Most of us are now aware of the trending, gruesome news on social media: the brutal act of Fano criminals slaughtering people in Dharraa, northern Oromia, with the audacity to record one of the acts for the world to witness. This recording has become nearly unavoidable, even for casual social media users, and has been reported by reliable news outlets struggling to frame such an egregious act for public consumption.
The recording is deeply disturbing on many levels. It depicts the boy being referred to with the derogatory term Amharas often use for the Oromo, followed by the sickening invocation, “In the name of the Father…,” uttered as the perpetrator brandishes a butcher’s knife before slaughtering the boy as though he were a lamb. The sheer heinousness of this act defies comprehension and description.
One would expect such heinous acts to provoke swift condemnation and decisive action from leaders to apprehend the perpetrators. Yet, a deafening silence has become the norm. This troubling pattern was glaringly evident in the cold-blooded execution of 14 Karayyuu Abbaa Gadaas and the numerous massacres that followed.
A particularly harrowing incident involved the same Fano criminal group beheading a victim in western Oromia and parading the severed head on a spike. This gruesome act, accompanied by chants and dancing, was even recorded and widely circulated, sending shockwaves across the empire and beyond. Such barbarity defies human decency, yet it, too, was met with the same silence from leaders who claim to represent and protect their people.
This silence is not just negligence—it is complicity. By failing to speak out or act decisively, these leaders betray their duty to serve and safeguard the lives of the very people who entrusted them with power. Their inaction is a stain on their legitimacy and humanity.
What makes this monstrous act of 19th November, under 48 hours ago, even more appalling is that unarmed, defenseless civilians are being overpowered and slaughtered in their own homes.
- What is president Shimelis Abdiisaa really doing to safeguard innocent people in Oromia?
- Is there any concept of law and order within the regional and federal governments of Oromia and Ethiopia?
- How can leaders remain silent in the face of such brutality?
- What message does their inaction send to both perpetrators and victims?
- Can silence in such moments be interpreted as anything other than complicity?
The federal government’s glaring disservice and blatant double standard under PM Abiy Ahmed’s leadership are evident in its reluctance to designate the monstrous Fano militia as a terrorist organization. This hesitancy contrasts sharply with its hasty decision to label the highly disciplined Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) as a terrorist organization.
- What further acts of criminality and terror must Fano commit before earning this designation?
Adding to the alarming situation, this same criminal organization has established a fundraising and lobbying political arm registered as a business entity in the United States. In October 2023, the International Fano Coordinating Committee (IFCC) was registered with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The registrant, Ato Getachew Beyene, fulfilled this legal formality, which is required of individuals advocating for foreign interests within the United States.
- What does this reveal about democracies like the United States, which unwittingly provide a platform for such criminal organizations to operate?
- Are their policies and goodwill inadvertently empowering criminals responsible for the slaughter of innocent people in Oromia?
This situation demands a set of probing questions, directed both at leaders within Ethiopia and at foreign governments. Such complicity, whether intentional or not, must be scrutinized and addressed.
