Why resolving war in Oromia through peace talks is long overdue

 

Abiy Regime must
stop killing Oromos!

The war in Oromia, which involves the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) on one hand and the Abiy Ahmed force  and Oromia regional governments security forces on the other, has been ongoing for five years mainly within the Oromia region but affecting the neighboring Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella  regions at different times.

The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which the government often refers to as Shane and designated as a “terrorist organization” in May 2021 "practically not terrorist", stated in its recently published brief political manifesto that it stands and is fighting for “the freedom of the Oromo people from political exclusion, economic exploitation, and socio-cultural marginalization.”

Over the past five years, the intensity of the fighting between OLA and the Abiy Ahmed government forces showed no sign of easing, and has dramatically increased over the last two years, causing countless loss of lives, gross violation of human rights and immeasurable destruction against civilian infrastructure in the region and beyond. Despite that, however, and due partly to the complexities involved, the war received little to no attention both among domestic media and policy makers and Ethiopia’s international partners until recently.

However, soon after the conclusion of the talks, intense fighting supported with heavy weaponry resumed in several parts of the Oromia region, resulting in yet another civilian casualties.

The escalation of fighting after the first round of peace talks has tarnished the hopes of millions of people in Oromia region who endured multifaceted sufferings ranging from extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, abductions and forced disappearances to several other socio-economic complications as a result of the five years war. The war has disrupted daily activities of the people and functions of the local government branches mainly in Western, Southern and Central zones of the region.

A resident of Agamsa town, in Horro Guduru Wollega zone, one of the conflict prone zones in Western Oromia, who spoke on conditions of anonymity for safety reason said interruptions of basic services such as telecom and banking services in the area over the past years due to the persistent insecurity has made the life of local residents strenuous.

The resident added that lack of transport on the road that connects Agemsa town to Addis Abeba, nearby Kombosha town, and interruption of telephone service in the area have exposed the locals to a great deal of suffering.

“There is no transport for many years now and people are facing difficulties to even mourn and bury their deceased family members as a result,” he said.

The resident also noted that the local people have become vulnerable to dire human rights violations as government forces stationed in the area often imprison and harass them, accusing them of feeding and supporting OLF/OLA.

Local farmers are not able to bring to the market the little products they could produce amidst insecurities, and what is left of confiscations remain far from market areas due to lack of transportation. This has caused the cost of living to skyrocket for the peasantry and lower income civilians, she said. Those who possess anything that is worth money are selling it whenever possible and fleeing to towns and cities, where they think safety is, she added.

A 2022 report by the UN corroborators Asebe’s assertion. Population’s access to essential services such as education, healthcare or water and sanitation has been “highly compromised because of violence and the destruction of existing infrastructure,” the UN said. Through Western Oromia alone, 426 health facilities were rendered non-functional due to looting and destruction.

In East Wollega, 144 schools were closed leaving 62,000 children out-of-school in 2022 school year. Similarly, in West Wollega, 184 schools were closed, leaving 89,000 students out of school.

Access to markets from rural areas is hindered, while woreda centers are facing shortages of essential supplies due to road blockage. Food deliveries to the affected population are intermittent and incomplete due to a combination of insecurity and budgetary/logistical challenges faced by authorities. Partners are considering ways to ensure food aid is delivered to remote locations.

However, whereas hopes for second round talks remain high among the affected people of Oromia and observers, both the Abiy Ahmed regime and the OLA said this week that there was no plan as of yet on when and if the second round talks will take place.

#PeaceIsTheOnlySolution #Freedom #Democracy #OROMIA