Fate of more than 200 ethnic Amhara individuals recently detained in western Oromia is unknown, the Addis Ababa based web media outlet, Addis Maleda reported on Wednesday.
Citing local sources, Addis Maleda reported the prisoners were a mix of civilians and former militia members and have been in detention for more than a month in Anger-Guten city, East-Wollega zone of Oromia regional state.
Addis Maleda also reported the more than 200 ethnic Amhara individuals had been beaten before and during their incarceration and some are already feared to have died because of the beatings.
It also reported family members who bring lunch food for detainees aren’t allowed to see their detained relatives.
Addis Maleda further reported Oromia region special forces, regular police, and militia have ramped up arrests of residents, with ethnic Amhara residents unable to flee to Amhara region because of closed roads.
The four zones of western Oromia, Qellem-Wollega, East Wollega, West Wollega and Horo-Guduru have been scenes of gruesome ethnic based mass killings over the last four years. Survivors have often blamed the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) fighters as well as government security forces for most of the atrocities. Some of the ethnic based killings have also spilled into some parts of the neighboring Benishangul-Gumuz region.
