The recent round of peace talks aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in the Oromia region has been concluded without an agreement. In anticipation of a different reality for the Oromo people and the people of the country at large, the OLF-OLA involved its highest leadership in this round of the talks.
To pave the path for addressing the main demands of our people, the OLF-OLA tabled a series of inclusive proposals from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam to negotiate a space for a meaningful change in the governance of the Oromia region. True to form, the Ethiopian government was only interested in co-optation of the leadership of the OLA rather than beginning to address the fundamental problems that underlie the county´s seemingly insurmountable security and political challenges.
The country needs independent institutions that hold power to account, empower the public to determine their fate, and set the stage for the efficient utilization of our human and natural endowments. While we recognize that institution-building is an ongoing process, a historical opportunity to take a leap in the right direction has been lost because of Ethiopian government failed to course correct.
OLF-OLA High Command
November 21, 2023
