A multi-agency security team on Tuesday conducted raids on Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) hideouts in Sololo and Merti, located in Marsabit and Isiolo counties.
This operation was part of the National Police Service’s (NPS) ongoing Operation Ondoa Jangili, which was initiated on Monday with the aim of dismantling the militia’s operations and strengthening security in the region.
During the operation, several items were seized, including firearms, ammunition, walkie-talkies, camera stands, a solar panel, a generator, marijuana, and other equipment believed to be used by the militia in their illicit activities.
“The militia group has exploited the close cultural and familial ties between the Borana of Kenya and the Oromo of Ethiopia, allowing them to infiltrate the local population and continue their criminal acts, causing immense suffering,” stated the NPS via their social media channels.
“These recoveries are just the beginning of sustained efforts to rid the area of criminals, underscoring the NPS’s firm commitment to protecting lives and property, and creating a secure environment for local communities.”
The OLA, designated a “terrorist organisation” by the Ethiopian government, is an armed insurgent movement based in the Oromia region of Ethiopia.
The group has been fighting the Ethiopian government since 2018, after breaking away from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) when the latter abandoned armed struggle.
Since the OLA’s split from the OLF, various armed factions claiming allegiance to its cause have emerged in Oromia, although they are loosely organized.
Although the OLA’s numbers, estimated to be in the thousands as of 2018, have grown in recent years, experts argue that the group is still poorly organized and lacks the military strength to effectively challenge the Ethiopian federal government.
The Oromia region, surrounding Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, has witnessed numerous ethnic massacres in recent years, particularly in the Qellem Wollega and West Wollega areas, often attributed to unknown armed groups.
The OLA has been accused by the Ethiopian government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (who is of Oromo descent), of being responsible for these killings, though the group denies any involvement.
