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Ethiopia's Oromia condemns killing of Bate Urgessa, accuses Opposition of fanning flames

Bate Urgessa, political officer of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLF).

By Amina Wako | 10 Apr 2024

Bate was a political officer with the OLF, a legally registered opposition group that boycotted elections in 2021.

The Oromia regional government has condemned the killing of Bate Urgessa, a prominent Oromo political figure, and accused opposition groups of trying to exploit the situation for political gain.

Bate was killed Tuesday night in his hometown of Meki in Oromia, Ethiopia’s biggest region, according to the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

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Bate was a political officer with the OLF, a legally registered opposition group that boycotted elections in 2021.

In a statement released late Wednesday, the government said that Bate was killed by "unidentified assailants" in Meki town and that "the act is totally unacceptable".

"We will not tolerate any attempt to politicise this tragedy and make the government responsible for it," said the statement. "We urge all parties to refrain from spreading unsubstantiated claims and allow the legal investigation process to take its course."

The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an armed group, asserts that security forces took Bate from his room at midnight and executed him without mercy. The group also accused government security forces of preventing the recovery of his body and inhibiting further autopsies.

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— Besufekad Sahlu (@BesufekadSahlu) April 10, 2024

Bate's family told Addis Standard that he was taken out of his hotel room around midnight on Tuesday by a group of people who looked like government security forces, and his body was found dumped by the road the next morning.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has called for a prompt, impartial, and full investigation into the killing by both the Oromia region and federal authorities to hold perpetrators to account.

"This is a critical moment for Ethiopia," said EHRC's chief commissioner, Daniel Bekele. "We urge all parties to exercise restraint and allow the investigation to take its course. We will not tolerate any attempt to cover up the truth or exploit this tragedy for political gain."