Oromo Leaders and Abiy Hold High-Stakes Talks as Ethiopia Faces New Political Storm

ADDIS ABABA (WDN) — In a striking development as Ethiopia faces renewed fighting and the emergence of a broad anti-government alliance, senior Oromo political figures have reportedly held talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali over the country’s political future, national unity and the growing security crisis.

The discussions reportedly focused on what has gone wrong in Ethiopia, the deepening political divisions and possible ways to strengthen the country’s unity in the face of mounting internal and external pressures. What makes the meeting particularly significant is not simply who attended, but who was brought together.

Oromo political figures from both government-aligned and opposition backgrounds reportedly participated in discussions about the country’s future, suggesting an attempt to create a common Oromo political position at a moment when Ethiopia’s political landscape is undergoing another dramatic transformation.

The meeting comes just days after seven Ethiopian armed and political movements announced the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, a coalition that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, Amhara Fano, the Oromo Liberation Army and other regional movements. The alliance says it seeks to remove the current federal government and establish an inclusive transitional administration.

The ONLF Question Dominates the Conversation

One of the most sensitive issues reportedly raised during the meeting was the involvement of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in the new alliance.

According to the account presented by participants, Oromo leaders questioned why the federal government had failed to deal with the ONLF in a manner they believed reflected the organisation’s historical status and its decades-long armed struggle.

PM Abiy and Oromo opposition leaders

The argument reportedly put forward was that the federal government had made a serious political mistake in its handling of the organisation and had treated it in a manner that fell short of the political weight it had accumulated after decades of conflict. The issue has become particularly sensitive because ONLF’s participation in the new alliance is itself disputed.

The faction led by Abdirahman Mohamed Sheikh Mahdi has said it is part of the new coalition, while another ONLF leadership faction has publicly rejected the alliance and said its name was used without authorisation. That internal split makes the ONLF question even more politically complicated for Addis Ababa.

An Unusual Oromo Political Gathering

The most striking element of the reported discussions is that Oromo political figures from different political camps reportedly engaged with one another as Oromos, rather than simply as representatives of competing parties.

Among those reportedly designated to pursue discussions with ONLF and its chairman Abdirahman Mohamed Mahdi are several prominent Oromo political figures:

• Professor Merera Gudina, chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC);
• Daud Ibsa, chairman of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF);
• Aba Dula Gemeda, former president of Oromia;
• Muktar Kedir, former president of Oromia;
• Juneydi Sado, former president of Oromia;
• Jawar Mohammed, prominent Oromo political activist and commentator;
• and other Oromo figures whose names were not immediately available.

The reported decision to establish such a group suggests that the discussions went beyond a routine political consultation. The proposed committee would be tasked with engaging ONLF and exploring whether a political channel can be established with the organisation and the faction led by Abdirahman Mohamed Mahdi.

A New Political Reality

The timing is impossible to ignore. For years, Ethiopia’s political crises have largely been managed through separate negotiations with individual regions, parties and armed movements. The emergence of the new Alliance for Survival has changed that equation by bringing together movements from several parts of Ethiopia, including groups that were once bitter enemies.

The Oromo dimension is particularly important. The Oromo are Ethiopia’s largest ethnic community, and Oromo politics has long been central to the country’s struggle over federalism, political representation and the distribution of power. The reported meeting therefore raises a larger question:

Can Oromo political forces find enough common ground to influence the direction of Ethiopia’s next political settlement?

That question has become more urgent as the country confronts renewed conflict in Tigray, continuing instability in Amhara and armed conflict in parts of Oromia.

From Confrontation to Dialogue?

The reported discussions appear to reflect an effort to explore political solutions before Ethiopia’s multiple conflicts become even more deeply interconnected. The proposed engagement with ONLF could be particularly significant if it produces a political channel with the Mahdi-led faction.

But the internal split within ONLF means that any such effort would face an immediate challenge over who legitimately represents the organisation. One faction has reaffirmed the 2018 peace agreement with Addis Ababa and rejected armed alliances, while the Mahdi-led faction has asserted that it authorised participation in the new coalition.

The Oromo leaders’ reported initiative therefore comes at a moment when Ethiopia’s political map is becoming increasingly fragmented.

A Critical Moment for Ethiopia

The broader political significance of the meeting may ultimately lie in the decision to bring together Oromo figures from different political backgrounds. Government supporters and opposition figures rarely find themselves on the same side of the political table.

Yet Ethiopia’s rapidly changing security environment may be forcing political actors to reconsider old divisions. The immediate challenge is whether dialogue can produce concrete political arrangements before armed confrontation overwhelms the possibility of compromise.

For Abiy Ahmed, the reported discussions offer a potential political avenue at a moment when his government faces a newly coordinated armed opposition. For Oromo political leaders, they offer an opportunity to articulate a broader position on Ethiopia’s future.

For ONLF, the competing claims over its representation could determine whether it becomes part of a new national political settlement or remains divided between competing political paths. And for Ethiopia as a whole, the stakes are enormous.

A country already facing renewed war is now witnessing something equally consequential: political figures from different Oromo camps attempting to speak across their divisions while former enemies assemble on the battlefield.

The question now is whether Ethiopia’s political leaders can achieve at the negotiating table what armed groups have so far failed to achieve on the battlefield: a framework for sharing power without breaking the country apart.

WardheerNews

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