The opposition Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party on Thursday called on the country’s government to arm civilians in the Oromia region to deal with attacks perpetrated by Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebels.
«We would like to strongly emphasize that it is imperative to give weapons to these communities, who live in areas that are not accessible to Ethiopian forces, in an organized and legitimate way, so that they can defend themselves,» the formation said in a statement released via Facebook.
The party is the main opposition force that has agreed to work with the government. Its leader, Berhanu Nega, is the African country’s education minister. Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice’s call comes in the face of increased attacks, which have killed hundreds of civilians and destroyed numerous properties. In addition, the increased violence has displaced millions of people in western Oromia.
For his part, the spokesman of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Getachew Reda, has accused the government of «fueling the conflict in the Oromia region», as he said in a Twitter message.
