Report of a Home Office Fact-Finding Mission Ethiopia: The political situation Conducted 16 September 2019 to 20 September 2019 Published 10 February 2020 This project is partly funded by the EU Asylum, Migration Contentsand Integration Fund. Making management of migration flows more efficient across the European Union. Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................. 5 Background ............................................................................................................ 5 Purpose of the mission ........................................................................................... 5 Report’s structure ................................................................................................... 5 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 6 Identification of sources .......................................................................................... 6 Arranging and conducting interviews ...................................................................... 6 Notes of interviews/meetings .................................................................................. 7 List of abbreviations ................................................................................................ 8 Executive summary .................................................................................................. 9 Synthesis of notes ................................................................................................. 10 1. Political landscape ......................................................................................... 10 1.1 Opening of political space ...................................................................... 10 1.2 Release of political prisoners .................................................................. 11 1.3 Return of exiled groups .......................................................................... 12 1.4 Legal reform ........................................................................................... 13 1.5 Change of pace in reform process ......................................................... 14 1.6 Impact of June 2019 assassinations/attempted coup on the reform process .......................................................................................................... 15 2. Political opposition ......................................................................................... 16 2.1 General ability to function ....................................................................... 16 2.2 Registration of political groups ............................................................... 17 2.3 Opening of offices .................................................................................. 18 2.4 Meetings ................................................................................................. 19 2.5 Scheduled national elections: May 2020 ................................................ 20 2.6 Freedom to protest ................................................................................. 21 2.7 Challenges from non-state actors ........................................................... 22 3. National Movement of Amhara (NaMA) ......................................................... 22 3.1 Membership and profile .......................................................................... 22 3.2 Capacity and support ............................................................................. 23 4. Ethiopia Citizens for Social Justice (E-ZEMA) ............................................... 23 4.1 Composition ........................................................................................... 23 Page 2 of 136 4.2 Aims ....................................................................................................... 23 4.3 Membership and profile .......................................................................... 23 4.4 Capacity and support ............................................................................. 24 5. Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) ..................................................... 24 5.1 Membership ............................................................................................ 24 5.2 Capacity and support ............................................................................. 24 5.3 ONLF combatants .................................................................................. 25 6. Patriotic Ginbot 7 (PG7) ................................................................................. 25 7. Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) ....................................................................... 26 7.1 Aims and objectives ............................................................................... 26 7.2 Membership process .............................................................................. 26 7.3 Capacity and support ............................................................................. 26 7.4 Structure and composition ...................................................................... 28 7.5 Shene/Shane/Shaane ............................................................................ 29 7.6 OLF in ‘the bush’/Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) .................................... 29 7.7 Qeerroo .................................................................................................. 31 7.8 Relationship with other political parties .................................................. 32 8. Security sector ............................................................................................... 32 8.1 Reform and restructure .......................................................................... 32 8.2 Accountability for past torture/corruption ................................................ 34 8.3 Government control over federal security forces .................................... 36 8.4 Regional security forces ......................................................................... 36 8.5 Liyu police .............................................................................................. 38 8.6 Military command posts .......................................................................... 38 9. State treatment .............................................................................................. 39 9.1 Arrests .................................................................................................... 39 9.2 Arrests after assassinations/coup attempt of June 2019 ........................ 42 9.3 Use of Anti-Terrorism Proclamation ....................................................... 45 9.4 Military training camps/rehabilitation centres .......................................... 47 9.5 Arrests and detention in Oromia including OLF/Shene/OLA .................. 48 9.6 Detention conditions ............................................................................... 52 9.7 Conditions on release ............................................................................. 53 9.8 State differentiation between Oromos and OLF ..................................... 54 9.9 Government and armed group clashes .................................................. 56 9.10 Returnees and diaspora ......................................................................... 57 10. Oromo protests 2014-2018 ............................................................................ 57 10.1 Background ............................................................................................ 57 10.2 State interest in past actions of Oromo protesters .................................. 57 Page 3 of 136 11. Media ............................................................................................................. 58 11.1 Media law ............................................................................................... 58 11.2 Media freedom ....................................................................................... 58 11.3 Role of social media ............................................................................... 59 11.4 Arrests and detention of journalists ........................................................ 59 12. Civil Society and Non-government organisations (NGOs) ............................. 60 12.1 Registration ............................................................................................ 60 12.2 Ability to function .................................................................................... 60 13. Ethnic tension ................................................................................................ 61 13.1 Rise in ethnic tension ............................................................................. 61 13.2 Regional states ....................................................................................... 61 13.3 Internal displacement ............................................................................. 62 14. Ethiopia/Eritrea relations ................................................................................ 63 Annex A: Terms of reference (ToR) ...................................................................... 64 Annex B: List of sources ....................................................................................... 65 Annex C: FFM background explained to sources ............................................... 66 Annex D: Notes