Oromo Diaspora

The Advocates for Human Rights' report, Human Rights in Ethiopia: Through the Eyes of the Oromo Diaspora, documented experiences of members of the Oromo diaspora throughout three successive political regimes in Ethiopia.

Oromos described decades of human rights violations in Ethiopia, including arbitrary arrest; incommunicado detention; torture; and extra-judicial executions.

Reports of widespread surveillance and interference with rights to freedom of association, assembly, expression, conscience, and the press were pervasive. Oromos reported that the current Ethiopian government’s federal system has isolated ethnic communities, including the Oromo, leaving them even more vulnerable to human rights violations.

The long arm of human rights violations also reaches directly into the Oromo diaspora community. They reported a widespread belief that e-mail communication to Ethiopia is read by the Ethiopian government; telephone conversations are overheard; and the Ethiopian government monitors the activities of diaspora members in the United States.