በሰሜን ሸዋ ዞን በንፁሃን ላይ የተፈጸመውን የጭካኔ ድርጊት የሚያሳይ ዘግናኝ ቪዲዮዎችን በመመልከት የኦሮሞ ነፃነት ሰራዊት (ኦላ) አጠቃላይ ምርመራ ጀምሯል። ይህ ፕሬስ በጊዜያዊ ግኝቶቻችን ላይ ያለውን መረጃ በመሬት ላይ በማቅረብ እና በገዥው አካል ውስጥ ባሉ የተረጋገጡ መረጃዎች እና ውስጣዊ መረጃዎች ላይ በመመርኮዝ አጭር ትንታኔዎችን በማቅረብ ግልጽነት እንዲኖረው ዘግቧል። ገዳዮቹ በገዛ ዘመዶቻቸው ምርመራ ተደርጎ ተመስክሮባቸዋል።
Interim Findings of OLA´s Investigation into the North Shewa Displacement and Harrowing Video of Beheading (OLF-OLA press release)
AJAJAA OL’AANAA ABO-WBO OLF-OLA High Command
Interim Findings of OLA´s Investigation into the North Shewa Displacement and Harrowing Video of Beheading (OLF-OLA press release)
Nov 22, 2024
In response to the horrifying videos depicting brutal attacks against our people in the North Shewa Zone, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has launched a comprehensive investigation. This presser reports our interim findings to provide clarity by presenting the facts on the ground and offering a brief analysis based on verified evidence and internal intelligence from within the regime.
A.The Facts
1. Anatomy of armed actors in the area
Alongside the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), the following three other groups operate in the Dharraa district of the North Shewa zone.
Fanno of Darra: This loosely organized group identifies as “Fanno of Darra” but operates largely as a banditry network, often targeting Oromo residents in the area. Their connection to the larger, more structured Fanno in the Amhara region remains uncertain. However, their operations are notably sustained through ammunition supplies facilitated by an intermediary, Alemayehu Ayalew. Alemayehu is the brother of Lt. General Tesfaye Ayalew, an ENDF Commander who also hails from Darra, and acts upon the latter’s command.
Armed Residents: The second group consists of local residents, both Oromo and Amhara, who take up arms sporadically to defend their communities from external threats. These individuals are not part of an organized militia but react out of necessity to protect their homes and livelihoods from attacks.
Government Militia Forces: The third group comprises government-backed militia forces operating in the district. These militias are ostensibly tasked with maintaining order but often exacerbate tensions due to their collaboration with groups such as Fanno of Darra, contributing to the destabilization of the area under investigation.
- Initiation of the Recent Attacks
The attacks in Dharraa district and Marabite town began after Lt. General Tesfaye Ayalew, acting as an ENDF commander in the Salalee area, and Kefyalew Adere, the administrator of North Shewa zone, convened a meeting with Oromo residents from seven kebeles in the Dharraa district about two months ago. These seven kebeles are Gabroo Barreessa, Abbuu Godoo, Bahiit Karaaba, Homaa Booniyyaa, Homaa Barreessa, Guddaattu Sanyoo Gabayaa, and Sararkullaa. Some Oromo residents refused to attend, citing past experiences where such gatherings demanded that they either disarm—losing their customary means of protection—or join government forces to fight against the OLA. During the meeting, those who attended were ordered to register their weapons and prepare to fight against the OLA. However, the Oromo residents voiced strong opposition, arguing that the OLA had not caused them harm and instead identified the group calling itself the Fanno of Darra as the real perpetrators of attacks in the area. In response to these protests, Tesfaye accused the residents of harboring the OLA, escalating tensions further.
Frustrated by the resistance from the Oromo residents, Tesfaye shifted his focus to the Amhara residents of the area. Manipulating deeply ingrained stereotypes about the OLA and Oromo communities, he incited hostility among the Amhara residents. The meeting culminated in a symbolic feast, which served as a covenant between government-backed militias and the local Amhara community to target their Oromo neighbors, thereby setting the stage for further violence and division.
- Escalation
In retaliation, Lt. General Tesfaye initiated an aerial bombardment and heavy shelling campaign targeting the Oromo residents who refused to participate in his meetings and those who rejected his proposal to register arms and fight OLA with it. This campaign displaced countless families into the wilderness, leaving them without shelter or protection. Even after residents fled, shelling continued in the bushes where they sought refuge.
- Beheading Incidents
Although only the video of the brutal beheading of young Dereje Amare recently surfaced on social media, the OLA’s investigation has uncovered another similar beheading involving a young man named Tadese Neguse, also a resident of Sararkullaa Village. The OLA has documented both videos.
These heinous acts occurred approximately two months ago, although the exact dates remain uncertain Our olpreliminary findings indicate that individuals identifying themselves as the Fanno of Dharra, who are supported by the local agents of the regime such as Alemayehu Ayalew, were responsible for these gruesome crimes.
- Context of the Commission of the Crimes
The recent surfacing of the old videos depicting the brutal beheading of Dereje Amare and the attack on our people in North Shewa on social media appears to have been unintentional. According to our internal intelligence sources, the regime’s original plan was to withhold these videos for use in an upcoming propaganda documentary designed to promote its narrative: “Despite speaking different languages, OLA and Fanno work together in attacking the local community.” However, once the videos leaked, the regime shifted strategies. It repurposed the footage to incite public outrage and further exacerbate divisions between the two largest communities in the area—and by extension, the country as a whole. However, against the regime’s expectations, much of the public outrage has been intuitively directed against the regime itself. Many have recognized the deliberate orchestration behind these events and the regime’s attempt to exploit tragic incidents for political gain.
B. Analysis
- Historical Context:
These findings are consistent with well-documented patterns of propaganda-driven violence orchestrated by the Abiy regime to malign opponents and incite horizontal communal conflicts. The regime, for instance, has a history of leveraging “counterfeit OLA” actors to carry out atrocities, later attributing these crimes to the OLA as part of its disinformation campaigns.
Notably, such incidents were conspicuously absent during the previous era and became prevalent only after the Abiy regime came to power. This sharp rise in fabricated narratives and orchestrated violence underlines the regime’s reliance on division and misinformation to weaken solidarity and distract from its failures in governance and conflict resolution.
- Recent Strategic Motivation
Following the leak of videos originally intended for a regime propaganda documentary, internal intelligence sources suggest that the Abiy regime swiftly repurposed the situation to foment communal violence between Oromo and Amhara communities. This calculated shift in strategy appears motivated by two factors:
- The regime’s self-imposed 2-3 months deadline to “complete its operations in Oromia” is drawing to a close with little to show in terms of military achievements. Facing mounting embarrassment, the regime seeks to divert attention and create a smokescreen for its failures through manufactured communal strife.
- The growing rebellion across the country, including in Oromia, is inching closer to the capital city. High-profile incidents, such as the recent bombing targeting a regime-backed businessman, highlight an escalating threat to the regime’s stronghold. By redirecting public attention toward intercommunal violence, the regime aims to downplay these developments and suppress fears of its weakening grip.
Recommendations
- For Independent Human Rights Organizations:
Immediate and comprehensive investigations into the displacement, aerial bombardments, and surfaced videos are essential. The regime’s actions must be documented and publicized for international accountability.
- For the International Community:
Recognize that the Abiy regime’s actions extend beyond a domestic power struggle. Abiy Ahmed`s repeated stroking of ethnic fault lines and instigation of ethnic violence threatens the very stability of Ethiopia with dire implications for the wider region. Strong international condemnation and pressure are imperative.
• For Amhara Interest Groups, Activists, and Intellectuals:
Fundamental political differences between Oromo and Amhara political forces, of which there are many, should be entertained between the organized political forces, not through violence targeting civilians who bear no responsibility for political conflicts. While the Abiy government’s role in orchestrating these events is undeniable, we have also documented multiple Fanno militia groups crossing into Oromia and instigating armed Amhara residents to target Oromo civilians. The Amhara political community must critically assess its public relations strategies, and refrain from condoning violence that provides an opportunity for the regime to exploit interethnic tensions for its survival. Violence against innocent Oromo civilians must be unequivocally condemned.
The current trajectory is undoubtedly unsustainable and destructive. Our people find themselves on the receiving end of unparalleled coordinated attacks. The OLA has already begun taking action on the bandits that called themselves the Fanno of Darra and will continue to fight against this vacuous, but malicious, regime, expose its machinations, hold it accountable, and protect innocent lives.
OLF-OLA High Command
November 22, 2024