MADRID, Dec. 8 (.) –
The opposition party Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice has asked the government of the country to arm civilians in the Oromía region on Thursday to face the attacks perpetrated by the rebels of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
“We want to strongly emphasize that it is imperative to give arms to these communities, who live in areas that the Ethiopian forces do not have access to, in an organized and legitimate way, so that they can defend themselves,” the formation said in a statement released through Facebook.
The party is the main opposition force that has agreed to work with the government. Its leader, Berhanu Nega, is the African country’s Minister of Education. The call by Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice comes as attacks have increased, which have killed hundreds of civilians and destroyed numerous properties. In addition, the increase in violence has led to the displacement of millions of people in western Oromia.
For his part, the spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray (TPLF), Getachew Reda, has accused the government of “stirring up the conflict in the Oromia region”, as he stated in a Twitter message.
