Rebels from the Oromia region in Ethiopia accused the government on Wednesday of launching a military attack against them following the end of the first round of peace talks earlier this month, which ended without an agreement.
The government and the Oromo Liberation Army held negotiations for a week in Zangbar in an effort to end a decades-long conflict that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of tens of thousands in Ethiopia's most populated region in recent years. Both parties stated at that time that they agreed to continue talks.
The Oromo Liberation Army revealed in a statement from its leadership that following the conclusion of the first round of talks on May 3rd, Ethiopian forces launched a "widespread attack."
The liberation army viewed this move as being "inconsistent with the agreement that de-escalation should be prioritized during the negotiation process," accusing the army of forcing farmers to join local militias and supplying its troops with food.
Oromia, which surrounds the capital Addis Ababa, is home to the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, housing more than a third of the country's 110 million population.
The violence poses a significant security challenge for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose government signed a peace agreement last November to end a two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region.
The Oromo Liberation Army is a banned group that split from the Oromo People's Liberation Front, an opposition party that was previously banned and returned from exile after Abiy came to power in 2018.
Oromia has faced instability for decades due to complaints from residents of what they describe as marginalization and neglect by the federal government.
