From nonviolent social movements to armed conflicts: How Abiy Ahmed ’s rule pushed youths from the city to the bush in Oromia

 The peace talks that began on 07 November, 2023 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the federal government of Ethiopia formally ended on 21 November, 2023 without any deal for the second time. It has been five years since the military confrontations broke out between the two forces. In this piece, I will shed light on how a promising nonviolent social movement in the history of Ethiopia which began in Oromia and unexpectedly transformed into armed conflicts.

In recent history, spontaneous youth protests in Oromia have been seen as normal extracurricular responsibilities of high school and college students since 1992. However, the movement changed its organizational networks and tactics following the announcement of the infamous Addis Ababa integrated master plan in 2014 which was first opposed by Oromia regional officials and then followed by large scale nonviolent movements across Oromia. The demands of the new wave of movements in the region rose from a narrow protest against the capital city master plan to demanding a complete state transformation by 2016.

Abiy subsequently chose to crackdown against Oromo youths and opponents of his new party both within and outside the government. These all counter-revolutionary measures intensified in Oromia following the assassination in 2020 of Hachalu Hundessa, an icon and leading new generation resistance singer. The new administration of Abiy closed all political spaces that tolerated nonviolent struggles by arresting Oromo opposition figures, organizing election in August 2021, running unopposed and declaring itself the sole winner in Oromia restoring a complete single party rule in the region.  As a result, the Oromo youths were left with no option and they were forced to consider as the last resort, armed insurgency.

Down the road, if there is any vision to restore peace in Ethiopia, layers of negotiations in different regions with different conflicting parties, I believe, are imperative. Peace could only come to Ethiopia if it is restored in each region first. For sure, the traditional way of governing Ethiopia through a centralized administration of one-man rule from the capital city is unthinkable.

OLF Denounces the Assassination Attempt Against the Senior OLF Member and Former Leadership, Dr. Degafa Abidsa, in Norway.

 OLF Denounces the Assassination Attempt Against the Senior OLF Member and Former Leadership, Dr. Degafa Abidsa, in Norway.

On November 17, 2023, a group of criminals perpetrated inhumane beating and assassination attempts against a senior member and former Executive Committee member of OLF, Dr. Degafa Abdisa Tuchoo. The OLF asked what went around and in his house on November 17, 2023 and here is his account of the incident. Four men (three of them masked their faces while one white man, with a mark on his face) put off power from Dr.Degafa’s residence in Oslo, Norway. When he went out from his breakfast table to see what was going on around in the compound of his residence, the criminals pushed him back into his house beat him several times, knocked him down, tied his hands on his back, and drugged him on the ground. When Dr. Degafa screamed in the bid for help, the criminals left him on the floor unconscious. He was taken to the hospital but is currently in a critical condition.

Such a horrific act has been committed by those who detest our genuine quest for political right several times through the last decades in many parts of the world. In the 1970s, Mr Fayisa Ejeta in Khartoum was a victim of an assassination attempt. In the 1980s, Dr. Fido (Taddasa) Ebba, Reverend Hassal Blat, and Mr. Taye Tafera were subjected to grenade attacks; however, luckily, they survived. In 1993, Jatani Ali was mercilessly assassinated in Nairobi; while Mr. Mul’is Gada a member of OLF Executive Committee member was assassinated in Mogadishu in 2000 GC. What is so worrying this time is that the attempt against Dr. Degafa’s life has happened in the heart of the world’s most peaceful and one of the most democratized nations, Norway, where people are respected for their views.

Dr Degafa is a peaceful person who serviced his fellow Norwegian citizens and the Oromo people for decades through his professional career as a medical doctor. Back in Oromiya, he served as a medical director of the famous Black Lion Hospital for years, where he managed to transform the hospital’s service into one of the best hospitals in the country. He has traveled to several African refugee camps to help his fellow helpless Oromos and other refugees. Dr. Degafa is a selfless human being who sacrificed his whole life to ethically and humanely discharged his responsibility as a medical professional.

Denouncing this criminal act, we have high hope and expectation that the Norwegian Government takes every action to conduct a thorough and independent investigation against perpetrators and bring the culprit to the court of law.

We also call upon all Oromos in Norway and everywhere in the world to denounce this barbaric act and support our comrade while he is in hospital and stand by his families and friends.

Victory to the Masses!

Oromo Liberation Front

November , 2013

Detention, displacement in Bosat, Oromia region following tragic murder of three including a mother of seven

  

STOP THE KILLING!

Three civilians including Kuli Hawas, a mother of seven, have been tragically killed allegedly by members of the national defense forces in Garri Nura Dhera village in Bosat district of East Shoa zone, #Oromia , residents witnessed. The other two victims were identified as Gada Godana, and Boru Bekele. 

One of Kuli’s seven children, told that their mother was arrested from her home on 25 October 2023 and found dead together with the two other victims on the morning of 29 October 2023. 

“Members of the defense forces arrested her and took her to a military camp at a place called Sogido. When they arrested her, they told her that her son, who she feeds and his comrades, are causing harm to the defense forces,” they stated, adding that there has been active fighting between the OLA and government forces in the area prior to her arrest.

A resident of  the village who requested not to be named fearing repercussions told that while the three were shot dead, another individual named Tufa Edao, 87,  survived a gunshot and is currently receiving treatment in Wolanchiti town.

The resident added that following the arrest of Kuli and the other three individuals on 25 October, the entire residents of the Garri Nura Dhera village, 1,900 households (around 7 thousand people) were forced by members of the defense forces to evacuate the village. 

“We were forced to leave. They told us we would be hit,” the resident said, adding that they are currently living in makeshift plastic homes near Sogido military camp and a place called Chancho, enduring difficulties including bad weather which their plastic homes cannot withstand.

He also added following the murder of Kuli and the two others, the security situation has worsened leading to the arrest of 25 civilian villagers who are currently detained at Bosat police station, being denied family visit and any form of outside contact.

“We learned of their killing from social media. Unless it is uncovered by investigation, we don’t know who committed these killings,” the regime official  told the BBC.

The murder of the three civilians has sparked outrage on social media with many demanding justice.