties from June 2024 to June 2026
By Staff Writer
(NAIROBI, Kenya) — Government security forces executed civilians in Ethiopia’s Oromia Region on suspicion of collaborating with or informing for armed groups, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) confirmed in its fifth annual report.
The comprehensive report, covering June 2024 to June 2026, documents systemic rights violations, casualties, property destruction, and widespread civilian displacement across several administrative zones in Oromia.
The EHRC noted that non-state armed groups also committed severe abuses. In the Abe Dongoro Woreda of Horo Guduru Wollega Zone, armed militants killed 22 civilians. Insurgents in Arsi and West Shewa (Nono Woreda) caused additional civilian deaths and burned residential homes.
The report attributes civilian casualties across East Wollega, Guji, and neighboring districts to clashes involving the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Fano militias. Non-combatants suffered severe harm during crossfire, active shootouts, and state military operations targeting insurgent positions, where small arms and heavy weaponry caused deaths in residential areas.
Beyond active combat casualties, the commission verified that state security forces directly targeted and extrajudicially executed civilians accused of providing intelligence or logistical support to rebel forces.
The EHRC called for an immediate end to extrajudicial executions and civilian attacks by both government forces and armed non-state groups. The commission urged federal authorities to honor national and international legal commitments to protect civilians during military operations, and called on insurgent groups to halt violence against non-combatants and seek peaceful resolution. The rights body also demanded independent judicial investigations to prosecute perpetrators and provide formal justice and compensation to victims and survivors.
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