By Oromo Legacy Leadership & Advocacy Association, April 24, 2023
On April 23, 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that peace talks between the Ethiopian government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) would begin on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Tanzania. The OLA released a statement confirming that such negotiations would begin and that the Ethiopian government had agreed to the terms they had requested for such negotiations, including, “an independent third party mediator and a commitment to maintain transparency throughout the process.” As of this time, neither the Ethiopian government nor the OLA has publicly disclosed the identities of the mediators or expanded on the modalities of these discussions.
OLLAA and World BEYOND War, who launched a joint campaign calling for peace in Oromia in March 2023, are delighted by the announcement of peace talks between the OLA and the Ethiopian government. OLLAA has long advocated that a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Oromia was key to achieving lasting peace throughout the country. Most recently, in February, OLLAA and several Oromo diaspora communities sent an open letter to both parties, urging them to come to the negotiation table.
At the same time, OLLAA and World BEYOND War remain aware that the announcement that both parties have agreed to enter into peace talks is only the first step in a long and difficult process. We encourage all parties involved in these talks to do all in their power to lay the groundwork for a successful outcome, including by ensuring that all warring parties of the OLA are included in the negotiations, or that any parties who are unable to attend have agreed to abide by the terms of a negotiated settlement. We also believe that transparency around the modalities of such negotiations must be made available to the Oromo community, including the identities of participating parties and negotiators. Finally, we encourage the international community to lend their support and expertise to these negotiations, which will be crucial to ensuring lasting peace throughout Ethiopia.
OLLAA is an umbrella organization that works in collaboration with dozens of Oromo communities around the world.
