Following the Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP) reportedly announced members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLF-OLA) have started entering a camp, OLF-OLA, led by Kumsa Diriba commonly known as Jaal Marroo has debunked the government claim as “fabricated drama”.
OPP announced today that members of the OLA have surrendered and are entering the camp based on the “peace agreement” reached last Sunday, state-affiliated local media reported.
OLF-OLA, categorized as “Shene” by Addis Ababa, in its post on X, however, debunked Prosperity Party’s claim as a “fabricated drama” which “supposedly aims to reinforce their baseless claim that the so-called “commanders”—dismissed by the OLA long ago—had fighters with them who are now allegedly surrendering to the government.”
On Sunday, December 1, 2024, Shimelis Abdissa, president of the Oromia region announced that he signed a “peace accord” with the splinter group’s leader, Sagni Nagasa.
OLA, led by Jaal Marroo, immediately denounced saying, “The regime is attempting to rehabilitate irrelevant individuals who were expelled months ago from OLA for sabotage.”
For the OPP, the “peace deal” is a significant milestone to stabilize the region and “solve the political differences through dialogue”.
OLF-OLA, however, labelled the government action as a “blatant manipulation” and as “an attempt to distract from the regime’s failing grip on Oromia.”
“We will all live to see the decisive steps OLA’s Central Command will take, alongside our fighters across Oromia, in the coming days. The Oromo people know the truth, and the struggle for freedom continues undeterred,” OLF-OLA stressed.
The conflict between the government forces and OLF-OLA has killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands of civilians, especially ethnic-Amharas in the past five years.
Two-round peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and OLF-OLA held in Tanzania in April and November 2023 were failed.
