borkena
Toronto – At least six people were reportedly killed on Saturday in the latest string of security incident in the Horo Guduru of Oromia region.
It happened in Kiremu district – where there had been recurring massacres for several years now. It is about 96 kilometers from Shambu, seat of the Horo Guduru zone administration.
Residents from the area spoke to the source on condition of anonymity. They said “there was an exchange of fire between the militia in the region and armed groups [OLA] that lasted for many hours.” They were battling in a locality known as Wolkite.
According to DW Amharic report, security forces and an armed man from the group that calls itself Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) are among the victims.
Another individual, whose name is unspecified in the DW Amharic report, was kidnapped while traveling between Agamsa and Kiremu. The kidnapping is for ransom. The person is reportedly requested to pay millions of birr.
The Federal and regional governments have been making claims that the “security situation in the district has improved” and have been returning thousands of displaced people who left the area following a series of massacres.
It has been at least two years since the Oromia regional state and Abiy Ahmed led government made claims that the group they call “Shane” (OLA) is not in a position to pose a security threat in the region. However, recent reports from the region seem to suggest that the group is still killing and kidnapping civilians.
Last week, an Orthodox priest, his wife and three children were slain in a horrifying manner in the Mojo area of the Oromia region which is less than 100 kilometers from the capital Addis Ababa.
The recurring kidnapping is still pervasive in the region. Since July this year, four full passenger buses traveling from Amhara region to the capital Addis Ababa were “kidnapped.” The OLA group and other entities allege that “the regional government officials in the region are involved in the kidnapping and massacre of civilians.”
There were occasions where the Prime Minister himself admitted that there are elements in the government structure in the Oromia region who work with the OLA group. But there has been no remark about the involvement of government officials in the kidnapping business.
Those kidnapping civilians in the name of OLA are demanding millions of Ethiopian birr in ransom.
__
Join our Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
Add your business to Ethiopian Business Listing / Ethiopian Business Directory
Join the conversation. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly. Subscribe to YouTube channel To share information or for submission, send e-mail to info@borkena.com