Koree Nageenyaa (Amharic ኮሬ ነጌኛ, Amharic translated "የደህንነት ኮሚቴ") translated as Security Committee from Oromo language, is a secret Ethiopian government agency allegedly responsible for orchestrating executions within Ethiopia and more specifically in the regional state of Oromia. Koree Nageenyaa is believed to be composed of high-ranking individuals in Oromia, the biggest and most densely populated region in Ethiopia, has purportedly issued directives for unlawful detentions and extrajudicial killings with the aim of suppressing an uprising.[1][2][3][4][5]
| ኮሬ ነጌኛ | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2018 |
| Jurisdiction | Ethiopia (mainly Oromia Region) |
| Status | Operating |
| Agency executive |
|
Leadership and structure
editThe head of Koree Nageenyaa is Shimelis Abdisa, president of Oromia.[1][6] Other members include Fekadu Tessema of the Prosperity Party in Oromia, Ararsa Merdasa, head of security for Oromia, and "half a dozen other local political and security officials".[1] Prosperity Party premises are used for meetings of Koree Nageenyaa.[1]
Purposes
editKoree Nageenyaa was initially established with objectives of tackling increasing security concerns in Oromia. However, the committee exceeded its intended scope by unlawfully intervening in the justice system, resulting in widespread human rights abuses. Shimelis Abdisa, the leader of Koree Nagenyaa and the president of regional state of Oromia stated ''Koree Nageenyaa would direct operations against enemy elements and enemy cells.''[1][7][8][9]
Administrative procedures
editAccording to a former judge of the Oromia Supreme Court, the procedures used by the agency are that "the Koree Nageenya sits down and decides that a person needs to be detained. Then they go and arrest them without warrant or investigation or due process."[1]
Operations
editThis covert organization reportedly commenced its operations in the months following the assumption of power by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2018. The committee, allegedly led by Koree Nageenyaa, has been linked to numerous killings, with reports attributing dozens of deaths to its orders. Additionally, the committee's directives are said to have resulted in hundreds of arrests. Notably, one of the incidents attributed to the committee is a massacre of 14 shepherds(Karrayyuu Community Leaders) in Oromia in 2021, which the government had previously attributed to fighters from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).[1]
Conspiracies
editIn early 2024, Taye Dendea, a close ally of Abiy Ahmed and the Minister of the Ministry of Peace, was compelled to step down from his position after he voiced his objection to the Ethiopian government's refusal to allow freedom of protest in the capital city, Addis Ababa. Expressing his disappointment with Abiy Ahmed's decision to dismiss him from the cabinet, Taye Dendea took to Twitter and described Abiy Ahmed as an individual responsible for numerous civilian casualties and the cruelest person to ever exist. Political analysts based in Addis Ababa claimed that Taye Dendea was referring to Abiy Ahmed's involvement in the activities of Koree Nagenyaa.[10]
Bate Urgessa, an influential Ethiopian opposition leader was fatally shot and discovered on the roadside in his hometown of Meki, located in the volatile Oromia region on 10 April 2024. Before his brutal killing Bate was detained and has been in jail on several occasion due to his political stand. Though government bodies claimed the Bate's killing was associated with family disputes, it is believed that Bate was killed by the Koree Nagenyaa.[11][12][13][14]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Giulia Paravicini (23 February 2024), In Ethiopia, a secret committee orders killings and arrests to crush rebels, Reuters, Wikidata Q125491198, archived from the original on 15 April 2024
- ^ ለ"ኦሮሚያ ጸጥታ" በሚል በተቋቋመ ኅቡእ ኮሚቴ የዘፈቀደ ግድያና እስራት ተፈጽሟል- ሮይተርስ (in Amharic). 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2024-04-15 – via amharic.voanews.com.
- ^ "SPECIAL REPORT | In Ethiopia, secret committee 'orders killings and arrests to crush rebels'". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ OGF (2024-03-08). "The "Koree Nageenyaa's" Brutality Echoes Gestapo Tactics: members of Ethiopia's State Terror group must be held accountable". Oromia Global Forum (OGF). Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ ADF (2024-03-19). "Secret Ethiopian Committee Accused of Ordering Arrests, Killings in Oromia". Africa Defense Forum. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ Samara Baboolal (25 February 2024). "Ethiopia secret committee violating human rights in suppressing Oromo insurgency group: Reuters investigation". Jurist. Wikidata Q125491237. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024.
- ^ In Ethiopia, a secret committee orders killings and arrests to crush rebels – Reuters, Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, 27 February 2024, Wikidata Q125491144, archived from the original on 15 April 2024
- ^ Jazmine, Esther (2024-03-16). "Unveiled: The Dark Secrets of the Ethiopian Security Committee's Brutal Tactics". Who Owns Africa. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "Ethiopia secret committee orders killings – Reuters investigation – New Business Ethiopia". Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "አቶ ታዬ ደንደአ "መንግሥትን ለመጣል" በማሴር ተጠርጥረው በቁጥጥር ስር ዋሉ". BBC News አማርኛ (in Amharic). 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "የኦነግ የፖለቲካ ኦፊሰር የነበሩት ጃል በቴ ኡርጌሳ ካረፉበት ሆቴል በፋሺስት አቢይ አህመድ ገዳይ ቡድን ተወስደው ተገደሉ". Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "Bate Urgessa: Ethiopian opposition OLF figure shot dead and dumped by road". 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "የኦነግ የፖለቲካ ኦፊሰር በቴ ኡርጌሳ ተገደሉ". ቪኦኤ (in Amharic). 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "ዋስትና የተፈቀደላቸው አቶ በቴ ኡርጌሳ አልተፈቱም". ቪኦኤ (in Amharic). 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2024-04-15.