The rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) says it has killed and wounded a total of 125 Ethiopian government soldiers in eastern Oromia, eastern Ethiopia, and taken 18 prisoner. In a statement issued last week, the OLF said government soldiers were “notorious” for “harassing and arresting” Oromos civilians, and claimed it had carried out “several special raids” in Dire Dawa, Busta Buluq, Balawa and Jalo. A raid on Jalo military camp about 20 km from Dire Dawa town resulted in 56 government soldiers killed, the statement claimed. Weapons and ammunition were captured during the attack. OLF spokesman Lencho Bati recently told IRIN that the government had rejected an OLF peace plan, and that Oromo opposition groups had united in order to increase the effectiveness of the armed struggle.
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