ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- (African Boulevard News) – Ethiopia’s government and Oromo rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), have started peace talks in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on Tuesday. This is a significant step in the government’s efforts to bring about peace in the country, which has been ravaged by ethnic conflicts and rebellions for years.
Prime Minister’s announcement
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the talks on Sunday, during a ceremony celebrating a cease-fire agreement signed in November with a rebel group from the northern Tigray region. The OLA, designated as a terrorist group by the Ethiopian parliament, is fighting for greater autonomy for the Oromo people, Ethiopia’s biggest ethnic group.
Preliminary talks
According to the OLA’s spokesperson, Odaa Tarbii, the peace talks began on Tuesday morning and are expected to last until Thursday. Norway and Kenya are mediating the talks, with the European Union, the United States, and a regional bloc known as IGAD expected to be part of the process going forward if they are successful.
Clarifying positions
Tarbii stated that the talks are merely preliminary and aimed at paving the way for more comprehensive negotiations in the near future. The focus of these talks is confidence-building and clarifying positions. The Ethiopian government’s negotiating team in Zanzibar includes Justice Minister Gedion Timotheos and Redwan Hussein, the prime minister’s national security adviser.
Human rights abuses
While the Ethiopian government and the OLA are working towards peace, both sides have been accused of human rights abuses during the Oromia conflict. The OLA is accused of widespread atrocities, including a massacre of hundreds of villagers in June. However, the group denies these allegations.
Achieving lasting peace
Ethiopia’s ethnic conflicts and rebellions have caused immense suffering, displacement, and loss of life. Achieving lasting peace in the country will require the government, rebel groups, and other stakeholders to work together to address the root causes of these conflicts.
The Ethiopian government’s efforts towards peace talks with the OLA are a significant step in this direction. It is hoped that these talks will lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and pave the way for similar negotiations with other rebel groups.
As the talks progress, it is essential that all parties involved remain committed to their goals and work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Only then can Ethiopia realize its full potential as a prosperous, stable, and peaceful nation.
