Bloodbath in Ethiopia: 48 killed in restive Oromia region; what's the conflict all about?

Ethiopia’s human rights commission said Thursday (November 7) it is investigating the killing of at least 48 people in the conflict-ridden Oromia region, attributing the massacre to armed rebels from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).

The attack, which took place last week in the North Shewa district, west of the capital, was described by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) as a deadly ambush. Among those killed was a district official, the EHRC said, adding that several people were also kidnapped, though the exact number remains unclear.

“The situation in the area is very volatile at the moment,” Ato Badassa, regional head of the EHRC, told AFP.

The conflict in Oromia

Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region, is plagued by ongoing conflicts involving political disputes, land issues, and ethnic tensions.

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The Oromo Liberation Army, designated a terrorist organization by Addis Ababa, is accused by the government of carrying out massacres in its decades-long fight for regional autonomy. The OLA has denied responsibility for the violence, while authorities are accused of an indiscriminate crackdown that has deepened Oromo grievances.

The Oromo Liberation Front, the political wing of the OLA, has sought autonomy for Oromia since its formation in 1973. After briefly joining Ethiopia’s transitional government in 1991, the group has continued a low-level insurgency.

Despite recent growth in the OLA’s ranks, estimated to be several thousand strong, observers doubt it has the capacity to pose a significant threat to the government.

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Efforts to broker peace between the government and the Oromo Liberation Front have been attempted twice in the past six years. Meanwhile, despite a 2022 peace deal ending the war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, violence persists in various parts of the country, including the Amhara region.