News: Over 15 students held in Shashamene without court appearance amid OLA allegations

Addis Abeba – More than 15 students have been detained at Shashemene Police Station for up to two months without appearing in court amid allegations of connections to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), sources revealed to Addis Standard.

Kuni Dida (name changed for security reasons), a friend of one of the imprisoned students who is pursuing an accounting course at Rift Valley University’s Shashemene Campus, informed Addis Standard that over 15 students, primarily from the Borana zone of the Oromia region, are currently detained at the Shashemene Police Station, commonly known as 81.

The source claims that the other detained students attend higher education institutions, such as Paradise College in Shashemene City, which is situated in the West Arsi zone of the Oromia region.

Additionally, the source disclosed that a student from Addis Ababa University who was traveling to the Borena zone via Shashemene is among those detained.

“The majority of these detained students reside in Shashemene city,” he disclosed. “They were arrested at different times, with some being detained for nearly two months.”

The names of some of the detained students include Yakob Godana, Guracha Abba Gudo, Culu Kenasa, Tulu Nama Duri, Halkano Jirma, Wako Dhenge, Kanu Jirmo, Abayo Galma Halake, Lami Bacha, and Abaduba Kuli Jilo.

According to the informant, the students were imprisoned based on recommendations from the Borana Zone Police Department regarding their alleged connection with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), referred to as “Shane” by the government.

“The police accused them of providing information to the OLA following a recent conflict in the Bilo district of the Borena zone, located on the border with Kenya,” he recalled. “The conflict resulted in casualties among both the police and the OLA.”

The source further explained that these students are active on social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, but they are not involved in politics and have no affiliation with any political party. “None of the students have appeared before a court, and their families have been unable to communicate with them since their imprisonment.”

Firaol Bacha, a family member of one of the detained students, shared with Addis Standard that his brother, Lami Bacha, was detained on 01 June, 2024. According to Firaol, Lami was a second-year computer science student at the Rift Valley University campus in Shashamane.

“Despite his imprisonment, Lami has not been presented before a court,” Firaol disclosed.

Firaol further explained that prior to his detention, the police have intimidated his brother, threatening to imprison him if he does not cease his activities on TikTok. “Additionally, a friend of Lami’s, who did not even have a TikTok account, was also arrested alongside him.”

Firaol recounted that the local police in Shashemene informed his parents, who traveled from the Borena zone, that an investigation was ongoing and evidence was being collected.

“However, no evidence has been presented by the police since last Friday,” he added. “Furthermore, the committee responsible for reviewing the case had not yet convened as of last week.”

Kalicha Jirma, a brother of another detained student, Halkano Jirma, informed Addis Standard that his brother was arrested in Shashemene on 07 June, 2024, and is currently being held at the Shashemene Police Station.

He added that Halkano was studying surveying at Rift Valley University College in Shashemene.

“Until yesterday, he had not been brought before a court,” Kalicha indicated. “We have no information regarding the reasons for his detention; the police only state that they are conducting an investigation.”

Addis Standard’s attempts to get a comment from Shashemene city and West Arsi zone officials have been unsuccessful.

In the wake of a six-year militarized conflict in Oromia region involving the armed group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) on one hand and government forces on the other, there has been a concerning increase in arbitrary arrests in the region.

A recent United Nations report has highlighted the troubling human rights situation in Ethiopia throughout 2023, particularly in the Oromia and Amhara regions. The most frequent violations included arbitrary arrests and detentions, followed by civilian killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and attacks on civilian property.

The report documented 366 civilian deaths in the Oromia region, where clashes between government forces and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) continued throughout the year. Among those killed in Oromia, 46 were women. AS