Press Releases, 19 January 2015

Re: Great Loss to the Human Rights Community as Legendary Dr. Martin Hill Passes On

Dr Martin Hill

We are deeply saddened to hear the death of Dr Martin Hill, and we want to express our sincerest condolence to his wife and his family on behalf of the Advocacy for Oromia Association in Victoria Australia. Dr Martin was a long time friend and voice for the voiceless oppressed peoples of the world including the Oromo, and we greatly benefit from his support. Dr. Martin Hill passed away on Friday 9 January 2015.

Dr. Hill’s legacy at the Amnesty Secretariat office in London, as a researcher and a campaigner on the Horn of Africa in the human rights field for over 32 years, has many aspects. At sub-regional level where many human rights violations and suffering for the past three decades and lack of attention globally, Dr. Hill brought human rights issues and concerns in the limelight and earned the admiration and love of many people particularly Oromians, Eritreans, Ethiopians, and Somalis.

Dr. Hill worked with many voiceless people and individuals on the protection and promotion of human rights. Many of our friends particularly remember the first human rights defenders training for Somalis that Dr. Hill organized in 1997 in Kenya. He was instrumental in organizing sub-regional networks consultation meetings to the run up of the All Africa Human Rights Defenders Conference I 1998 and subsequently the global human rights summit in Paris in December 1998.

Dr. Hill will be remembered for his ardent support to human rights in the Horn of Africa. He inspired and mentored so many human rights activists who are now working with prominent human rights organizations around the world. He contributed to the fight against human rights violations and ending the culture of impunity in the sub-region.

Our thoughts are with his family and many friends around the world. The Advocacy for Oromia, a non-profit advocacy organisation working to ensure that the Oromo people’s rights and wishes are respected, extends its sincerest condolences to his wife, Dawn Hill and children. Dr Hill was a remarkable man, who made a difference in the lives of many voiceless people through his researching and campaigning activities on the Horn of Africa in the human rights field for over 32 years.

For more information: Advocacy for Oromia Oromia Press Release Dr Martin Hill
Advocacy for Oromia
19 January 2015