HOW LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE IS AFFECTING THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN OROMIA IN ETHIOPIA

In the heart of Western Oromia, a relentless battle has been unfolding for years, plunging the region into a maelstrom of chaos and uncertainty.

The clash between government forces and rebel factions, including the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the non-state militia, Fano, from the neighboring Amhara region, has transformed the landscape into a battleground of ideologies and power.

As bullets fly and tensions escalate, Western Oromia has been grappling with the harrowing aftermath, beset by grave socioeconomic and political crises spawned by the relentless conflicts. Amidst the turmoil, internal displacement haunts the populace, echoing the toll of a region torn asunder by the ravages of war.

The latest report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), released on 01 March 2024, unveils a grim reality: as of February 2024, a staggering 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) seek refuge in camps and host communities across Oromia, out of whom nearly 800,000 resides in Western Oromia.

The report, outlined in stark detail by OCHA, underscores the severity of the crisis gripping Ethiopia, where regions like Somali, Oromia, and Tigray bear the brunt of relentless upheaval. According to the report, as of September 2023, these regions accounted for the highest IDP caseloads in the country, with Oromia alone representing 29.5% of the staggering total.

Recently, the authorities in Oromia region have initiated activities to repatriate residents who were forcibly displaced from their homes in Western Oromia region to their villages, including those who fled the area to the Amhara region.

Belay Temesgen (pseudonym utilized for security purposes), a father of six children, who found himself and his family in dire circumstances within the Amuru district of the Horro Guduru Wollega zone, was compelled to vacate his residence in Agamsa village in August 2020 due to an indiscriminate assault, which he said was “orchestrated by Fano.”

The repercussions of the attack were profound for Belay and his fellow farmers. According to him, a multitude of individuals suffered the loss of parents, children, and siblings on top of loosing their livelihoods. Personally, Belay endured the loss of two donkeys, eight sheep, twelve goats, and fifteen cows seized by the rebel factions.

Furthermore, his toils in cultivating maize, sorghum, coffee, and other crops across three hectares of land were futile. “The rebel group systematically destroyed and plundered the fruits of my labor,” he told Addis Standard.

As per Belay’s account, the displaced populace in the region hailed from several villages, notably Agamsa, Cidhatti, Jaboo Doban, Harar Jarso, and Hamus Gebeya, all of which bore the brunt of the onslaught, destroying their residences and possessions.

Read more on the Addis Standard