Oromo armed rebel group denies involvement in shooting death of Hachalu Hundessa

• Group denies targeting civilians
• Prosperity Party’s spokesman says there are plenty of confirmed cases where the group killed civilians

The commander of the Oromo Liberation Army’s (OLA) western front, Kumsa Diriba (better known as Jaal Maro) on Wednesday denied the ruling Prosperity Party’s claims that the group has been involved in the brazen slaying of Hachalu Hundessa, a popular protest singer – an event which prompted violent protests leaving around 239 people dead.

In an interview with VOA Amharic from his base in a secret location, Jaal Maro said OLA had nothing to do with the crime. “This case has nothing to do with us. I resolutely deny any connection between this killing and any other attack on civilians in the past and our army,” he said.

The governing PP party had accused the armed group and TPLF of being behind the shooting of Hachalu Hundessa.

Jaal Maro has rejected the allegation as false, insisting that the group does not target civilians, saying it only attacks military members. He instead blamed the government for the murder, claiming that Hachalu previously sent a telephone message to the group’s soldiers saying that he would be killed. “We are willing to participate with an independent investigation that could look into the shooting,” he said.

Prosperity Party’s spokesman Taye Danda said the armed group is not expected to admit to its crime. “People are all aware of all the crimes committed by the group in Western Oromia. The group has been training combatants and directing murders, yet it continues to conceal its crimes. That is because the leaders know politically it would not play very well for them to say they were responsible,” he said. Taye said the armed group has a disdain for anyone who dared to criticize it and does not hesitate to eliminate potential critic. “There are plenty of confirmed cases where the OLA killed civilians because they would not bow to their threats or reject supporting the group. Hachalu has also been receiving threats from the supporters of the group for allegedly allying with Prosperity Party, he said.

The OLA emerged from the remnants of the OLF’s military wing formerly led by Dawud Ibssa and supported and hosted by Eritrea in the past as part of the proxy war the Eritrean regime was waging against the government of Ethiopia. The members have arrived in Addis Ababa on August 2018 as part of the reforms launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and some of them have been integrated into the Oromia regional security forces in line with a January 2019 “reconciliation pact,” signed by the regional state government and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

OLA, now acting independently from OLF, is battling the federal army in the western Oromia and has been linked to the recent abduction of dozens of Dembi Dollo University students and the assassination of higher government officials from the western Oromia and Benshangul region, allegations the group rejects.