Ethiopia’s state-appointed rights commission on April 10 called for an investigation into the killing of a prominent opposition figure recently released from prison.
Bate Urgessa was gunned down on the night of April 9 in his hometown of Meki in Oromia, Ethiopia’s biggest region, according to the Oromo Liberation Front, or OLF. He was a political officer with the OLF, a legally registered opposition group that boycotted elections in 2021.
Daniel Bekele, head of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, called for “a prompt, impartial and full investigation by both the Oromia regional and Ethiopian federal authorities to hold perpetrators to account.”
Oromia’s regional government condemned Bate’s killing as “unacceptable” and denied any involvement. In a statement on April 10, it said it was also committed to an investigation. An outspoken critic of the government, Bate spent several stints in prison over the years. In 2022, he fell seriously ill while he was detained alongside other senior OLF members for several months.
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