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Bate Urgessa, articulate advocate for peace, was killed by Ethiopian security officers in the early hours of 10 April 2024. The 41yr old joined the OLF after it renounced violence on returning to Ethiopia in 2018. His fifth child was born several months after his assassination. Detained and mistreated several times, he joined other OLF leaders on hunger strike in 2021. He became seriously ill and was carried out of prison in March 2022. He was last detained in February 2024 for speaking to a journalist, and was released only five weeks before his death. The OLF leaders with whom he was detained, were released on 5 September 2024. (OSG Reports 66, pp. 8-9 and 67, p.3)

402 Karrayyu villagers in East Showa were detained in the open air on 6 January 2024. Most were released on 9 January, but 34 remained in detention and three were killed. ‘Military forces arrived at the large . . . ‘Gadaa village’ of the Baso Michillee and burned down every house on the massive picturesque and venerated premises. The destruction was systematic and complete, with no house left habitable. This mirrors the 2021 abandonment of the Abba Gadaa village of the Dullacha Michillee group. This time, residents fled ahead of the military operation before the troops set off a massive conflagration which turned all to ash.’ Oromo Advocacy Alliance. Four villages were destroyed. (OSG Report 66, pp. 26-31.)

On 27 June 2024, Addis Dimts Multimedia broadcast a recording of a senior Oromo government figure, a whistleblower, describing secret government armed forces whose sole purpose was to denigrate OLA/OLF and Fano, and thereby drive a wedge between Oromo and Amhara. (OSG Report 67, pp.11-14.)

Wedding hall massacre in North Showa. At least 24 were killed by fighters who identified themselves as Fano, at a wedding celebration in Qondala village, Nono district, West Showa, on 14 June 2024. Wedding guests were locked in a building and at least one grenade was thrown in. The building was set on fire. Most of the deceased were burnt to death. At least four were shot dead as they attempted to leave the building. (OSG Report 66, p.24.)

Late evening Friday 24 November 2023, eleven young men were taken by Ethiopian government forces from the Mekane Yesus Evangelical Church in Maleko, Gidami district, Qellem Wallega zone, while attending a monthly meeting of prayers and fasting. Girls and women at the meeting were beaten. The bullet ridden bodies of nine of the young men were found in the forest three days later, with their bibles thrown on top of them (OSG Report 64, 19 December 2023, pp.22-23).

Fano militia killed hundreds of villagers in Horo Guduru zone in the last few months of 2022 (OSG Report 62, 24 April 2023, pp.24-28; Report 63, 12 September 2023, pp.27-33) including this 8-10 year old boy in Jardega Jarte district in November 2022. His throat had been cut. Nearby were his dead mother and the headless corpse of his father (Report 63, p.29). The attacks caused over 512,000 IDPs in Horo Guduru and East Wallega zones (Report 64, 19 December 2023, p.18).

A video, posted on social media on 24 February 2024, show the sadistic torture of Ahmed Qasim, from Sarsara village, Goro Adola district, East Guji zone. Ahmed was a young man, possibly still a teenager. He is shown lying in a pit, while a tall, well-built, uniformed ENDF soldier stands over, and often on, his body. He was stabbed and threatened during the 10 minute recording, surrounded by about 15 uniformed men, several of whom filmed the event on their phones. There is laughter and shouts of encouragement in Amharic throughout the video. (OSG Report 65, pp.20-22.)

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