Tujuba Dufera

ESL 100

September 30, 2023

                                                The War in Darkness

           The Ethiopian regional states are divided based on the ethnicity and language spoken in that area. Oromia region is one of the largest of Ethiopian’s twelve regions. It is central and surrounds the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. All of Ethiopia’s ethnic groups live in Oromia, but the majority of them are the Oromo people. Even though Oromo people are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, they have been marginalized by many Ethiopian leaders. To overcome aggression from the government, some adults from Oromia started fighting the government and created an army force called Oromo Liberation army (OLA). It has been more than fifty years since OLA was created, but the current one was reorganized in early 2019. In April 2022, the Ethiopian government launched a military campaign to attack OLA including by drones. Many civilians that died during the conflict including my eleven-year-old cousin and it brought huge an economic crisis to the region.

          The ongoing war in Oromia left scars on my family. My cousin died when the government attacked the civilians by drones. The government intentionally pulled out its soldiers from the town of Bila. As they left, OLA came in. Then, many young children gathered and started celebrating. As they celebrated, the drones dropped a bomb on them. Many brilliant children lost their lives in this senseless attack, together with my cousin. This situation devastated my whole family including all Oromo living there. Urge, his mother, was seriously affected because he was the only child for his parents. She put all her hope on him. She assumed that when he grew up, he would support her.

        In addition to this many Oromo civilians have been targeted by government agents and my whole family there lives in fear. The central government forces suspected that many civilians belonged to OLA and attacked them. Extrajudicial killings had been committed by government forces in many places. In some cases, civilian homes burned down when one of the members of the family has a connection with OLA. Some people were arrested without having a connection with OLA. After being arrested, they put them in jail. In addition to this, there were many human rights violations that occurred in the region such as denial of medical treatment and fair trial rights. Many faced displacements. For example, a lot of farmers left their farmland and migrated to the city.

           Another effect of the war in the region is the economic crisis Ethiopia is facing. A lot of business owners closed their business, and the supplies routes were closed. This affected my family and community living there as a whole. There are no supplies for the region if businesses are closed. Many government workers had worked for three months without pay. Three of my brothers are government employees, and they have faced many challenges in the past two years. They sometimes have worked for up to three months without being paid. All these situations were hidden from the world's eye. It happened in the dark due to internet blockage and reporters could not reach the region. 

          In general, my whole family has faced many challenges in the Oromia region since this war broke out. War leaves a lot of damage behind, including many lives. War cannot be a solution for having different ideas in politics. Reducing the difference by bringing all ideas on the table is a key for all. I suggest that both political parties come together and look for a solution for this nonsense war, so they can bring peace to the region. It is a key for all.