By Horn Africa News
The United States Department of State has released its 2024 annual report on human rights in Ethiopia, painting a grim picture of ongoing abuses despite the end of the Tigray civil war in 2022.
The report highlights extrajudicial killings, torture, and mass detentions as widespread practices across the country. Armed conflict between the Ethiopian army and militias in the Amhara and Oromia regions continued throughout 2024, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire.
According to the State Department, which drew on findings from Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International, the fighting has led to mass killings, forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, sexual violence against women and girls, looting, and destruction of property—particularly in Amhara.
Between January 2023 and January 2024 alone, at least 1,351 civilians were killed nationwide.
The report also cites growing restrictions on press freedom and free speech, along with a surge in civilian abductions. One of the most alarming incidents occurred in July 2024, when three buses carrying 167 passengers were hijacked in Oromia, with kidnappers demanding ransom.
Refugees in Ethiopia, including thousands fleeing conflict in neighboring Sudan, were identified as particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Meanwhile, civilians in Tigray, still reeling from the devastating 2020–2022 war, remain at risk of further violations despite the cessation of hostilities.
While the Ethiopian government has made some efforts to address insecurity, the U.S. State Department’s conclusion is stark: “It is not enough.”
