The long-time chairman of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) Dawud Ibsa is no longer under house arrest, senior party leader Shigut Geleta announced.
According to Ethiopia’s electoral board, the former rebel commander has been under house arrest since April 2021, and his release was asked last week.
“It’s difficult to say he is fully released, but there is a big change,” Mr Shigut said.
He added that he was hopeful that other leaders of the party would also be released.
Since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to office in 2018, Ethiopian authorities have been at war with OLF leaders, who were allowed to visit the country after being removed from the terrorist list.
Authorities accuse them of secretly collaborating with the OLA rebel group, which the group denies. Dugasa Bakakko, one of the rebel group’s most senior leaders, joined the rebel group in 2019.
