Abiy Ahmed, through Shimelis Abdisa, has once more delivered a lackluster statement riddled with contradictions and empty rhetoric in a Nekemte monologue aired on the regime`s media yesterday. Here are key revelations:
1. Feigning Interest in Peace Talks, Again
Shimelis repeated the regime’s worn-out narrative of pursuing peace. What the regime calls “peace” is stripping the public of their only means of protection against state violence. This Orwellian invocation of peace serves as a facade for their inability to achieve a military victory with their disorganized forces. Their actions consistently betray their claim to any form of peaceful settlement.
2. Acknowledging OLA’s Expanding Reach
Shimelis made a candid admission: the OLA has effectively taken over the governance at the District and Kebele levels. In his words, “the OLA has dismantled government structures at the Kebele and District levels.” This statement once again confirms the regime’s dwindling authority and the OLA’s rising influence across Oromia.
3. Shifting Security Responsibility to the OLA
In a typical abdication of duty, his remarks took an unexpected turn when he implied that security in Oromia should be the OLA’s responsibility. In his words “OLA should be fighting off intruders that come into the region.” “OLA should not be the Achilles heel to govt forces.”
By simultaneously conceding that the OLA governs at the woreda level and suggesting it should ensure Oromia’s security, Shimelis inadvertently stated that the OLA should take the responsibility to govern Oromia. The messenger endorsed the people’s growing demand for a leadership that prioritizes their safety and dignity. If the regime ceases its repression, the OLA has the capacity to secure the region in partnership with the people.
4. False Claims About Peace Talks Logistics
True to form, Shimelis indulged in baseless claims, even on trivial matters. He asserted that the government had financed and facilitated the OLA delegation’s travel to Tanzania for peace talks. This is patently false. The delegation’s travel was entirely funded by international partners and executed using ICRC-owned aerial assets. If memory serves well, even the regime`s delegation`s participation was also financed through the same mechanism.
Our people deserve a leadership that reflects their aspirations and safeguards their security, and that cannot come from within the Prosperity Party. The regime’s continued attempts to distort facts and perpetuate oppression serve only to further erode its grip on the country. The demand for justice, freedom, and accountability remains unyielding.
OLF-OLA High Command
November 27, 2024