ONM – Baakkoo Tibbee, West Shaggar, 30 May 2025
A member of Abiy Ahmed’s federal forces has defected to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Baakkoo Tibbee district, West Shaggar, bringing with him an AKM rifle and military equipment, according to a statement from the OLA leadership.
The defector, whose name has not been publicly disclosed, reportedly surrendered on 29 May and cited widespread disillusionment with the Prosperity Party (PP) military structure. He told Oromia National Media (ONM) that systemic discrimination, forced deployment, and disregard for the lives of Oromo soldiers were key reasons for his decision to leave.
Former fighters describe a culture of deep mistrust within government military camps, where Oromo soldiers are routinely targeted under suspicion of political disloyalty and are often pushed to the frontlines in combat zones. The defector said these patterns are driven not only by political fears but also by ethnic bias against Oromo recruits.
“This is not a military built on unity. It is a system that sacrifices Oromo youth to protect a regime that has no legitimacy among the people,” he said.
The ongoing conflict continues to take a heavy toll on families across Oromia. Many have been left in destitution after heads of households were conscripted or killed, with little or no support from the state. OLA sources say the number of defections is rising, as soldiers begin to question the purpose of a war that serves what many describe as a dictatorship under the guise of an “Oromo government”.
“The so-called Oromo-led administration is killing the very people it claims to represent,” said one OLA commander. “But every day, the Oromo people are rejecting this falsehood and choosing resistance.”
In a separate statement, a former TPLF-affiliated soldier who also joined the OLA in the Baakkoo Tibbee area recalled similar experiences of Oromo fighters being mistreated, suspected of disloyalty, and disproportionately sent into dangerous combat roles during the Tigray conflict. His testimony echoes long-standing accusations of ethnic targeting within both the federal and regional military commands.
The OLA leadership has reiterated its call for all Oromo youth serving under the PP military to abandon what it describes as a “colonial army” and instead join the broader struggle for freedom, dignity, and genuine self-determination.
No comment has been issued by federal authorities regarding the latest defection.
