Ethiopian Opposition Figure Bate Urgessa Shot Dead

A major Ethiopian opposition official from the sensitive Oromia region was found shot dead on Wednesday, April 10, a few hours after being apprehended by government forces, his party reported.

Bate Urgessa of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) party was released on bail last month after being detained with French journalist Antoine Galindo.

According to OLF spokesperson Lemi Gemechu, the 41-year-old was arrested again late on Tuesday, April 9, by “government armed forces” at a hotel in the town of Meki, 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa.

“He was then briefly taken to a detention centre in the city,” Lemi said.

“Bate’s family confirmed that he was found dead on a road in a place called Melissa, on the outskirts of Meki town,” he said, adding that he had been shot.

The body was discovered on Wednesday morning, he added, adding that it was unclear whether the authorities that apprehended Bate were from the federal or regional governments. The federal government had no quick response, but regional officials said attempts to blame them for the “assassination” were unacceptable.

“The Oromia Regional State strongly condemns the killing of Bate Urgessa, which was carried out by an unidentified body,” it said on its official Facebook page.

The OLF, which considers itself the spokesman of the popular Oromo people, said in a statement that it had learned of the death “with agony and grave sadness”.

“The unwarranted and extrajudicial killing of conscious and active Oromo political and cultural figures has been a systematic and irresponsible act of silencing the Oromo throughout years and decades,” it said.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), an independent state-affiliated organisation, requested both regional and central governments on Wednesday to launch a “prompt, impartial, and full investigation” into Bate’s death.

“Hold perpetrators accountable,” EHRC head commissioner Daniel Bekele remarked on X (previously Twitter). Human Rights Watch also issued similar pleas.

Bate had been detained in Ethiopian jails multiple times. On February 22, he was arrested in Addis Abeba alongside Galindo, a journalist from the specialty publication Africa Intelligence.

The two men were accused of plotting “to create chaos” in the country. Bate was released on March 6, one week after Galindo. He was freed in 2022 on health reasons after a year in detention.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli