Since December of 2015, bloody protests have broken out in Ethiopia. Ethiopian forces have killed over 100 Oromo protesters who were participating in anti-government demonstrations.

A majority of protestors stood in opposition to recent expansion plans which would displace many Oromos.

Ethiopian forces justified the killings by claiming Oromo protestors had ties to terrorist organizations and also arrested prominent Oromo intellectuals.

On January 12, the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization announced that the Ethiopian government has halted expansion plans into the Oromia region.

However, the announcement has not halted the exertion of force on protestors, mostly made up of university students.

A source told the International Business Times, that the government deployed special forces (Liyu Police) into Oromia towns such as Bedeno and Dire Dawa, furthering the intensity of the crack down.

Since then, the European Union has condemned the excessive force used by Ethiopian forces stating “[The EU] calls on the government to carry out a credible, transparent and impartial investigation into the killings of protesters and other alleged human rights violations in connection with the protest movement, and to fairly prosecute those responsible, regardless of rank or position.”