Oromo Liberation Army

Oromo Liberation Army
Oromo Liberation Army (OLA)
LeadersJaal Marroo[1][2]

Sanyi Nagassa[2]
Gammachis Aboye[2]
Liban Guracha[3]
Sabaif Galgalo[4]
Rabira Bilisumma[5]

Qeeranso Wayu[6]
Dates of operation1974–present
Active regionsOromia Region, Oromia Zone, Ethiopia
Ideology
StatusActive
AlliesNon-state allies
OpponentsState opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and wars
Websitehttps://www.olf-olahq.org/

The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA; Oromo: Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo, WBO) is an armed opposition group active in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. The OLA consist primarily of former armed members of the pre-peace deal Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who refused to disarm out of skepticism of the peace deal, and former youth protestors who grew disillusioned with nonviolent resistance.[9][10]

The Ethiopian government now considers the OLF to be a legal political party but the OLA to be a terrorist group,[11][12] In 2021, the group announced it had established a political wing and would adopt Oromo Liberation Front-Oromo Liberation Army (OLF-OLA) (Oromo: Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo-Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo, ABO-WBO) as its official name.[13] The Ethiopian government refuses to call the OLA by its chosen name, instead referring to it as Shene (Oromo: Shanee, lit. 'five'), Oneg or OLF-Shene.[14][15]

  1. ^ "USA TODAY". www.usatoday.com. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "ETHIOPIA: Who's who among Abiy's Oromo foes - 06/01/2022". Africa Intelligence. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  3. ^ Turtii Gaaffii fi Deebii Ajajaa WBO Cibiraa Soddom-booroo Jaal Liiban Gurraachaa waliin ONM - ABO (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  4. ^ ONM-ABO - Jaal SABAA'IF GALGOO, Ajajaa WBO Zoonii Kibba Baha Oromiyaa waliin turtii qabaanne (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  5. ^ Turtii Ajajaa WBO Godina Gujii Lixaa Jaal Rabbirraa Bilisummaa Waliin dhimma Lola PP fi WBO irratti (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  6. ^ Marii Ajajaa WBO Zoonii Kaabaa Jaal Qeerransoo Waayyuu Waliin Gurraandhala 4, 2022 (in Oromo), retrieved 1 December 2022
  7. ^ "Country policy and information note: Oromos, the Oromo Liberation Front and the Oromo Liberation Army, Ethiopia, March 2022 (Accessible)".
  8. ^ https://sociology.utk.edu/newsitem.php?news_id=2323 [bare URL]
  9. ^ St, Addis; ard (15 April 2022). "Op-ed: The boomerang effect: How political betrayal transformed Oromo youth protest to armed resistance". Addis Standard. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Soretti_OLA_not_terrorist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ ,"Fed. Attorney General says terrorist designated "Shene" refers to Oromo Liberation Army; OLA responds, vows to "engage in total war"". Addis Standard. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Nagessa_victory_for_Oromo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "Announcement from the OLF-OLA General Assembly - Oromo Liberation Army". olacommunique.com. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  14. ^ Mekonnen, Siyanne (28 August 2021). "News: OLF slams rights commission's report on recent East Wollega conflict, calls for independent investigation". Addis Standard. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Ethiopia to designate TPLF, OLF-Shene as 'terror' groups". Al Jazeera. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.