January 09, 2020
The HRLHA Strongly condemns the internet and Telephone Network shutdowns perpetrated by the Government in Wallagga four zones, the Western Part of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.
It has been more than a year since the Western and Southern part of Oromia Regional State fall under military command which is neither made official nor declared by the parliament. This has seriously threatened the human rights situations in those areas. Hundreds of innocent civilians were mercilessly killed by government defense army which operates under the command post. And other thousands have been incarcerated in different detention cells, mostly unofficial ones. A great deal of civilians also sustained severe injury, and others have been robbed their property and forced to leave their home and land. Sexual violence by the federal army has also been reported especially in Western Wallagga, Kellem Wallagga and Southern Guji Zones.
According to HRLHA’s informants in occupied zones of Wallagga and Gujji, the federal army has been further intimidating the farmers to deforest their coffee plantations and not to plant crops (such as Maize) on their farms with a pretext of hindering the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) to use the farms as a hiding fortress. This will undoubtedly risk the livelihood of the people in those areas and further endangers the economy of the country at large. The HRLHA has reported major atrocities that have been committed in these areas in the past ten months in its recent dispatch titled “The Humanitarian and Human Rights Crises in Ethiopia Demands that the World Response” published on November 08, 2019.
This being not enough, the PM Abiy’s government recklessly has shutdown internet and mobile networks in the four Wallagga Zones for officially unexplained reason to date. The BBC News Afaan Oromoo Service has reported that mobile and other electronic communications are totally shutdown in Wallagga since January 04, 2019. This has further exacerbated the already fragile situation in those areas. Such unwarranted action of the government is in an utter disregard for, among others, the concern of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, who visited Ethiopia from December 2-9, 2019. In his ‘End of Mission Statement’, the Special Rapporteur, Mr. David Kaye has clearly depicted that denial of access to information especially that of internet shutdowns are frequent and rampant in the country. The HRLHA believes that such action of the government is contrary to ‘The Right to Thought, Opinion and Expression’ as guaranteed under Article 29 of the Federal Constitution of Ethiopia, and Article 19 of the ICCPR to which Ethiopia is a State Party.
No doubt, the network shutdown would further pose a serious economic ramification on the country. Sadly, neither the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation, the only mobile and internet service provider, nor concerned federal and regional government officials have so far made an explanation on the incident. Yet, one Oromia Regional Government official, named Taye Dendea, on his Facebook personal blog, Taye Dendea Aredo, tend to justify the network crackdowns as a measure taken to ensure “the rule of law.” Under this Facebook post, which apparently seems his individual stand, Mr. Taye argued that the action taken is legitimate and meant to hunt the leaders of the OLA, whom he called “Shiftaa” literally mean ‘Bandit’, operating in those areas.
The internet and mobile network was shutdown down following massive deployment of Newly Conscripted Oromia Special Police to the four Zones of Wallagga. Insiders revealed to the HRLHA that the current shutdown of mobile and internet service is deliberately made to facilitate the federal government military operation especially in the West and Kellem Zones of Wallagga. This is what the HRLHA is gravely concerned about. Some of the HRLHA’s informants from Benshangul Regional State Capital, Asosa town neighboring to Wallagga affected zones proved that the security situation in the two Zones of Wallagga is getting worse. It is the HRLHA’s earnest belief that the PM Abiy’s Government needs to conduct a genuine and peaceful engagement with the OLA operating in the Western and Southern Oromia Zones than to resort to military intervention of any form which indisputably leads to more grave humanitarian and human rights crises not only in the above mentioned zones but also in the region at large.
| Affected Zones of Wallagga |
Source: BBC Afaan Oromoo Service
Recommendations:
- The Ethiopian government must as soon as possible give explanation about the internet and telephone (both fixed and mobile) network shutdowns in the four Zones of Wallagga, and causalities supposedly sustained by civilians as a result of the alleged military operation undergoing in these areas.
- The international community must intervene to stop atrocities committed by the Ethiopian federal military in the conflict Zones Oromia against innocent people.
- The Government must allow neutral third party investigations into the human rights violations committed in Southern and Western Zones of Oromia under the unofficial State of Emergency (SoE) or Military Command Post.
- The PM Abiy’s Government must as soon as possible ban the unofficial Military Rule commanding the above mentioned Zones of Oromia and resort to peaceful negotiation with the armed group, namely the OLA, operating in those areas.
- Major donor governments, including the USA, the UK & Canada, Sweden, Norway and Australia should Put pressure on the PM Abiy’s government to allow neutral investigators to probe into the humanitarian and human rights crisis in the Western and Southern Oromia Regional state affected zones (Wallagga, Gujji & Borana ) as the precursor to international community intervention.
The HRLHA therefore calls, yet again, upon the international community to act collectively in a timely and decisive manner – through the UN Security Council and in accordance with the UN charter on a case-by – case basis to stop the human tragedy in Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia.
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