Ethiopian security forces carried out a series of arrests over the past 24 hours targeting senior officials from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) rebel group, according to the Afaan Oromo branch of the BBC.
Four senior officials where arrested at there homes yesterday. The raids targeted OLF executive committee member Mikael Boran, OLF central committee member Kenesa Ayana, senor advisor Shigut Geleta and the chairman of the OLF, Dawuud Ibsa.
All of the individuals at hand where arrested without incident as revealed by BBC Afaan Oromo. The latest string of arrests targeting senior Oromo opposition figures just comes days after the apprehension of Jawar Mohamed and Bekele Gerbe from the Oromo Federalist Conference (OFC).
Its not clear why the OLF officials where targeted in the raids. Ethiopia’s federal government inked a peace deal with the insurgents in the fall of 2018.
Ethiopia in recent days has been embroiled in turmoil, following the assassination of Hachelu Hundessaa, a famed Oromo musician and activist. His murder sparked a nation wide revolt within Ethiopia’s Oromo community, which has unraveled a Pandora’s box.
Unrest of epic proportions has plagued the nation with the death tole surpassing well over one hundred. However the latest crisis has been marred in controversy like never before.
The federal government under the leadership of prime minister Abiy Ahmed has went on an apparent purge and carried out a massive security sweep over the past week targeting opposition figures, dissidents and even government critics.
Dozens of influential figures from Ethiopia’s Oromo community are currently languishing under arbitrary detention. Many western observers believe the Ethiopian government is exploiting the current crisis and using it as a pretext to target powerful opponents, which is clear sign of his dictatorial tendencies.
Halgan Media.
