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2021-11-09 Africa Horn
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Leader of Ethiopia's Oromo rebels predicts victory 'very soon'
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[Garowe] A rebel leader fighting Æthiopia's government says his troops are near the capital and preparing another attack, predicting the war would end "very soon" as diplomats rush to negotiate a ceasefire. Jaal Marroo, commander of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA),
| ...the Oromo Liberation Front is a political party advocating for the self-determination of the Oromo people. OLA was its fighting wing until 2018, when the OLF negotiated what turned out to be a temporary peace with the Ethiopian government... |
warned Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
| ...age 44, Africa's youngest leader, won a Nobel prize for democratic reforms and for making peace with Eritrea. A former soldier who once fought alongside Tigrayans against Eritrea, he took over in 2018, following the Tigrayan-led government that had dominated politics since rebels from their region toppled Ethiopia’s Marxist military rulers in 1991... |
that pro-government fighters were defecting and the rebels were very close to victory.
"What I am sure (of) is that it is going to end very soon," Jaal, whose real name is Kumsa Diriba, told AFP in a phone interview Sunday.
Continued from Page 1
The OLA and its allies, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF),
| ...surprisingly, they’re Marxists, too... |
have claimed several victories in recent weeks, taking towns some 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the capital, and have not ruled out marching on Addis Ababa. Jaal said his fighters were even closer -- some 40 km from Addis -- and had "never moved (back) an inch" from territory they controlled.
AFP could not independently confirm this claim.
Much of the conflict-affected zone is under a communications blackout and access for journalists is restricted, making battlefield positions difficult to verify.
The government has rejected suggestions the rebels are within striking distance of Addis Ababa, but has ordered the capital to prepare to defend itself.
"While we are being tested on many fronts, our collective will to realize the path we have embarked upon has strengthened us," Abiy said on Twitter Monday, a day after tens of thousands marched in Addis Ababa in support of the government.
- SWEEPING ARRESTS -
Æthiopia's Human Rights Commission on Monday expressed concern about a sweeping crackdown in Addis Ababa since a nationwide state of emergency was declared on November 2.
"The Commission... has verified that arrests are being conducted in a manner that seems to be based on identity and ethnicity" and included mothers with children and the elderly, it said.
A number of countries have urged citizens not to travel to Æthiopia, and the US embassy announced over the weekend it was pulling out non-essential staff.
Jaal said the OLA posed "no threat" to ordinary civilians but that Abiy and his ruling Prosperity Party have to be "completely removed and cleared" for reconciliation to begin.
"We will make Æthiopia -- not just Æthiopia, the Horn of Africa -- a peaceful, very stable place to live in. I am very confident there is not going to be conflict after Abiy Ahmed's regime," he said.
The OLA has been accused of multiple massacres of ethnic Amhara civilians -- charges it denies.
- DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS -
The threat of fresh rebel advances has spurred efforts by foreign envoys to broker a settlement to a conflict that has killed thousands and inflicted atrocities and starvation on civilians.
The African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
's high representative for the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday told the bloc's 15-member security body there could be an opening for a deal -- but major obstacles remain.
Obasanjo, who on Sunday met TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael, did not discuss the sticking points during his briefings.
But diplomats familiar with the negotiations said the TPLF will not talk until aid restrictions on Tigray are lifted, while the government wants the rebels to withdraw from Amhara and Afar first.
"What we felt from [Obasanjo's] briefing is everybody is somehow a little bit open to a political settlement, but it's not clear" how gaps would be bridged, said a diplomat who attended Monday's briefing.
Jaal said the OLA "had been offering a peaceful hand" to Abiy since he came to power in 2018 but the overtures had failed.
"The only remaining option was dealing with them with a language they know," he said.
Abiy, the winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, sent troops into Tigray in November last year to topple the TPLF, accusing them of attacking military bases.
In August, the OLA and TPLF -- both designated terrorist groups by the government -- announced they had brokered an alliance to fight against a common enemy, despite the two groups holding historic grievances. 
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Posted by trailing wife 2021-11-09 00:00||
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