Ethiopian Rebel Leader Denies Targeting Civilians Amidst Conflict

Oromo Liberation Army's Stance on Civilian Harm

• 🎯 Jaal Marroo, commander-in-chief of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), categorically rejects and condemns any act that harms innocent civilians.
• 📜 He stated that the OLA's code of conduct prohibits the targeting of civilians.

Accusations and Human Rights Abuses

• ⚖️ The OLA has been accused of killing civilians and other human rights abuses by the United Nations and the Ethiopian government.
• 📄 Amnesty International's research indicates abuses on both sides of the conflict, including summary executions, torture, abductions, and rape.
• ⚠️ Both the OLA and government forces are implicated in atrocities carried out against civilians in the Oromia region.

Conflict in Oromia

• 🌍 Oromia, Ethiopia's largest state, is the site of ongoing conflict between the OLA and the Ethiopian government since 2018.
• 🗣️ Marroo, speaking from a remote forest outpost, stated his goal is to establish a democratic political order.
• 🏠 The Ethiopian government claims the OLA's military capabilities have been eroded and that displaced people have returned home, though conflict persists with civilians caught in the middle.