48 dead in restive Oromia region; what is the conflict about? – First message

Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region, has been plagued by ongoing conflict involving political disputes, land issues and ethnic tensions

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Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commission said on Thursday (Nov 7) that it is investigating the killing of at least 48 people in the conflict-ridden Oromia region, blaming the massacre on armed Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebels.

The attack, which took place last week in North Shewa district, west of the capital, was described by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) as a deadly ambush. A district official was among the dead, the EHRC said, adding that several people were also kidnapped, although the exact number remains unclear.

“The situation in the area is currently very unstable,” said Ato Badassa, regional head of the EHRC. AFP.

The conflict in Oromia

Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region, has been plagued by ongoing conflict involving political disputes, land issues and ethnic tensions.

The Oromo Liberation Army, designated a terrorist organization by Addis Ababa, is accused by the government of committing massacres in its decades-long struggle for regional autonomy. The OLA has denied responsibility for the violence, while authorities have been accused of arbitrary action that has exacerbated Oromo grievances.

The Oromo Liberation Front, the political wing of the OLA, has sought autonomy for Oromia since its founding in 1973. After briefly joining Ethiopia’s transitional government in 1991, the group has continued a low-level insurgency.

Despite recent growth in the OLA’s ranks, estimated to be several thousand strong, observers doubt the OLA’s ability to pose a significant threat to the government.

In the past six years, attempts have been made twice to broker peace between the government and the Oromo Liberation Front. Despite a 2022 peace deal ending the war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, violence continues in several parts of the country, including the Amhara region.