Warning: This press release contains descriptions of sexual violence and torture.
Members of Ethiopia’s Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) have subjected women and girls to sexual violence committing rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, summary killings and destruction of civilian property which may amount to war crimes, during the conflict which started in the Oromia region in 2019, Amnesty International said in a new briefing today.
The briefing, “No one came to my rescue: Gang rape, sexual slavery and mass displacement of women in Oromia, Ethiopia,” documents the atrocities against civilians particularly women and girls committed by the OLA armed group in Sayo and Anfillo woredas (districts) of Kellem Wallaga zone between 2020 and 2024. “For seven years, under the cover of darkness caused by a communication and media blackout, fighters in the Oromia region have caused immense suffering on civilians. These repeated abuses are not only horrific but may amount to war crimes,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. “International and African rights monitors cannot continue to look the other way. They must demand that Ethiopian authorities launch immediate, impartial and thorough investigations into the atrocities with the aim of bringing all perpetrators to account and provide access to justice and remedy for victims and survivors.”
For seven years, under the cover of darkness caused by a communication and media blackout, fighters in the Oromia region have caused immense suffering on civilians. These repeated abuses are not only horrific but may amount to war crimes.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
“The Oromo Liberation Army must immediately issue an order to all its fighters to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law. They must also disarm and demobilize fighters and/or units who committed sexual violence, other forms of torture, killing, forced displacement, and other crimes under international law.”
Fighting between the former military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), along with allied Oromia regional security forces, erupted in 2019, and the conflict continues to take a heavy toll on the civilian population.
For the briefing, Amnesty International interviewed 10 survivors of gang rape, seven of whom were under 18 at the time of the assaults. The organisation also received testimonies from healthcare providers and reviewed medical records of the survivors.
“They used to rape us every day, twice a day”
Of the 10 survivors interviewed by Amnesty, five were also subjected to sexual slavery. Nine had been attacked by OLA fighters, while one endured violence from both an ENDF soldier and OLA fighters.
Two of the survivors fell pregnant as a result of the sexual violence they were subjected to.
The women described in harrowing detail brutal attacks that lasted days and sometimes weeks.
They used to rape us every day, twice a day. Around 11am and 6pm.
Sebontu*, Survivor
Lalistu* and her then 12-year-old daughter, Sebontu* were held for three weeks inside a cave with their hands tied to a tree where they were raped by multiple men from the OLA.
“They used to rape us every day, twice a day. Around 11am and 6pm. I used to feel frightened around this time every day. They used to tell me, ‘You will die. You will never return home’,” said Sebontu* who is now 17.
“For three weeks, 15 men were raping my child and me. They used to take turns,” Lalistu* told Amnesty International.
Another survivor, Anisa* who was pregnant at the time of the interview (as a result of the sexual violence), was also held in sexual slavery by OLA fighters at the end of 2024. She told Amnesty International that the fighters repeatedly picked her up from her home and took her to the bush, where they gang raped her. Only after she developed a medical condition did the fighters stop the abuse.
For three weeks, 15 men were raping my child and me.
Lalistu*, Survivor
Survivors told Amnesty how they were raped by OLA fighters as a reprisal for having husbands, brothers or fathers in government forces. They also told Amnesty how they were forced to leave their homes after the sexual violence; those who refused to move had their houses burnt.
Two survivors told Amnesty that fighters also killed their male relatives, including Lalistu’s husband who was killed for attempting to protect her and their 12-year-old daughter. “They shot [and killed] him when we reached the forest. I didn’t even look back at him after they killed him,” Lalistu* said.
Silenced
All 10 survivors and one child of a survivor who suffered severe beatings, said they are still grappling with physical trauma as a result of the violence inflicted on them. However, they were afraid of seeking medical aid, including abortion care and testing for sexually transmitted infections, for fear of reprisals by the OLA fighters and authorities, and the stigma associated with sexual violence.
Survivors demanded an end to the violations as well as justice and accountability. One survivor said: “If it is possible to find them, I hope to see justice done, so that what happened to me and others can end.”
Restrictions imposed by the federal and regional governments in Ethiopia have made it nearly impossible for either national or international actors to uncover the true extent of abuses against civilians since the conflict broke out in Oromia.
This briefing should serve as a wake-up call that silence only leads to civilian suffering. The cycle of abuse against civilians, especially women and girls, must end
Tigere Chagutah
“These cowardly acts were partly enabled by a communication blackout that shut out the rest of world to the sustained atrocities against civilians. This is not the first time that the Ethiopian authorities have turned to censorship in times of crises. The full picture is likely to be even bleaker,” said Tigere Chagutah.
“The atrocities that Amnesty International have documented in Oromia have been perpetrated in a climate of impunity, with no response save for the silence of Ethiopia’s partners and neighbours. This briefing should serve as a wake-up call that silence only leads to civilian suffering. The cycle of abuse against civilians, especially women and girls, must end.”
*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the survivors.
