Mengistu Musie (Dr.)
Mmusie2@gmail
Ethiopia, a nation with centuries of resilience and civilization, is now witnessing one of the darkest chapters in its modern history under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Once heralded as a reformer and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Abiy has transformed his administration into a criminal enterprise that employs propaganda, state-sponsored violence, and economic exploitation to maintain control. One of the most recent examples of this is the political drama surrounding the case of Birtukan Temesgen, a young woman whose tragic experience of state abuse was cynically manipulated and politicized by the regime. Rather than addressing the root causes of injustice and suffering, the administration weaponized her story to deflect attention from far more systemic and widespread crimes, especially the intensifying Fano resistance in the Amhara region.
The Birtukan Case and State-Orchestrated Distractions
In mid-March 2025, the Ethiopian public was overwhelmed with the emotional interview of Birtukan, a young woman who had suffered kidnapping and abuse. Her story, aired live on television with anchor Lula, captured the nation’s attention. It exposed the brutality many women face in Ethiopia today—abduction, rape, forced displacement, and state neglect. However, rather than treat this case with the seriousness it deserved, the regime seized upon it to launch a propaganda campaign, elevating Birtukan’s case while systematically ignoring the countless similar—or worse—atrocities committed daily, particularly in the Oromia region and parts of Addis Ababa.
In this context, Birtukan became not only a victim of violence but also a victim of political exploitation. The government’s cadres quickly moved to amplify her story, portraying it as an isolated incident rather than a symptom of the widespread lawlessness and insecurity that have plagued the country under Abiy Ahmed’s watch. As scholar Kjetil Tronvoll notes, the current regime has repeatedly used “strategic manipulation of conflict narratives to divert attention from structural failures” (Tronvoll, 2022).
Kidnappings and Lawlessness in Oromia
Just days before Birtukan’s interview aired, the BBC Amharic service reported a chilling incident: a full bus of passengers was abducted by an armed group in the Oromia region. The fate of the victims remains unknown, with neither the government nor the media providing follow-up reports. This is not an anomaly. Such abductions are regular occurrences in Oromia, where the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) operates with near impunity. Families of the kidnapped are often contacted by armed groups demanding ransom, placing poor and middle-class citizens under immense psychological and financial pressure. However, unlike the Birtukan case, these incidents rarely make headlines or provoke national outrage.
This disparity raises essential questions: Why did the government selectively amplify Birtukan’s case while suppressing stories of mass abductions and killings? The answer lies in the timing and political calculus of the regime. The growing Fano insurgency in the Amhara region was gaining momentum during the same period, posing a direct threat to Abiy Ahmed’s control. By diverting attention to an emotionally charged narrative, the regime sought to control public discourse and silence debate over the crumbling national security architecture.
The Criminal Nature of the Abiy Administration
The Abiy Ahmed regime has increasingly exhibited characteristics of a criminal enterprise. It uses state institutions—security forces, judiciary, and intelligence services—not to uphold law and order but to suppress dissent, loot private property, and enrich the ruling elite. In urban centers like Addis Ababa, reports about citizens having their businesses raided under flimsy legal pretexts or being outright nationalized without due process. Primarily targeted are individuals perceived as sympathetic to opposition movements, particularly those from the Amhara community.
Kidnappings are not limited to rogue actors in the bush; they are often carried out by elements within or affiliated with state structures. Families of the disappeared are routinely extorted for money or political loyalty in exchange for the release of loved ones. These criminal acts have become a reliable source of income for elements within the regime, which has disturbingly normalized this practice.
Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have extensively documented arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings under Abiy Ahmed’s rule (HRW, 2023; Amnesty, 2022). However, such findings are systematically ignored by state media and foreign backers of the regime, who continue to support the government under the guise of regional stability.
According to a Reuters investigation published on February 23, 2024, the government of Oromia—Ethiopia’s largest and most densely populated region—has been implicated in a disturbing pattern of extrajudicial killings and unlawful detentions. These actions appear to be part of a broader, state-led crackdown aimed at suppressing an ongoing insurgency within the region.
These criminal operations are not random or isolated acts of violence—they are part of a coordinated campaign orchestrated by a shadowy entity known as the Kori Negegna organization. Reportedly established under the direction of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Oromia regional president Shimeles Abdisa, this clandestine group is believed to operate behind the scenes, planning and executing extrajudicial actions aimed at silencing dissent and eliminating opposition within the region.
The Fano Resistance and the Regime’s Panic
The real reason the Birtukan episode was blown out of proportion is deeply political. In early 2025, the Fano resistance—a grassroots Adhara movement—intensified its operations against the federal military and regional security forces. Fano fighters, many of whom are young and deeply disillusioned by the government’s anti-Adhara policies, have challenged the state’s legitimacy and reclaimed territories previously under federal control.
Rather than confront the political demands of Fano or address the grievances of the Adhara people, the regime has opted for suppression and distraction. The media blitz around Birtukan was a calculated maneuver to dominate the public narrative and shift the focus away from the explosive situation in the Adhara region. International media outlets were inundated with coverage of the Birtukan case while barely mentioning the brutal military offensives being conducted against civilians in places like Gojjam and Wollo.
This narrative management tactic is not new. Regimes in crisis often amplify isolated cases of suffering, especially those that provoke strong emotional reactions while burying more systemic issues. By making Birtukan the face of victim hood, the regime could feign empathy and moral leadership while continuing its campaign of repression unchecked.
Gendered Violence and Structural Injustice
Birtukan’s suffering is not unique; it is emblematic of the broader gender-based violence pervasive in Ethiopia. According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), thousands of women and girls across the country face gender-based violence annually, often in areas of conflict and displacement (EHRC, 2024). What distinguishes Birtukan’s case is not the brutality she endured but the political utility it offered to the regime.
Women in Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, and Benishangul-Gumuz face rape, abduction, and forced displacement regularly, often at the hands of armed groups and security forces alike. However, their stories rarely reach national television or receive an audience with powerful media anchors. This selective visibility underscores the deeply politicized nature of victimhood in Ethiopia. The regime weaponizes certain narratives while silencing others, reinforcing a cycle of injustice and impunity.
International Complicity and the Silence of Donors
The international community, including the United States, the European, and the African Union, bears partial responsibility for enabling the Abiy Ahmed regime. Despite credible reports of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and authoritarianism, significant powers continue to treat Abiy as a partner in regional peace and counterterrorism. This hypocritical stance emboldens the regime to continue its abuses without fear of consequences.
Aid continues to flow, and diplomatic statements remain timid. For every Birtukan whose story is told, thousands of others suffer in silence—victims not only of the Ethiopian state but of an international order that privileges strategic interests over human rights.
The Need for Justice and Structural Change
The only sustainable solution to Ethiopia’s crisis lies in dismantling the criminal enterprise that controls the country. This requires more than changing figureheads; it demands structural transformation. The military, intelligence services, judiciary, and economic institutions must be purged of corrupt and ethnocentric actors. Transitional justice mechanisms—such as truth commissions, reparations, and trials—must be implemented to address decades of abuse and restore public trust.
Moreover, civil society must be allowed to flourish independently. Journalists, activists, and community leaders must be protected, not persecuted. Only then can victims like Birtukan find real justice—not through orchestrated television spectacles, but through genuine accountability and reform.
Conclusion
The Birtukan episode is a tragic reminder of the suffering endured by many under the Abiy Ahmed regime. However, it is also a case study of state propaganda, manipulation, and narrative control. By elevating her story at a politically convenient moment, the regime sought to divert attention from far more systemic crimes, including the rise of the Fano resistance and the collapse of law and order in Oromia. Ethiopia stands at a crossroads: it can continue down the path of authoritarianism and criminal governance, or it can embrace justice, transparency, and democratic renewal. The choice must not be left to the perpetrators of violence but to the people of Ethiopia and their allies in the liberation struggle.
The Story of Birtukan Temesgen: A Symbol of Silenced Suffering
On March 25, 2020, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) aired an alarming interview with Birtukan Temesgen, a university student who had endured a harrowing ordeal. In the emotionally charged broadcast, Birtukan recounted how she and 21 other students were abducted in 2019 by an armed group in western Oromia. Held captive for weeks under inhumane conditions, she eventually managed to escape and courageously shared her story with journalist Lula Ayele. Her raw testimony, broadcast to millions, shook the nation and sparked a wave of public outrage and demands for justice.
Rather than taking steps to bring the perpetrators to justice or to support the victims, the government responded with alarming repression. According to multiple reports, including sources close to the media, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration ordered the shutdown of the news segment and the arrest of both Birtukan and the journalist Lula. Since then, both women have vanished without a trace. No official statement has been released regarding their whereabouts, leading to grave concerns about their safety and the state’s accountability. The case has come to symbolize the erosion of press freedom, the breakdown of the rule of law, and the disturbing trend of silencing victims and whistleblowers rather than addressing the systemic violence that plagues the country.
On March 25, 2025, journalist and Horn of Africa analyst Martin Plaut published a commentary on the BBC reflecting on Birtukan’s story and the broader suffering of Ethiopians—particularly the ethnic Amhara—who have been disproportionately targeted by waves of violence, abductions, and mass killings. He pointed out that Birtukan’s case is just one of many. There are countless tragic stories, many of which never make the headlines. Victims of these atrocities are often kidnapped, raped, or murdered simply for their ethnic identity, and justice remains elusive.
Birtukan Temesgen’s life story offers further insight into her resilience. She was born and raised in Senan, a rural district in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, specifically in the Gojjam zone. Hardships marked her early life. She lost her mother at a young age, and her father migrated in search of work, leaving her to grow up with relatives under difficult circumstances. Despite these challenges, she excelled academically and earned a place at university. Her education was a symbol of hope—not only for herself but for many young women from marginalized and underserved areas. That hope was violently interrupted when she became a victim of political violence and state repression.
Today, Birtukan’s fate remains unknown, but her voice, briefly heard through the airwaves, echoes in the hearts of those who refuse to forget. Her story serves as both a warning and a call to action—a reminder that behind every statistic is a human life, and behind every silenced voice is a truth that demands to be heard.
Worsening Conditions in Ethiopia Under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed: A Seven-Year Overview
Since the political transition in April 2018, when Abiy Ahmed of the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO)—a constituent party of the former Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)—became Prime Minister, Ethiopia has experienced a significant deterioration in its political, social, and economic conditions. The initial optimism that accompanied Abiy Ahmed’s rise to power, fueled by promises of reform and national reconciliation, has been replaced by widespread disillusionment and concern over escalating violence, instability, and human rights abuses.
Over the past seven years, under the leadership of Abiy Ahmed and the rebranded Prosperity Party, Ethiopians have witnessed levels of suffering, displacement, and loss of life that are unprecedented in recent history. Extrajudicial killings, mass arrests, ethnic-based attacks, and a breakdown of public safety have become routine. One of the most alarming trends has been the surge in abductions and kidnappings, particularly in the Oromia region.
In the second week of March 2025, a full passenger bus was reportedly abducted by an unidentified armed group in Oromia. According to BBC reports, the victims remain missing, and no official investigation or rescue effort has been announced by the federal or regional government (BBC News, 2025). This is not an isolated incident; such abductions have become disturbingly frequent in Oromia, with government officials either silent or dismissive, continuing with “business as usual.”
Initially, in early 2020, many Ethiopians believed these kidnappings were sporadic and isolated. However, the scale and frequency of the incidents have since revealed a pattern. A Reuters investigation published in 2021 uncovered a clandestine committee operating within the Oromia regional government, which had authorized extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions to suppress insurgencies in the region. The report, based on interviews with more than 30 federal and regional officials, judges, lawyers, and victims, highlighted a pattern of grave human rights abuses sanctioned at the highest levels of regional power (Reuters, 2021).
The Ethiopian government’s repressive responses to both insurgencies and journalism have further worsened the situation. On March 25, 2020, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation aired a chilling interview with Birtukan, a university student who was abducted along with 21 others in 2019. In her testimony, she described being held captive for weeks by an armed group in western Oromia before managing to escape. The broadcast by journalist Lula deeply moved the nation and sparked public outrage.
Rather than pursuing justice for the victims, the government responded with repression. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reportedly ordered the shutdown of the news outlet and the arrest of the student and the journalist. Since the incident, both Birtukan and Lula have disappeared, and their whereabouts remain unknown. No official statements have been issued about their status, raising serious concerns about press freedom, the rule of law, and the government’s willingness to silence victims and whistleblowers rather than address the underlying issues.
These incidents reflect a broader crisis in Ethiopia, where state structures appear increasingly unable—or unwilling—to protect civilians or uphold fundamental rights. The federal government’s failure to respond to kidnappings, growing ethnic violence, and the silencing of dissent underscores the need for urgent international attention and accountability mechanisms.
References
Amnesty International. (2022). Beyond Law Enforcement: Human Rights Violations by Ethiopian Security Forces. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org
BBC News. (2025, March). Passengers Abducted in Oromia. [Amharic Service Report].
Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC). (2024). Annual Report on Gender-Based Violence in Conflict Zones.
Human Rights Watch. (2023). Ethiopia: Atrocities Mount in Oromia and Amhara. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org
Tronvoll, K. (2022). The Authoritarian Turn in Ethiopia: Ethnic Politics and State Manipulation. African Affairs, 121(484), 194–215.
Paravicini, G. (2021). Ethiopia: A secret committee orders killings and arrests to stop protests and oppositions. Reuters
