The ongoing conflict in the Darra district of North Shewa Zone, involving armed groups as well as government forces, has continued to result in civilian casualties (Photo: Social Media)

Addis Abeba – The brutal beheading of a young man in Oromia’s Darra district, in North Shewa zone,has sparked widespread outrage, drawing attention to the region’s ongoing instability and escalating violence.

A disturbing video depicting the gruesome beheading of a young man by armed individuals has circulated widely on social media since the beginning of this week.

The tragic incident comes amid a broader wave of violence in the area involving armed groups operating both in the neighboring Amhara and Oromia regional states. The violence has claimed the lives of at least 43 civilians in the past four months alone.

Local residents and observers have expressed growing concern over the deteriorating security situation, with calls for urgent intervention by authorities to restore peace and protect civilians. The beheading of the young man has triggerd public condemnation and heightened demands for accountability.

While Addis Standard has not independently verified the vedio of the beaheading, the BBC Afaan Oromoo service has reported that the event occurred in the Darra district of the North Shewa Zone within the Oromia region.

A local resident informed the BBC that the victim, brutally murdered by the gunmen, has been identified as Dereje Amare, a native of the Darra district.

The resident stated, “Dereje was a resident of Weren Gabro Kebele in the Darra district. Although the video has recently emerged on social media, the incident transpired over two months ago. The perpetrators were individuals organized as Fano militants.”

In recent years, the Darra district in Oromia’s North Shewa zone has become a battleground, where violence has left a trail of devastation.

Especially after 2022, fierce clashes between government forces, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and the Fano militia have turned the district into a tragic epicenter of conflict, claiming civilian lives and reducing communities to rubble.

Violence in the Darra district peaked from July 2024 onward as government forces clashed with armed groups. Located along the border with the Amhara region, Darra became a focal point of conflict, particularly between 23 August and 20 October, 2024, when internet access was suspended. During this period, intense confrontations erupted, primarily between the OLA and government forces.

An assessment conducted by Addis Standard, based on accounts from residents of the Darra district, reveals that over 43 civilians lost their lives due to clashes involving government forces and armed groups over the four-month period from July to October 2024.

Darra’s deadly toll

Recent incidents resulting in civilian casualties include three separate occurrences in October 2024, which claimed the lives of seven individuals.

According to residents and local sources, an attack on 07 October, 2024, in the village of Jiru Dada, located in the Darra district, resulted in the deaths of three farmers.

A relative of one of the victims, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, told Addis Standard that the attack was perpetrated by “Fano militants,” who captured and killed the individuals while they were seeking refuge in the jungle amid ongoing clashes between government forces and the OLA.

The second incident, which occurred on 18 October, 2024, involved the abduction and subsequent murder of Sheik Mohammed Mekin Haji, the Imam of a mosque in Ada Malke Kebele, located in the Darra district.

A family member, speaking to Addis Standard on condition of anonymity, stated that Sheik Mohammed Mekin, a father of four, was kidnapped and killed by individuals she identified as members of the OLA. She recounted that the abductors arrived at 1:30 a.m., first entering the Ganda Arabu Mosque and then proceeding to his home, where they abducted Sheik Mohammed along with his two children, wife, and mother.

According to the family member, the two children were released after being held for one day, while their mother was freed after 13 days. “The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 1.5 million birr for the release of Sheik Mohammed and his mother,” she said. “After paying 1.4 million birr, they released Sheik Mohammed’s mother.”

She further explained, “As we were trying to gather more money to secure Sheik Mohammed’s release, we received the tragic news on 02 November, 2024, that he had been killed.”

The third incident occurred on 23 October, 2024, when three individuals were killed in what residents described as a “drone” attack.

A relative of the victims, identified as Biratu Moke (name changed), spoke to Addis Standard on condition of anonymity for security reasons. He recounted that the attack took place at 2:00 a.m. in Babu Dirre Kebele, where a drone strike claimed the lives of three individuals and killed 12 cows.

“The drone strike occurred while the victims were asleep in their home,” he recalled.

The informant identified the deceased as 60-year-old Girma Abebe, 35-year-old Damto Amare, and 15-year-old Alegn Girma.

Clash of forces, cost of lives

The month of September 2024 was also perilous for residents of Darra, marked by numerous incidents resulting in the deaths of at least 17 civilians.

One survivor, Gare Hababo, a truck driver currently receiving treatment at Abet Hospital in Addis Abeba, recounted his ordeal to Addis Standard.

On 03 September, 2024, around 8:00 a.m., while returning to Addis Abeba after delivering construction materials to Darra, Gare and his colleagues were captured by five members of the “Fano” militia in an area known as Fetran, located in the North Shewa zone of the Amhara region.

He explained that the main road between Darra and Selale was rendered impassable due to muddy conditions, forcing them to take a detour through the Amhara region via Marabet to reach Addis Abeba. However, on their return journey, the group was intercepted and detained by the militia.

“At the time of our capture, there were four Sino truck drivers, four assistant drivers, and one resident of Darra being transported in one of the trucks,” Gare stated. “Two days after the capture, on 05 September, 2024, the insurgents killed the resident from Darra.”

In a recent incident, Sheik Mohammed Mekin Haji, Imam of a mosque in Ada Malke Kebele in the Darra district, was abducted and later killed (Photo: East African review)

Gare recounted that the militia subsequently released two captives but demanded a ransom of one million birr per person for the release of the remaining detainees. Tragically, soon after, the militia opened fire, killing drivers Lecho, Betru, Tesfaye, and assistant driver Habtamu.

“I was shot in the leg and abdomen and left for dead,” Gare recalled. “Fortunately, residents found me and transported me to a clinic and later to Abet Hospital in Addis Abeba. I have been hospitalized for two months and am currently undergoing treatment for an injury to my left leg.”

In another incident, Getachew Asefa, a resident of Ware Hula Kebele in the Darra district and a family member of one of the victims, informed Addis Standard that on 05 September, 2024, his brother, a farmer, and his brother’s friend, also a farmer, were killed by members of the “Fano” militia. He explained that the two farmers were attacked and killed while herding their cattle in the village’s grazing area.

Beyene Tulu (name changed), a resident of Wara Gabro Kebele in the Darra district, also reported a separate incident to Addis Standard in which three students were killed by individuals he identified as members of the OLA on 10 September, 2024.

According to Beyene, the students were beaten and killed by the armed group at 10:30 a.m., and their bodies were later found dumped on the outskirts of Wara Gabro Kebele.

“The three individuals were accused by the armed group of having links with government forces,” he stated.

In yet another incident, on 13 and 20 September, 2024, seven individuals were killed in violence involving government forces and the OLA.

Tesfaye Asefa (name changed), a resident of Denyo Wubenso Kebele in the Darra district, recounted to Addis Standard that on 13 September, 2024, at approximately 10:00 p.m., members of an armed group killed his brother in the Kolu area and stole around 100 cows.

“Members of the armed group came to our home, called my brother Tilahun outside, and accused him of sharing information with government forces,” he said. “After taking him to the outskirts, they shot and killed him.”

He further stated that a week later, on September 20, 2024, clashes between government forces and the OLA erupted in the area, leading to the deaths of six civilians amid intense gunfire.

Addis Standard has extensively reported on the attacks and civilian casualties that occurred in the Darra district in July and August 2024.

One such incident took place on 17 July, 2024, in Jiru Dad Kebele, Darra district, where at least three civilians were killed by “Fano” insurgents.

On 24 July, 2024, in Ilu Goda Chafe Kebele, the Fano militia, a non-state group active in the neighboring Amhara region, reportedly killed three civilians and injured one person.

The violence in the Darra district intensified on 25 August, 2024, when at least six civilians lost their lives in Tuti Kebele during an attack attributed to members of the OLA, according to local residents.

On 27 August, 2024, the “Fano group” was accused of killing at least three civilians and injuring two others in Jiru Dada Kebele. AS