Oromo Liberation Army

Last updated

Oromo Liberation Army
Oromo Liberation Army (OLA)
Leaders Jaal Marroo [1] [2]

Sanyi Nagassa [2]
Gammachis Aboye [2]
Liban Guracha [3]
Sabaif Galgalo [4]
Rabira Bilisumma [5]

Contents

Qeeranso Wayu [6]
Dates of operation1974–present
Active regions Oromia Region, Oromia Zone, Ethiopia
Ideology
StatusActive
AlliesNon-state allies
OpponentsState opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and wars
Website https://www.olf-olahq.org/

The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA; Oromo : Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo, WBO) is an armed opposition group active in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. The OLA consist primarily of former armed members of the pre-peace deal Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who refused to disarm out of skepticism of the peace deal, and former youth protestors who grew disillusioned with nonviolent resistance. [9] [10]

The Ethiopian government now considers the OLF to be a legal political party but the OLA to be a terrorist group, [11] [12] In 2021, the group announced it had established a political wing and would adopt Oromo Liberation Front-Oromo Liberation Army (OLF-OLA) (Oromo: Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo-Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo, ABO-WBO) as its official name. [13] The Ethiopian government refuses to call the OLA by its chosen name, instead referring to it as Shene (Oromo : Shanee, lit.  'five'), Oneg or OLF-Shene. [14] [15]

Origin

The Oromo Liberation Army, then the military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), was formed in 1974, [16] evolving from the Bale Revolt that started in the 1960s in response to government abuses and oppression of Oromo people . [17]

In August 2018, a peace agreement was signed between the Ethiopian government and the OLF, declaring a ceasefire, the OLF's disarming of weapons, the continuation of OLF's activities by "peaceful means", and the creation of a joint committee for implementing the agreement. [18] Some factions of OLF's armed wing, the Oromo Liberation Army, refused to disarm out of skepticism of the government's intent to abide by the agreement, thereby disassociating itself from the OLF and leading to the Oromo Liberation Army separate from the OLF in its current form. [10] Many of the OLF members that disarmed ended up flocking back to the OLA after failing to see components of the peace deal be honored. [10]

Leadership

As of the late 2010s, Kumsa Diriba, commonly known by his nom-de-guerre as Jaal Maaroo, is the commander-in-chief of OLA, largely operating with the Western Command. As of 29 November 2021, Gemechu Aboye was the deputy leader of OLA, according to Sveriges Radio . [19] The OLA international spokesperson is Odaa Tarbii. [20]

Aims

In January 2023 the OLF-OLA released a political manifesto in which they laid out their aims:

"We, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), fight for the Oromo people's right to self-determination. We fight for the freedom of the Oromo people from political exclusion, economic exploitation, and socio-cultural marginalization.

a) We fight to realize the Oromo people’s right to freely determine their political status. For the right of our people to determine their political destiny and establish a responsive government through freely elected representatives.

b) We fight to secure the Oromo people’s economic sovereignty. To stop the exploitation of our people’s natural and human resources. To develop these resources for the benefit of all.

c) We fight to realize the socio-cultural rights of our people. We demand respect for and full recognition of the Oromo language, culture, and history. " [21]

Human rights

Policies

In a press release on December 10, 2022, the OLA High Command stated their war was not with any population group and called on the Oromo people to avoid the Ethiopian governments attempts at sparking confrontations with "our brothers and sisters from different communities". They further added on and called for Oromo's to protect members of ethnic minorities in the Oromia region [22]

In their January 2023 political manifesto the OLA reiterated their calls for independent investigations into atrocities or reports of atrocities committed in Oromia, saying "We strongly encourage the international community, through the United Nations and/or other mechanisms, to find out the truth and live up to its pledge of 'Never Again.' On our part, we continue to call for credible, internationally mandated independent investigations into the atrocities or reports of atrocities committed in Oromia." [21]

Accusations

The OLA has been accused of committing extrajudicial killings by the Ethiopian government. The OLA denied the accusations. [23] [24] [25]

On 2 November 2020, 54 people—mostly ethnic Amhara women, children and elderly people—were killed in the village of Gawa Qanqa, after government security forces "abruptly and inexplicably left", by attackers identifying themselves as OLA. [23] [24] OLA denied responsibility. Instead saying:

“The OLA would like to express its deepest condolences to all the victims of these terrible atrocities. We also want to underline that we are not responsible for these acts. The local admin[instration] works alongside Oromia Police & ex-OLA defectors to carry out these operations.” [25]

In June 2022, locals on the ground in Ethiopia accused the OLA of killing over 200 ethnic Amhara. The OLA denies these allegations, instead saying the killings were committed by retreating government forces and militia.

The attack you are referring to was committed by the regime’s military and local militia as they retreated from their camp in Gimbi following our recent offensive... They escaped to an area called Tole, where they attacked the local population and destroyed their property as retaliation for their perceived support for the OLA. Our fighters had not even reached that area when the attacks took place.

- OLA International Spokesperson "Odaa Tarbii" in a message to AP News [26]

Wall Street Journal Investigation

On May 21, 2023, the Wall Street Journal released a publication in which witnesses were attributing massacres to a "Fekade Abdisa". An ex-OLA operative who defected to the government. According to the article, he called himself OLA but he didn't answer to the Commander Jaal Marroo. Residents said Fekade's troops fought the OLA at times but rarely ever engaged with the government.The OLA says he poses as an OLA commander but cooperates with the government. In the massacre at Agamsa, Fekade's forces were a short walk away from the town when Oromia Regional Government decided to leave despite residents urging them not to. Hours later, witnesses say they saw Fekade's men arrive in which they saw 5-18 Amharas killed by his forces. [27]

Karayu Abba Gada Killings

On November 31, 2021, 14 traditional ethnic Oromo leaders of the Karayu Oromo community were executed. The government initially had attempted to attribute the killings to the OLA, but after witnesses and two people who managed to escape attributed it to government forces, [28] this led to a fallout in which a Member of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the Ethiopian Human Right's Commission, the State minister for Peace and the secretary of the Oromo Gada leaders council all had publicly implicated the government responsible for the killings. [29]

Federal Government Parliament Member Accuses the Government of framing OLA

On July 5, 2022, Hangassa Ibrahim, a member of the Ethiopian parliament, went on Facebook live stating it was not the OLA that was committing these massacres, but in fact another group formed by actors in the regional government. He stated that “It is rather the Shene organized by these people who have massacred citizens. It is not Jaal Maaroo’s Shene [OLA] which has been massacring the people,”. [30] He further stated that it was not the OLA's plan to kill and massacre ethnic Amharas but the ruling Prosperity Party and that if Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed does not tear down the cabinet of the Oromia region and replace it with a new one, then the Prime Minister himself is the instigator behind it all. [31]

This corroborates OLA's claim that a government formed state-backed militia called "Gachana Sirna" are the ones responsible for the massacres occurring in Oromia. [30] The OLA states that this militia wears artificial wigs and uniforms to impersonate OLA members. According to a 2021 Ethiopian Human Rights Commission report, there were incidents where government forces would film prisoners after forcing them to wear artificial hair, military uniforms and carry weapons. [30]

Military actions

By late October 2021, the OLA controlled various areas in the Welega Zone, Oromia Region including East, West, Kellam, Horo and Illu [32] [ failed verification ]. On 1 November, Jaal Marroo stated that the OLA had taken "several towns in western, central, and southern Oromia, facing little resistance from government forces who were retreating." [33]

The OLA also used the opportunity presented by the Tigray War to take brief control of Kamisee on 31 October 2021, as the Tigray Defence Forces advanced on Kombolcha. [34]

In late October 2022, the OLA launched a large-scale military offensive into West and East Welega. [35] On 6 November 2022, they entered the town of Nekemte where they engaged in urban combat with Ethiopian state forces before a same-day retreat. [35]

Meta(Facebook) designates OLA as a "Violent non-state actor" on its list of organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence. According to Facebook's policy, non-state actors that are engaged in a military struggle are not to be allowed on its platform. [36] [37]

On 6 May 2021, the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives declared OLA to be a terrorist organisation. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oromia</span> Regional state of Ethiopia

Oromia is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa (Finfinne).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement</span> Former political party in Ethiopia (2005–2012)

The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement Oromo: Warraaqsa Federaalistii Uummata Oromoo, OFDM) was a political party in Ethiopia, created in 2005 by Bulcha Demeksa to further the interests of the Oromo people as an alternative to the armed Oromo Liberation Front. In the 15 May 2005 federal election, the party won 11 seats, all from the Oromia Region. In March 2006, the party Whip was Mesfin Nemera Deriesa from the West Wallaga Zone. The OFDM merged with the Oromo People's Congress (OPC), forming the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oromo Liberation Front</span> Oromo nationalist political party in Ethiopia

The Oromo Liberation Front is an Oromo nationalist political party formed in 1973 to promote self-determination for the Oromo people inhabiting today's Oromia Region and Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The OLF has offices in Addis Ababa, Washington, D.C., and Berlin, from which it operates radio stations that broadcast in Amharic and Oromo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oromo conflict</span> Armed conflict between Oromo Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government

The Oromo conflict is a protracted conflict between the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ethiopian government. The Oromo Liberation Front formed to fight the Ethiopian Empire to liberate the Oromo people and establish an independent state of Oromia. The conflict began in 1973, when Oromo nationalists established the OLF and its armed wing, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). These groups formed in response to prejudice against the Oromo people during the Haile Selassie and Derg era, when their language was banned from public administration, courts, church and schools, and the stereotype of Oromo people as a hindrance to expanding Ethiopian national identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wollo Oromo people</span> Oromo subgroup of northern Ethiopia

The Wollo Oromo people are an Oromo subgroup inhabiting the historic Wollo Province of northern Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abiy Ahmed</span> Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018

Abiy Ahmed Ali is an Ethiopian politician serving as the third Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018, and as the leader of the Prosperity Party since 2019. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize "for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea". Abiy served as the third chairman of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) that governed Ethiopia for 28 years and the first person of Oromo descent to hold that position. Abiy is a member of the Ethiopian parliament, and was a member of the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP), one of the then four coalition parties of the EPRDF, until its rule ceased in 2019 and he formed his own party, the Prosperity Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Ethiopian general election</span>

The 2021 Ethiopian general election to elect members of the House of Peoples' Representatives was held on 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021. Regional elections were also held on those dates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian civil conflict (2018–present)</span> Episode of intrastate conflicts during Abiy Ahmeds administration

Following the 2018 dissolution of the ethnic federalist, dominant party political coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, there was an increase in tensions within the country, with newly resurgent regional and ethnically based factions carrying out armed attacks on military and civilians in multiple conflicts throughout Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OLA insurgency</span> Internal conflict in Ethiopia since 2018

The OLA insurgency is an armed conflict between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which split from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in 2018, and the Ethiopian government, continuing in the context of the long-term Oromo conflict, typically dated to have started with the formation of the Oromo Liberation Front in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TDF–OLA joint offensive</span> 2021 military campaign into Ethiopia as part of the Tigray War

The TDF–OLA joint offensive was a rebel offensive in the Tigray War and the OLA insurgency starting in late October 2021 launched by a joint rebel coalition of the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) and Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) against the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and government. The TDF and OLA took control of several towns south of the Amhara Region in the direction of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in late October and early November. Claims of war crimes included that of the TDF extrajudicially executing 100 youths in Kombolcha, according to deral authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persecution of Amhara people</span>

Since the 1990s, the Amhara people of Ethiopia have been subject to ethnic violence, including massacres by Tigrayan, Oromo and Gumuz ethnic groups among others, which some have characterized as a genocide. Large-scale killings and grave human rights violations followed the implementation of the ethnic-federalist system in the country. In most of the cases, the mass murders were silent with perpetrators from various ethno-militant groups—from TPLF/TDF, OLF–OLA, and Gumuz armed groups.

The 1995 Ethiopian Federal Constitution formalizes an ethnic federalism law aimed at undermining long-standing ethnic imperial rule, reducing ethnic tensions, promoting regional autonomy, and upholding unqualified rights to self-determination and secession in a state with more than 80 different ethnic groups. But the constitution is divisive, both among Ethiopian nationalists who believe it undermines centralized authority and fuels interethnic conflict, and among ethnic federalists who fear that the development of its vague components could lead to authoritarian centralization or even the maintenance of minority ethnic hegemony. Parliamentary elections since 1995 have taken place every five years since enactment. All but one of these have resulted in government by members of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) political coalition, under three prime ministers. The EPRDF was under the effective control of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which represents a small ethnic minority. In 2019 the EPRDF, under Abiy, was dissolved and he inaugurated the pan-ethnic Prosperity Party which won the 2021 Ethiopian Election, returning him as prime minister. But both political entities were different kinds of responses to the ongoing tension between constitutional ethnic federalism and the Ethiopian state's authority. Over the same period, and all administrations, a range of major conflicts with ethnic roots have occurred or continued, and the press and availability of information have been controlled. There has also been dramatic economic growth and liberalization, which has itself been attributed to, and used to justify, authoritarian state policy.

On 18 June 2022, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) was accused of massacring over 500 Amhara civilians in the Gimbi county of Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Witnesses said that the OLA intentionally targeted ethnic Amhara people. This attack is part of a series of Amhara massacres that occurred in 2022.

The Amhara Association of America (AAA) (Amharic: የዐማራ ማህበር በአሜሪካ) is a non-profit organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina, focused on advocating for the human rights of the Amhara people in Ethiopia.

On July 4, 2022, alleged Oromo Liberation Army militants killed hundreds of civilians in Kelam Welega Zone, Oromia in Ethiopia. The massacre sparked condemnation from Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed, and was the second mass killing in Oromia region after the Gimbi massacre just a week prior. Qelem is also known as Kellem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oromo nationalism</span> Ethnic nationalism

Oromo nationalism is an ethnic nationalism advocating the self-interest of Oromo people in Ethiopia and Kenya. Many Oromo elites, intellectuals and political leaders struggled to create an independent Oromia state throughout 19th and 20th century, since the start of Abyssinian colonialism under Emperor Menelik II. No consensus has been reached yet regarding the motives of this type of nationalism, whether the Oromos librate themselves to form a nation-state or offer self-determination in federal Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political repression under Abiy Ahmed</span>

Political repression is a visible scenario under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed after 2018, characterized by severe human rights violation, restriction of press, speeches, dissents, activism and journalism that are critical to his government. Similar to TPLF-led EPRDF regime, there was a raise of censorship in the country, particularly internet shutdowns under the context of anti-terror legislation labelling them "disinformation and war narratives" since the raise of armed conflict in Ethiopia. In June 2018, Abiy unblocked 64 internet access that include blogs and news outlets.

The 2022 North Shewaclashes were a series of clashes that broke out between ethnic Amhara Fano militiamen, the Oromo Liberation Army, and the Ethiopian National Defence Forces in the North Shewa zone in the Oromia region and the Oromia Zone in the Amhara region, which resulted in dozens of people killed and thousands displaced.

The OLA peace process is a set of negotiations, agreements and actions to end the insurgency of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which split from its wing, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLA) and rebels against the Ethiopian federal government since 2018. The Oromia region has experienced prolong conflict and instabilities first initiated by OLF with successive Ethiopian government since 1973.

References

  1. ↑ "USA TODAY". www.usatoday.com. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "ETHIOPIA : Who's who among Abiy's Oromo foes - 06/01/2022". Africa Intelligence. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  3. ↑ Turtii Gaaffii fi Deebii Ajajaa WBO Cibiraa Soddom-booroo Jaal Liiban Gurraachaa waliin ONM - ABO (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  4. ↑ ONM-ABO - Jaal SABAA'IF GALGOO, Ajajaa WBO Zoonii Kibba Baha Oromiyaa waliin turtii qabaanne (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  5. ↑ Turtii Ajajaa WBO Godina Gujii Lixaa Jaal Rabbirraa Bilisummaa Waliin dhimma Lola PP fi WBO irratti (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  6. ↑ Marii Ajajaa WBO Zoonii Kaabaa Jaal Qeerransoo Waayyuu Waliin Gurraandhala 4, 2022 (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  7. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ethiopia-country-policy-and-information-notes/country-policy-and-information-note-oromos-the-oromo-liberation-front-and-the-oromo-liberation-army-ethiopia-march-2022-accessible
  8. ↑ https://sociology.utk.edu/newsitem.php?news_id=2323
  9. ↑ St, Addis; ard (15 April 2022). "Op-ed: The boomerang effect: How political betrayal transformed Oromo youth protest to armed resistance". Addis Standard. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 Kadir, Soretti (27 July 2021). "Ethiopia: The Oromo Liberation Front is not a terrorist organisation". The Africa Report . Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  11. ↑ , "Fed. Attorney General says terrorist designated "Shene" refers to Oromo Liberation Army; OLA responds, vows to "engage in total war"". Addis Standard. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. 1 2 Dube, Nagessa (18 June 2021). "Ethiopia: Victory for the Oromo will come from winning hearts and minds, not terrorising people". The Africa Report . Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Announcement from the OLF-OLA General Assembly - Oromo Liberation Army". olacommunique.com. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  14. ↑ Mekonnen, Siyanne (28 August 2021). "News: OLF slams rights commission's report on recent East Wollega conflict, calls for independent investigation". Addis Standard. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Ethiopia to designate TPLF, OLF-Shene as 'terror' groups". Al Jazeera. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  16. ↑ Tolessa Bessa, Tesfaye (2019). "A history of Oromo literature and identity issues (c. 1840-1991)" (PDF). Addis Ababa University . Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  17. ↑ "Insurrection and invasion in the southeast, 1963-78" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  18. ↑ Shaban, Abdur Rahman Alfa (7 August 2018). "Ethiopia govt agrees peace deal with Eritrea-based 'ex-terror' group". Africanews . Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  19. ↑ Myrenberg, Richard (29 November 2021). "Oromo-gerillan: Abiy är som en döende häst" [Oromo guerillas: Abiy is like a dying horse]. Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  20. ↑ "Register" . Retrieved 16 September 2023– via Twitter.
  21. 1 2 OLF-OLA (23 January 2023). "A BRIEF POLITICAL MANIFESTO: From Armed Struggle to the Prospect for Peace" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  22. ↑ "The Revival of a New Social Movement Across the Oromia Region – (OLF-OLA Press Release)". 10 December 2022.
  23. 1 2 "At least 54 killed in Ethiopia massacre, says Amnesty". The Guardian. 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  24. 1 2 "Ethiopia: over 50 killed in 'horrendous' attack on village by armed group". Amnesty International. 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  25. 1 2 Zelalem, Zecharias (20 March 2021). "Worsening violence in western Ethiopia forcing civilians to flee". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  26. ↑ "Witnesses say more than 200 killed in Ethiopia ethnic attack". AP NEWS. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  27. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/21/ethiopia-oromiya-oromo-amhara/
  28. ↑ https://addisstandard.com/news-members-of-karrayu-gadaa-leadership-killed-several-others-missing-amid-conflicting-narratives-in-east-showa-zone-oromia/
  29. ↑ https://addisstandard.com/analysisa-year-after-their-gadaa-leaders-brutal-execution-karrayyu-community-get-neither-justice-nor-peace/
  30. 1 2 3 https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2022/07/08/amhara-civilians-were-massacred-in-tole-but-questions-remain/
  31. ↑ https://addisinsight.net/mp-hangassa-ahmed-implicate-oromia-regional-gov-in-recent-killings/
  32. ↑ Zewdu Teshome, Moges (20 October 2021). "We must end the civil war to save Ethiopia". Ethiopia Insight . Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  33. ↑ "Oromo Liberation Army: On the ground with Ethiopian fighters". BBC News . 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  34. ↑ "Tigrayan and Oromo forces say they have seized towns on Ethiopian highway". TimesLIVE . 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  35. 1 2 Legesse, Getahun (9 November 2022). "News: Civilians killed following intense fighting between rebel group, government forces in Nekemte, western Oromia region". Addis Standard . Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  36. ↑ "Dangerous Individuals and Organizations | Transparency Center". transparency.fb.com. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  37. ↑ Facebook Dangerous Individuals and Organizations List (Reproduced Snapshot), The Intercept, 12 October 2021, retrieved 19 February 2023
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