The Ethiopian government has ruled out peace talks with Oromo rebels in the troubled Oromia region. Federal officials sat together and struck a deal with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to halt the two-year-long civil conflict in the north.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which is also battling the federal government, was allied with the TPLF. However, Hailu Adugna, a spokeswoman for the Oromia regional government, has since told local media that the government has no plans to meet with a group that has no chain of command or political goal.
An OLA spokeswoman has denied the claim and stated that the organisation will continue to fight. Oromian rebels have been accused of being involved in a series of lethal attacks, which they deny. Despite the lack of discussions, the authorities said they will continue to accommodate OLA youth who have chosen to lay down their arms.
The situation in Oromia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s home province, has been overshadowed by the war in Tigray, although attacks by various armed groups have continued unabated. Authorities have been criticised for failing to protect civilians.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) is a splinter faction of the Oromo Liberation Front, which is currently a legally recognised political party. In addition to forming an alliance with the TPLF, the OLA has struck arrangements with other rebels in the country’s west to increase pressure on the government. The OLA claims to be fighting for full autonomy for the Oromo people, but the government has labelled them a terrorist organisation.