Ethiopian Authorities Call For Investigation Into Opposition Figure’s Murder

The state-appointed rights commission in Ethiopia is urging an investigation into the killing of a well-known opposition figure, Bate Urgessa who was just freed from prison.

Urgessa was fatally shot on Tuesday night in his hometown of Meki in Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region, according to the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), of which he was a political officer.

The OLF, a legally registered opposition group that boycotted the 2021 elections, released a statement on Wednesday indicating that Urgessa “was shot dead” and announced that they are investigating the incident.

Daniel Bekele, head of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, has called for a thorough investigation by both regional and federal authorities to ensure accountability for the perpetrators.

Urgessa, known for his criticism of the government, had been imprisoned multiple times over the years. In 2022, he fell seriously ill while detained alongside other senior OLF members for several months.

In February, Urgessa and Antoine Galindo, a French journalist, were arrested in Addis Ababa on charges of collaborating with rebel groups. Galindo was released after a week, while Urgessa was freed a few days later.

The OLF, which previously waged a guerrilla war against Ethiopia’s federal government in pursuit of greater rights for the Oromo people, signed a peace deal in 2018. However, its armed wing, the Oromo Liberation Army, has continued its struggle and intensified attacks against the army in recent months.

Melissa Enoch

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