The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission denounces institutional obstruction in the investigation into the assassination of the Oromo politician
08 May 2024
Editorial article
Reading time 2 minutes
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in a letter denounces that it was forced to abandon investigations relating to the death of Bate Urgessa, a political official of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in the city of Meki, East Showa, state-region of Oromia, which occurred at the beginning of April.
“As soon as we received the news (of the death, ed)” reads the letter – addressed to the president of the region, Shimelis Abdissa, the office of the police commission, the attorney general and the regional administration and security – the EHRC had sent “experienced investigators working in the vicinity” to collect information and evidence.
Bate Urgessa was arrested by security forces on February 22 along with French journalist Antoine Galindo while conducting an interview in a hotel in Addis Ababa.
He had been accused of “conspiracy with two armed groups” – the OLA-Shene (Oromo Liberation Army) and the Amhara militia FANO – for fomenting unrest in the capital, and was released after two weeks on payment of a bail of 100 thousand beer.
For several years Urgessa had alternated periods of freedom with others of detention. Her health had recently deteriorated while in prison and he had been released.
On the morning of April 10 – according to the complaint – Bate’s body was found with his hands “tied behind his back, shot in the head, chest and abdomen”.
The EHRC team began their investigation and on 11 April contacted witnesses they had already spoken to to ask further questions, discovering that they had been arrested by police who said they had detained them “for their safety”. He was therefore unable to speak to them.
Furthermore, police had also arrested members of Bate’s family who were cooperating with the EHRC investigation.
The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) condemned the “brutal murder” of the politician, describing him as a selfless and courageous person. He also appealed to “all human rights organizations and peace-loving people to immediately undertake a neutral and impartial investigation.”
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