Ethipian government implores for dialogue to resolve protracted wars in the region
The government of Ethiopia has called for dialogue to put to bed the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has stated that it supports this move.
According to a statement from OLA, an “independent third-party mediator” should be involved in the peaceful negotiations, and the Ethiopian government should uphold transparency at all times.
OLA, on the other hand, expressed their dissatisfaction to the government’s continued use of the term “Shene”{terror/militant group) to describe their organization.
“Our organization’s name is the Oromo Liberation Army and any other designation is incorrect and an attempt to misinterpret our identity and objectives. We urge the regime to cease disseminating this kind of disinformation,†OLA said in a statement.
Furthermore ,OLA added that the organization has consistently advocated for peaceful negotiation as a means of breaking the impasse, arguing that military solutions would not result in the desired outcomes for the Oromo people and the Ethiopian people as a whole.
“OLA remains unwavering in its commitment to engaging in constructive dialogue and working towards a peaceful resolution that addresses the grievances and aspirations of the Oromo people,†it stated.
The OLA movement, which claims to be fighting against the marginalization of the Oromo people, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and who make up more than a third of the population, including president Abiy Ahmed himself, who was born in the town of Beshasha in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, has been banned by the Ethiopian government.