Ethiopian security forces are
carrying out a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests in the country's
Oromia region.
The demonstrations began in November
due to a government plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into Oromia,
which surrounds the capital, raising fears among Oromo people that their farms
would be expropriated.
Addis Ababa, which has accused the protesters of
having links with "terror groups", dropped the plan on January 12 and
announced the situation in Oromia was largely under control.
Ethiopia's information minister,
Getachew Reda, told Al Jazeera that he had not yet read the report and so could
not comment on it.
HRW noted that researchers were unable
to determine how many people have been killed or arrested because access to
Oromia is restricted.
Ethiopian activists allege that more than 200 people have been killed since November 12, 2015," the rights group said.
Ethiopian activists allege that more than 200 people have been killed since November 12, 2015," the rights group said.
In a previous document at the beginning
of January, HRW reported at least 140 killings.
"Flooding Oromia with federal security forces
shows the authorities’ broad disregard for peaceful protest by students,
farmers, and other dissenters," Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at
Human Rights Watch, said on Monday.
"The government needs to rein in the security
forces, free anyone being held wrongfully, and hold accountable soldiers and
police who used excessive force," Lefkow added.
The rights group called on the Ethiopian government
to end excessive use of force by its security forces, free everyone detained
arbitrarily, and conduct an independent investigation into killings and other
security force abuses. The Oromos are the largest
ethnic group in the horn of Africa country.