17 Children Killed by Authorities in Ethiopia Land Protests

Burial of Nasrudin Mohammed, a protester killed in December 2015. Photograph by Gadaa.com.

(Global Voices) — Ethiopian authorities have killed at least 17 children and injured many more involved in peaceful land rights protests since December 2015.

Demonstrations over a plan to expand the capital into the ethnic region of Oromia began in Ethiopia in late November. Since then, there have been 140 confirmed deaths of protesters at the hands of government authorities. Of the 17 minors killed by authorities, most were between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. Citizen media reports also show that many more school children have been injured in the protest movement.

The protesters are speaking out against the so-called “Master Plan” to expand the capital city, Addis Ababa, into Oromia, fearing that the proposed development will result in direct persecution of the Oromo ethnic group, including mass evictions of Oromo farmers from their land. Oromo people, who represent the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, have experienced systematic marginalization and persecution over the last quarter century. Some estimates put the number of Oromo political prisoners in Ethiopia at 20,000 as of March 2014. The country’s ruling elite, of the EPRDF party, are mostly from the Tigray (only 6% of Ethiopia’s 90 million population ) region, which is located in the northern part of the country.

In parallel with efforts of global organizations such as Human Rights Watch, local activists have worked to document and preserve evidence of these killings since early December. Last week, Ethiopian media scholar Endalk Chala and Oromo activist Abiy Atomssa published a map of confirmed deaths based on a crowdsourced data set comprised of reports from citizens, activists, social media, local media networks and VOA’s Amharic service.

Ethiopia: Deaths of Minors in Oromo Protests, December 2015 : minors killed december 2015

	Name	Description	Where	When	Remarks
	Gutu Abara Dheressa	12th Grade Student at Chaliya High School	Guliso, West Walaga)	12/2/2015
	Dejene Serbessa	10th Grade Student at Bantu Secondary School	Tole, South West Shawa)	12/3/2015
	Miftah Juneydi Bushra	High School Student	Furda Town, Bedeno, East Hararge	12/5/2015
	Murad [Murata] Abdi Ibrahim	9th Grade Student at Bate High School	In front of Haromaya University	12/7/2015	Funeral on 8 Dec 15 in Kombolcha
	Bekele Seifu	11th Grade Student	Inchini, West Shawa	12/7/2015	Killed on spot
	Bekele Seboka Hunde	12th Grade Student at Inchini Preparatory School	Inchini, West Shawa	12/7/2015	Shot & wounded. Died before reaching Paulos Hospital
	Banti Dhuguma	Burqa Wanjo Secondary school	Lalo Asabi district, West Walaga	12/10/2015
	Alazar Kelbessa [Benti]	Student	Inango, West Walaga	12/10/2015
	Lucha Gamachu	9th grade student at Burqa Wanjo Secondary School	Inango, West Walaga	12/10/2015	https://www.facebook.com/Jawarmd/videos/10102047226079323/?theater
	Gudata Bayissa Gobena	9th grade student	Babichi, West Shawa	12/10/2015
	Dereje Gadissa Taye	9th grade student	Babichi, West Shawa	12/10/2015
	Fikadu Girma	9th grade student	Gedo, West Shawa	12/10/2015
	Lamessa Fayera	12 years old student	Ambo, West Shawa	12/12/2015
	Ulfata Chimdi	4th grade student. Age 12	Ambo, West Shawa	12/12/2015
	Tadasse Dhaba Jobir	8th grade student at Gixire Elementary school	Abuna, Gindabarat, West Shawa	12/14/2015	wounded on 14 Dec 15. Funeral on 16 Dec 15
	Name not yet identified	Young age	Awaday, East Hararge	12/15/2015
	Name not yet identified	Young age	Awaday, East Hararge	12/15/2015
	Damee Dabali	10th grade student	Maqa-Najjo, West Walaga	12/15/2015	soldiers would not allow the public remove the body for several hours as they kept firing
	Barihun Shibiru	8th grade student	Ejaji, West Shawa	12/16/2015	Arrested and executed. Funeral date 17 Dec 15
	Eshetu Fedessa	Son of Sirne Gudata	Chanka, Qellam, West Wallaga	12/17/2015	http://amharic.voanews.com/audio/3102692.html

Eighth grader Barihun Shibiru of West Shawa was among a handful of minors who were arrested and executed once in official custody. Shibiru’s funeral was held on December 17.

Citizen videos have also helped document and confirm deaths of minors, including a video that shows students crowding around the body of Lucha Gamachu, a 9th grader at Burqa Wanjo Secondary School.

- See more at: http://www.zehabesha.com/17-children-killed-by-authorities-in-ethiopia-land-protests/#sthash.4LYY9nZ9.dpuf