Woldemariam in Al Jazeera on Oromo Targeting
Assistant Professor Michael Woldemariam of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston Univeristy is quoted in a news story on the website of Al Jazeera America on a recent report from Amnesty International according to which Ethiopian forces has “ruthlessly targeted” and tortured thousands of people from the Oromo tribe for percieved opposition to the government. The report details former detainees describing beatings, electric shocks, and gang rapes as part of the targetting of the Oromo.
Prof. Woldemariam is quoted in commenting on the Amnesty International report:
“The report tends to confirm the claims that diaspora-based Oromo activists have been making for some time now… What it does do, however, is provide a wealth of detail and empirical material that lends credibility to claims we have heard before.”
Michael Woldemariam’s teaching and research interests focus on African politics, particularly the dynamics of armed conflict, the behavior of rebel organizations and self-determination movements, and post-conflict institution building. He has special expertise in the Horn of Africa, and has conducted fieldwork in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somaliland, South Africa, and India.
The full AlJazeera America story can be read here.