Preliminary peace talks between Ethiopia's federal government and the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) have opened [10] on Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar. The confidence-building [11] discussions, mediated by Kenya and Norway, are aimed at paving the way for future negotiations to end the five-year conflict. There have been few details on the dialogue, but the OLA said it welcomed a peaceful resolution [15] to the violence in Oromia, which has included civilian massacres [16] and indiscriminate government crackdowns [17]. The OLA, labelled a "terrorist organization [11]" by Addis Ababa, says it's fighting for greater autonomy for the Oromo people, Ethiopia's biggest but historically marginalized ethnic group. Violence has surged [12] in Oromia following a peace deal in November that ended the war [13] in northern Tigray. The OLA is accused of targeting ethnic Amharas who live in Oromia, while militias from the Amhara region—which borders Oromia—have killed Oromo civilians.
From The New Humanitarian [18], April 28
