ONM-ABO 10 June 2025 A soldier of the Imperial Defense Forces (EDF) defected from his post in North Shaggar’s Kuyyuu district and joined the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), citing systemic discrimination and a deepening moral crisis within the state military.
The defection took place on 9 June, when the soldier fled from the Dannisa camp in Kuyyuu and voluntarily surrendered to OLA units operating in the area. In statements given after his defection, he said his decision was driven by the rampant ethnic prejudice and dehumanising treatment endured by Oromo conscripts within the army, which operates under the command of the Prosperity Party (Bilxiginna).
“I could no longer remain part of a force that oppresses its own people,” the former EDF member said. “Inside the camp, we were ordered to enforce policies that target Oromo communities, while facing daily humiliation ourselves.”
The surrender comes amid growing outrage over reports that the regime is forcibly conscripting Oromo youth and sending them to the frontlines with little training or regard for their lives. Local observers have condemned what they describe as a policy of turning Oromia’s sons into cannon fodder for a regime waging war on the people it claims to govern.
The OLA, which has been waging an armed struggle for Oromo self-determination, has welcomed the defection and urged others serving in government ranks to reconsider their allegiance. “Those still in the service of Bilxiginna must understand the historical consequences of their actions,” an OLA representative said. “There is a just cause worth standing for. The doors of the liberation struggle remain open to all who are ready to defend their people and build a free Oromia.”
This latest defection is part of a broader trend, with similar incidents reported in other parts of Oromia, as dissatisfaction grows within the ranks of the state’s security forces.
