Ethiopian government orders OLF to disarm or federal security forces will disarm them

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Tigrai Online, Oct. 10, 2018

Ethiopian government warns OLF to disarm or they will be disarmed by federal security forces.

The Ethiopian federal government today issued a stern warning against the Oromo Libration Front - OLF ordering to disarm its soldiers voluntarily. Ethiopian State Minister at government Communication Affairs official, Mr.  Kassahun Gofe said OLF has armed groups throughout Oromia regional state and neighboring states and the Ethiopian government want OLF to disarm its soldiers. If the Oromo Libration Front leadership didn’t disarm its armed groups the Ethiopian federal government security forces will take action to disarm the OLF armed fighters.

Mr. Kassahun Gofe said Ethiopia wouldn’t have two governments at the same time and Ethiopia couldn’t afford to go back to civil war. He added the OLF leadership should think twice about their decision and demobilize their fighters by themselves. Kassahun also mentioned about 1300 OLF fighters are under the government taking some training.

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It seems the Ethiopian government is alarmed because the OLF leader Mr. Dawud Ibsa last week when he was interviewed by Walta Information Center said we don’t like to be referred as disarmed because it seems one side is disarming and the other side is being disarmed. Mr. Dawud said it was a mutual agreement with the Ethiopian government that OLF to continue its peaceful struggle inside Ethiopia.

Obviously there is a serious disagreement between OLF and the Abiy administration the question now is would both sides calm down and resolve the problem peacefully. If this tense situation is not handled in a meticulous and carful manner there is a real and imminent danger to the country.

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This is clearly the result of the hasty policy making by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government. Dr. Abiy Ahmed was and is doing things without thoroughly thinking about their consequences. There are many examples of these unwise actions by the prime minister including the Ethio-Eritrea relationship. As a result of the hurried decision without putting what needed to be done in the Eritrea and Ethiopia reengagement thousands of Eritreans are in Tigrai state without proper help. These Eritreans are rejected by the UNHCR and they are not willing to go back to Eritrea, so they are now in limbo in Tigrai, Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian government invited every opposition and rebel group to come to Ethiopia without making sure the system is ready and without consulting all concerned parties. Now, the government is forced to draw a redline with OLF because there seems to be a great misunderstanding between the two sides.    

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