A once-outlawed group in Ethiopia has denied reports it had signed an agreement to disarm its fighters following the recent return of its leaders from exile.
The Oromo Liberation Front’s Chairman Dawud Ibsa has said in a televised interview that he does not like the term “disarm” because it sounds coercive and does not reflect the spirit of the political agreement.
“What we have agreed is how the OLF can play a role in maintaining peace in Ethiopia,” he added, without elaborating on what that means.
It follows accusations that OLF fighters were involved in recent clashes in western Ethiopia, in which more than 40 people were killed on the border between the Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regional states. Mr Dawud called for an independent investigation on whether OLF members carried out the attacks.
Ibsa Negewo, an executive member of the party, however says that out of 4,300 OLF soldiers 1,500 have been disarmed and are now in a temporary shelter in southern Ethiopia. BBC News
