Ethiopian police have arrested 13 suspects in connection with the killing of prominent opposition figures from the restive Oromia state, local state media reported.

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) said Bet Urgesa’s body was found dumped on a road outside the town of Meki on Wednesday, shortly after he was arrested by “government forces.”

The United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom have joined human rights activists in calling for a full investigation into Bate’s killing. Bate was an outspoken politician who spent time in detention and for years after his release.

The Oromia Broadcasting Network said on Facebook late Thursday that police in the Eastshawar region where Meki is located had arrested 13 suspects in the shooting, adding that Bet had been buried in a ceremony in Meki that day.

No details about the suspect were released.

Bate, 41, was arrested in February along with French journalist Antoine Galindo and was released on bail early last month.

But he was arrested again by “government armed forces” late Tuesday at a hotel in his hometown of Meki, 150 kilometers south of the capital Addis Ababa, OLF spokesman Lemi Gemechu told AFP.

“He was then taken briefly to a detention center in the city,” Lemmy said.

He added that Bate’s family said he was found dead on a road on the outskirts of Maki on Wednesday morning.

“Justice and Responsibility”

There have been calls at home and abroad for a full investigation into his death.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), an independent state-affiliated body, urged regional and central governments to conduct a “quick, impartial and comprehensive investigation” into Bete’s killing.

The United States has also called for a full investigation, the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Justice and accountability are critical to breaking the cycle of violence,” it added.

Darren Welch, the British ambassador to Ethiopia, sent a similar message, adding: “Along with justice and accountability, political dialogue is needed to end the cycle of violence affecting civilians in Oromia.”

EU Ambassador to Addis Ababa Roland Kobia also said he supported the European Commission’s call, saying on X: “This is part of the need to ensure accountability, justice and reconciliation.”

Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest and most populous region, has been gripped by an armed insurgency since 2018.

In the same year, after Oromo Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power, the Oromo Liberation Front announced that it would abandon armed struggle, leading to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) split from the party.

Since then, federal troops have been fighting OLA rebels in Oromia, while peace talks have failed to make meaningful progress.

OLA is classified as a “terrorist organization” by Addis Ababa and known as OLF-Shane, and the government accuses OLA of orchestrating the massacre, which the rebels deny.

The authorities have again been accused of launching an indiscriminate crackdown, exacerbating Oromo dissatisfaction.

Oromo make up about one-third of the 120 million inhabitants of Africa’s second most populous country.