With more than 40 million people calling the region home, the stakes are high and tensions are mounting as the conflict escalates and the fate of the Oromia Region hangs in the balance. The OLA, a self-proclaimed rebel group, is determined to fight for its cause of ensuring the right of self-determination of Oromos.
In 2018, the rebel group made its way to Ethiopia following a historic peace deal signed in Asmara, Eritrea, between the Abiy Ahmed-led administration and the Oromo Liberation Front, its political wing. The agreement paved the way for the group to participate peacefully in the country’s political transition to democracy.
Its arrival marked a significant turning point in Ethiopia’s then-rejuvenated political landscape with a new Prime Minister at its helm. Despite initial scepticism and concerns about the group’s intentions, many saw the move as a way to end a dead-lock after
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