Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA (EI) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has extended condolences following recent armed attacks targeting civilians in the Oromia region’s Arsi Zone as coordinated security operations ongoing.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement on recent developments in the country issued Friday, blamed the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA-Shene) insurgents of the attacks, the office emphasized that the situation has been brought under control, and that coordinated security operations are currently underway against those responsible for the attacks.
The PM’s Office, however, did not mention the number of civilian casualties due to the attacks. The rebel group, which was previously designated as a terrorist group by the Ethiopian parliament back in May 2021, has been notably active in parts of Ethiopia’s Oromia region.
According to the statement, the recent attacks caused the killing of civilians and destruction of homes, including the targeting of people in their places of worship in the Asko locality and surrounding areas in the Arsi Zone.
It said the attacks were carried out with to “inflame ethnic and religious tensions and deepen social divisions” among communities.
The government stressed that the armed attacks were not isolated incidents, and they “form part of a broader effort to create instability, undermine public security, and disrupt Ethiopia’s democratic processes.”
“Destructive forces, acting in coordination with foreign actors hostile to Ethiopia’s interests and local armed groups, undertook extensive preparations aimed at preventing the election from taking place,” the statement read.
The PM’s Office said these groups mobilized their resources in an effort to obstruct citizens’ freedom to vote, incite unrest and violence, terrorize communities through attacks, restrict movement through ambushes and road blockades, and target vulnerable civilian sites across the country, both before and during the electoral period.
The statement noted that the coordinated campaigns aligned physical violence against civilians with information and media operations designed to amplify fear, division, and mistrust.
Noting that intelligence and security measures have significantly disrupted these efforts, the statement highlighted that as security forces’ timely action thwarted those objectives, the perpetrators, unable to withstand sustained operations, eventually shifted to attacking softer civilian targets.
“Political grievances can and should be addressed through Ethiopia’s constitutional framework, the National Dialogue process, and democratic institutions. Extremism, however, has no place in Ethiopia,” the Ethiopian PM’s Office said.
[File photo shows Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed — Phill Magakoe/AFP]
