Concern over Ethiopian children in detention
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said that it has found young children in detention suspected of being members of an insurgent group.
In a statement on Monday EHRC said it found the children in the south-western state of Gambella during a site visit last month.
The children – aged between 11 and 14 – are suspected of being members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
The EHRC has shown relative independence in recent years, despite its affiliation with the government.
The commission said that two boys – aged 11 and 12 – and a girl aged 14 remain in jail a month later – where the boys received beatings.
The OLA – often referred by authorities as the OLF Shane – is a breakaway group from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and is believed to operate in western Ethiopia.
The commission also said 90 people from the Tigrayan ethnic group have been jailed in the state since early November.
They are accused of supporting the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – that fought against federal troops in northern Ethiopia.
They have remained in police custody and no investigations have been conducted, EHRC said.
Daniel Bekele, an official from the commission, added that the “issue of children in detention and ensuring the bail rights of detainees requires urgent attention.”
