The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, a state-established body, has demanded an immediate and thorough investigation into the assassination of Bate Urgessa, a notable opposition figure who was recently released from jail. Urgessa, associated with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) as a political officer, was shot dead in his hometown of Meki, Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region. Despite the OLF being a legal opposition group that abstained from the 2021 elections, it claims Urgessa was murdered and is conducting its inquiry.
Daniel Bekele, leading the commission, insisted on a comprehensive investigation by Oromia and federal authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Oromia regional government has condemned the killing, denied any involvement, and committed to conduct an investigation.
Urgessa, a government critic, had been imprisoned multiple times and fell severely ill in 2022 while detained with other senior OLF figures. His latest arrest was in February, alongside French journalist Antoine Galindo, under accusations of conspiring with rebels to create chaos, though both were subsequently released.
The OLF, which historically engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Ethiopian government for the Oromo people’s rights, signed a peace deal in 2018. However, its armed wing, the Oromo Liberation Army, continues to resist, escalating conflicts in recent months.