Oromo Liberation Army

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Oromo Liberation Army
Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo
LeadersJaal Marroo
Dates of operation2018–present
Split fromOromo Liberation Front
Active regionsPolitical and paramilitary wings:
Ideology
StatusActive; part of United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces (2021–present)
AlliesNon-state allies
OpponentsState opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and warsTigray War
Oromo conflict
FlagFlag of the Oromo Liberation Front.svg

The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) (Oromo: Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo, abbreviated: WBO) is an Oromo rebel group in Ethiopia. It split from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in 2018 after that group signed a peace deal with the federal government to end the Oromo conflict.[1] The OLA was formed primarily of armed members of the pre-peace deal OLF who chose to continue armed opposition to the government.[2] The Ethiopian government now considers the OLF to be a legal political party but the OLA to be a terrorist group,[3] though the OLA is accused of continuing to act as the armed wing of the OLF.[4] The Ethiopian government refuses to call the OLA by its chosen name, instead referring to it as Shene (Oromo: Shanee, lit. 'five'), or OLF-Shene.[5][6]

The OLA has been accused of committing extrajudicial executions by the Ethiopian government. The OLA denied the accusations.[7][8][9]

Origin[]

See also: Oromo Liberation Front § History

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) was formed in 1974,[10]: 380  evolving from Oromo insurgencies starting in the 1960s in response to perceived injustices by the groups in power.[11]

In August 2018, a peace agreement was signed between the Ethiopian government and the OLF, declaring a ceasefire, the continuation of OLF's activities by "peaceful means", and the creation of a joint committee for implementing the agreement.[1] Armed components of the OLF who distrusted the peace deal, seeing "no room for a peaceful political resolution", formed the Oromo Liberation Army as a separate group from the OLF.[2] In June 2021, Nagessa Dube, former attorney-general of Oromia Region, described the OLA as the "armed wing" of the OLF.[4]

Leadership[]

In June 2021, Jaal Marroo (also, Kumsa Dirriba or Miliyon Diriba) was the commander-in-chief of OLA's western command.[4] As of 29 November 2021, was the deputy leader of OLA, according to Sveriges Radio.[12]

Aims[]

In November 2021, Jaal Gammachiis Aboye described the goal of OLA as "liberating" Oromos, after which Oromos would have to vote on their future and decide on inter-ethnic relations.[12]

Recruitment[]

Soretti claimed that OLA was attracting recruits in July 2021 because "Oromia [was] a war zone under the administration of the Prosperity Party".[2] According to , OLA spokesperson, 1165 Oromia Special Forces defected to the OLA and 400 of them from Laga Tafo area.[13]

Human rights[]

Violations[]

On 2 November 2020, 54 people—mostly Amhara women, children and elderly people—were killed in the village of Gawa Qanqa, after government security forces "abruptly and inexplicably left", by attackers identifying themselves as OLA.[7][8] OLA denied responsibility.[citation needed]

Overall, from April 2018 to April 2020, OLA killed 700 civilians according to Haaji Umar Nagessa, who was himself assassinated by the OLA on 4 April 2020.[14][9]

In June 2021, Nagessa Dube listed 20 extrajudicial executions by OLA, including that of Liban Halake, a Araddaa leader; and on 17 May 2021 of Waaqgaarii Qajeelaa, head of transportation for West Welega Zone and five other officials. According to Nagessa, the extrajudicial executions are typically announced by OLA on its Facebook online social mediapage. Nagessa stated that he had received death threats and that OLA sees the execution of critics such as him as "righteous".[4]

Policies[]

Soretti Kadir argues that the OLA limits extrajudicial executions to officials suspected of war crimes, stating that OLA has a "grading system [to use] when applying international humanitarian law [to] Oromo people", in which people supporting OLA's opponents out of coercion or family need are "not considered a target". Those that are "engaged in supporting the government out of the desire to attain wealth, power, notoriety or, just enjoy oppressing others ... are considered a target."[2]

Military actions[]

Main article: Oromo conflict (2021)

By late October 2021, the OLA controlled much of the Welega Province including East, West, Kellam, Horo and Illu[15][failed verification] and took control of Kamisee on 31 October 2021, at the same time the Tigray Defence Forces took control of Kombolcha.[16] On 1 November, Jaal Marroo stated that the OLA had taken "several towns in western, central, and southern Oromia, facing little resistance from government forces who were retreating."[17]

Legal status[]

On 6 May 2021, the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives declared OLA to be a terrorist organisation.[4]

Analysis[]

Soretti Kadir claimed in July 2021 that OLA's actions were "responding to systemic and enduring state violence" by the federal Ethiopian government.[2] Nagessa Dube argues that "OLA does apparently target civilian government employees to instill fear in the public".[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Shaban, Abdur Rahman Alfa (7 August 2018). "Ethiopia govt agrees peace deal with Eritrea-based 'ex-terror' group". Africanews. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kadir, Soretti (27 July 2021). "Ethiopia: The Oromo Liberation Front is not a terrorist organisation". The Africa Report. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  3. ^ ,"Fed. Attorney General says terrorist designated "Shene" refers to Oromo Liberation Army; OLA responds, vows to "engage in total war"". Addis Standard. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Dube, Nagessa (18 June 2021). "Ethiopia: Victory for the Oromo will come from winning hearts and minds, not terrorising people". The Africa Report. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  5. ^ Mekonnen, Siyanne (28 August 2021). "News: OLF slams rights commission's report on recent East Wollega conflict, calls for independent investigation". Addis Standard. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Ethiopia to designate TPLF, OLF-Shene as 'terror' groups". Al Jazeera. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b "At least 54 killed in Ethiopia massacre, says Amnesty". The Guardian. 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Ethiopia: over 50 killed in 'horrendous' attack on village by armed group". Amnesty International. 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  9. ^ a b Zelalem, Zecharias (20 March 2021). "Worsening violence in western Ethiopia forcing civilians to flee". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  10. ^ Tolessa Bessa, Tesfaye (2019). "A history of Oromo literature and identity issues (c. 1840-1991)" (PDF). Addis Ababa University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Insurrection and invasion in the southeast, 1963-78" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  12. ^ a b Myrenberg, Richard (29 November 2021). "Oromo-gerillan: Abiy är som en döende häst" [Oromo guerillas: Abiy is like a dying horse]. Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  13. ^ Ethiopia called on its citizens to take up arms as rebel forces advance toward the nation’s capital city, 4 November 2021
  14. ^ Dube, Nagessa (3 August 2020). "Guji Oromo need freedom from liberators". . Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  15. ^ Zewdu Teshome, Moges (20 October 2021). "We must end the civil war to save Ethiopia". . Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Tigrayan and Oromo forces say they have seized towns on Ethiopian highway". TimesLIVE. 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Oromo Liberation Army: On the ground with Ethiopian fighters". BBC News. 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
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