Tragic Beheading Sparks Demonstrations Across Universities

The brutal killing of a 17-year-old boy reportedly beheaded by armed group members in North Shewa’s Dera Woreda has stirred public demonstrations across Ethiopia’s universities, with the incident drawing condemnation from authorities, party leaders, and human rights groups.

News of the murder of 17-year-old Dereje Amare and a video depicting the heinous act has gone viral on social media, prompting widespread protests. Students from several Ethiopian universities, along with residents from various regions, have staged peaceful demonstrations condemning the atrocity.

The demonstrations have taken place in various campuses including Ambo, Jimma, Dire Dawa, Wollega, Arsi, Kotebe Metropolitan, Bule Hora, Haramaya, Asosa, and Salale universities.

The demonstrators have demanded that authorities take immediate action to ensure justice for the victim and curb the cycle of violence gripping the country.

The crime has drawn varied responses. Regional officials, including those from Oromia, have attributed the act to escalating violence between armed groups in the area. The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) condemned the killing, calling for accountability and justice.

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Opposition party leaders and influential activists, such as Jawar Mohammed, have also expressed their views on the matter.

In its initial statement, OLF described the incident as “gruesome” and attributed the act to Fano militants, referring to them as the “alleged killer.” The statement further accused both the militants and government forces of involvement in “serious and grave war crimes” in Dera Woreda.

OLF posted a message on its “X” account (formerly known as Twitter) expressing appreciation for university students participating in peaceful protests.

“We stand with our courageous students and all those who resist the regime’s tyranny,” the post reads, adding that the OLA’s investigation into the tragic events in North Shewa is still ongoing. “Together, we reaffirm our dedication to holding the perpetrators accountable and securing a future rooted in justice and dignity.”

Using his social media platform, activist Jawar Mohammed expressed his outrage over the killing of Dereje.

Referring to the student protests as “fair,” Jawar described the killing as “brutal.”

He noted that hundreds of citizens are killed across the country daily and criticized the inability to address the nation’s political crisis through peaceful political solutions, which, according to him, has plunged the country into war.

“Stop the killing of citizens,” reads his facebook post. “Ignorant people use horizontal confrontation as a strategy to escape responsibility for their own mistakes, to create horizontal conflict between the people.”

As reports indicate that the incident occurred two months ago, Mulatu Gemechu, vice chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), said that the passage of time does not diminish the gravity of such a “barbaric” act.

According to Mulatu, whoever is responsible for the killing has committed an act that is “unacceptable and inhuman.”

Mulatu added that his party has not yet taken an official position but emphasized that there is no “political benefit” in targeting civilians.

“This is an intentional act to create enmity between people,” he told The Reporter. “We want an independent body to investigate the killing and to forward the result.”

Rights groups have also expressed alarm over the worsening security situation, emphasizing the urgent need for stronger measures to protect civilians. Human rights advocate Yared Hailemeskel noted that the killings reflect the broader impact of “Ethiopia’s ongoing ethnic-based political conflicts as well as false narratives.”

According to Yared, the recent killing of Dereje and other civilians is a direct outcome of false narratives and ethnic-based political practices.

He further stated that the brutal killings stem from polarized political and ethnic identities. Yared said that such practices have fostered a sense of “dehumanization,” where individuals fail to recognize the humanity of others who do not share their identity.

“Not only do the perpetrators dehumanize others, but they also dehumanize themselves in the act of committing these crimes,” he said.

Recent reports indicate that Dera Woreda has become a hotspot for violence, with civilians frequently caught in the crossfire between conflicting factions.

Awelu Abdi, vice president of the Oromia Regional Administration, and Hailu Adugna, communications director, could not be reached for comment The Reporter‘s requests for comment.

However, the Oromia Communication Bureau covered the public protests in Dera Woreda on Friday, November 22. The coverage omitted any mention of protests at universities.

“Residents of Dera woreda in North Shoa Zone have demonstrated in public protest against the terrorist actions of the Fano and OLF-Shene armed groups. The extremist armed groups of Fano and OLF-Shene continue committing inhuman killing of civilians, and looting of properties. The residents and communities have also demanded the government ensure rule of law on the extremists,” reads the Bureau’s statement originally published in Afan Oromo.

Hailu gave another statement on Thursday, accusing Fano and OLF of killing civilians with the goal of instigating ethnic clashes between the Oromia and Amhara regions.

“The groups have highly undermined the ethnic groups of Ethiopia. The groups also have been committing grave civilian killings in Benishangul-Gumuz regional state. OLF-Shene has disarmed the local people in North Shoa, so that can Fano come in and kill unarmed civilians. The government will ensure rule of law,” said Hailu.