Ethiopia Rights Commission Confirms Reports of Intimidation, Arrests After Healthcare Workers Stage Widespread Strikes, Urges Dialogue

Addis Abeba — Before the nationwide partial strikes went into effect, health professionals from hospitals the country across have been demanding the government to respond to their questions. Photo collage/Addis Standard

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has confirmed widespread reports of intimidation, arrests, and deteriorating healthcare conditions as strikes by health professionals continue across the country, backing previous accounts by Addis Standard and other local and international media.

In a statement released this week, the EHRC emphasized that the ongoing nationwide walkouts, launched after the government failed to respond to a 12-point demand submitted on 11 April, “must not lead to human rights violations”.

Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adelo, warned that the strikes, which began on 13 May, are “threatening the public’s right to health and life”, while also raising concerns about the legality and proportionality of government responses.

“Strikes in the health sector can negatively impact the community’s right to health and life,” said the Commissioner. “However, any administrative or legal action taken in response must comply with human rights standards and applicable laws.”

The EHRC confirmed reports of arrests, intimidation, and staff being forced to vacate hospitals and university dormitories across cities such as Addis Abeba, Hawassa, Jimma, Bahir Dar, and Gondar. It cited the arrests of numerous professionals, including residents and interns, and described the forced evictions of medical staff from hospital campuses as troubling.

Ground realities mirror alarming reports

Multiple reports, including those by Addis Standard, detail mounting pressure on health professionals, including midnight raids by police, arrests without due process, and harassment for participating in the strike. At Hawassa University College of Medical and Health Sciences, for instance, interns and residents left after receiving a 12-hour ultimatum from administrators. In Gondar, at least 25 health professionals, including specialists, were detained in a single night, according to eyewitnesses.

“We were told to leave immediately. We weren’t even allowed to collect our personal belongings,” one intern said. “We’re demanding dialogue, not repression.”

The EHRC, through site visits to hospitals including Black Lion, St. Paul’s, and Menelik II in Addis Abeba, confirmed that both full and partial strikes are disrupting services. ICU patients reportedly lack access to adequate care, and those traveling from rural areas for long-scheduled treatments are being turned away due to staff shortages.

Contradictions in government messaging

Despite mounting evidence and widespread walkouts, government officials continue to downplay the crisis. On 19 May, Minister of Health Dr. Mekdes Daba claimed on state television that healthcare services were “continuing without interruption,” save for “limited service interruptions” in a few teaching hospitals.

But on 20 May, State Minister Dereje Duguma, warned professionals that continuing the strike could jeopardize their licenses, saying “it will be difficult for them to continue holding their professional licenses” if they don’t return to duty.

Both statements sharply contradict on-the-ground media reports and now EHRC findings, which document widespread disruptions, administrative pressure, and law enforcement intervention.

Professional Associations demand action, denounce crackdown

In a growing show of solidarity, regional health associations have issued strong statements urging the government to respond to the demands of medical workers. The Tigray Medical Association criticized “unjustified pressure” and warned that the crisis had surpassed the coping capacity of its members. Likewise, the Oromia Physicians Association called for the depoliticization of the healthcare system and condemned attempts to undermine the strike by engaging unrepresentative voices.