'Executions, Torture, Abductions, Rape': Ethiopia's Hidden Conflict
Ethiopia's Oromia region, the country's largest state containing 35% of the population and the capital Addis Ababa, has become the epicentre of a brutal and largely hidden conflict. Wanted by the Ethiopian government, rebel military leader Jaal Marroo leads the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) from remote forest outposts, constantly moving to evade drones hunting him from the skies.
Rebel Leader's Rare Interview
In a rare interview from one of his hideouts, Marroo rejected government accusations that his fighters target civilians in ethnically motivated attacks. The government has designated the former student as a terrorist, accusing the OLA of massacring civilians.
"Our war is not against the people," he told The Associated Press. "It is against the brutal regime that has occupied and oppressed the nation for generations."
He added: "We are fighting to correct a system that treats the Oromo as subjects, rather than citizens. Our goal is to establish a democratic, inclusive political order based on the will of the people."
Patterns of Abuse on Both Sides
The OLA has been battling Ethiopia's government since 2018, though the rebellion has often been overshadowed by other conflicts like the 2020-2022 war in Tigray. United Nations investigators have accused the OLA of serious abuses including killings, rapes and kidnappings.
Human rights monitors, who have also documented violations by government forces, say indiscriminate drone strikes, extrajudicial killings and disappearances have become hallmarks of the government's counterinsurgency campaign.
"The research that we conducted puts both the OLA and the government forces in the middle of the conflict in terms of summary executions, in terms of torture, in terms of abductions, in terms of rape of women," said Sarah Kimani, a regional spokesperson for Amnesty International.
The organisation will publish a report in March detailing human rights abuses in the region. "Our report is able to point to both groups having been responsible for the atrocities that are being carried out in the Oromia region and that continue to be carried out against civilians," she told the AP.
Civilians Trapped in Violence
Ayantu Bulcha was at home in Addis Ababa when she heard soldiers had come to her family's house in Oromia in early December. Her cousin was shot outside the property, she said, before soldiers took her father and uncle to a nearby field where they were also killed. They had been accused of fighting alongside the OLA.
"There have been threats against my family since the killing, and even before that," said Bulcha, a member of an Ethiopian opposition party who denies allegations that her relatives belonged to the rebels.
Lensa Hordofa, a civil servant from Oromia's Shewa region, said her family faces constant harassment and extortion from armed men demanding food and supplies. Her uncle was recently detained and only released after paying a ransom of 100,000 Ethiopian birr (approximately $650).
"Movement from place to place has become increasingly restricted," she said. "It's almost impossible to travel."
Bulcha said she was too scared to return home, fearing retaliation by government forces. "My frail mother is left alone in an empty house, grieving. I can't even go there to grieve with her. I am afraid for my own safety."
Attacks on Healthcare and Education
Ethiopia restricts access to Oromia for journalists and rights groups, meaning the conflict remains largely hidden from international view. "Unfortunately, the human rights situation — as well as the overall humanitarian crisis in Oromia — is underreported," said Getu Saketa Roro, co-founder of Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa.
Regional and federal government representatives did not respond to requests for comment. In January 2025, the U.N. reported that 3.2 million children were not in school because of the fighting. In Wollega district, where Bulcha's family lives, aid groups struggle to distribute supplies, contributing to high malnutrition rates.
Hospitals and clinics have also come under attack. In 2023, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported that "nearly all" the 42 health posts in Oromia's Begi district had been looted or damaged.
Economic and Security Collapse
Tulu Getachew, a coffee farmer from Wollega, has been unable to return home for three years due to security concerns. He hired workers to collect his beans, but the harvest was stolen by armed men.
"One party hurts you because they say you belong to the other," he said. "You suffer because they say your family member is affiliated with the government or OLA."
Although Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is from Oromia — and the Oromo make up roughly 35% of Ethiopia's population — many Oromo say they remain marginalised in Ethiopia's federal system, which grants resources and self-governance rights based on ethnicity.
Complex Insecurity Landscape
Recent government offensives have eroded the OLA's military capabilities, analysts say. At the end of 2024, authorities convinced one of the group's main commanders to defect, further degrading its capabilities.
The government claims hundreds of thousands of displaced people have returned home, but the conflict continues to destabilise the region with civilians caught in crossfire.
Members of the Amhara ethnicity, Ethiopia's second-largest group, have been targeted for attacks according to rights monitors. Meanwhile, insurgents from Amhara region have also carried out attacks in Oromia.
Armed banditry is prevalent, and kidnapping has become a particular issue, with responsibility for abductions often unclear.
"Oromia is very insecure, not simply because of the OLA but because of other groups operating as criminal enterprises, engaging in extortion, kidnapping and robberies," said Magnus Taylor, Horn of Africa director at the International Crisis Group.
