Ethiopia: Court Convicts 12 Former Gambella Region Police Members, Passes Stiffer Prison Terms

24 July 2024
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — The Federal High Court Lideta Division First Constitutional and Terrorism Criminal Bench has sentenced 12 former Gambella regional police and special forces members to prison terms ranging from 14 to 22 years for their roles in the deaths of civilians in Gambella region in June 2022.

The convicted individuals include former Deputy Commissioner Tut Khor, Chief Inspector Kong Rek, and former Special Forces Deputy Commander Chief Inspector Ujed Bare.

According to the charges, the defendants were involved in civilian deaths. The prosecution alleged that "35 identified individuals and other unidentified innocent civilians were killed in a horrific manner on the grounds that they had provided information" following a joint attack by the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and the Gambella Liberation Front (GLF) on security forces in Gambella.

The defendants were charged with "violations of the Geneva Conventions protocol regarding the protection of innocent people during wartime as well as violations of Ethiopian criminal law, specifically Articles 32/1(a) and (b), Article 35, and Article 270.

In an earlier ruling, the court acquitted former Gambella Regional Police Commissioner Abula Ubang, citing insufficient evidence. Two other defendants, former Special Force member Colonel Atore Gur and former Gambella Police member Sergeant Chode Bengen, were also acquitted.

On June 14, 2022 the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Gambella Liberation Front (GLF) militants entered and attacked Gambella town. After hours long clashes with the regional Special Forces, regular police, militias and federal police, government security forces retook control of the city.

In the aftermath of the attack, graphic footage of regional police members brutally killing people in civilian clothes lying on the ground of what appears to be a police compound has been circulating on social media, creating an uproar. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) confirmed that the footage was recorded during the 14 June incident.

In September last year, EHRC reported that "between the afternoon of 14 and 16 June, 2022, action taken mainly by government forces killed at least 50 civilians who were accused of 'hiding Shene fighters and weapons in their homes."' The EHRC noted that "women and mentally ill individuals were among the victims.

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