Addis Abeba – The Oromia Regional Government has reported that members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) have begun “entering designated camps” following a peace agreement signed on Sunday with a splinter faction of the group led by former Central Zone commander Sagni Nagasa.
According to a statement from the Oromia Communication Bureau on December 3, 2024, OLA fighters who have accepted the peace initiative “are now moving into camps prepared for them.”
Although the government has not publicly disclosed the exact number of fighters who have surrendered, regional media reports indicate that “more than 800 fighters from the districts of Ginde Beret, Chobi, Elfata, Ambo, Midakegn, and Jibat in the West Shewa Zone have responded to the call.”
However, the OLA rejected these reports in a statement released on December 3, describing the situation as a “fabricated drama.” In the statement, the OLA alleged that the government is “staging a spectacle with a counterfeit ‘Shene’ group to tarnish the Oromo struggle.”
The group claimed, “This is an attempt to support their baseless claim that former commanders, dismissed long ago, had fighters with them who are now allegedly surrendering.”
The agreement, signed on December 3 by Shimelis Abdissa, president of the Oromia region, and Sagni Nagasa, has not had its details disclosed to the public.
Previously, Sagni Nagasa announced that his faction no longer operated under the OLA, accusing its leader, Kumsa Diriba (also known as Jaal Marroo), of authoritarianism. He expressed willingness to engage in talks with the government.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has criticized the peace agreement, alleging that it was made with leaders dismissed from their ranks months earlier for misconduct. AS
