1973-2018: the OLF
The OLF, founded 1973, sought an independent state of Oromia.[1]
In August 2018, the OLF signed a peace agreement with Ethiopia, agreeing to disarm.[2]
· Agreement
OLF-Ethiopian government peace agreement, 2018
The OLF agreed to disarm and pursue its goals peacefully, though a faction later rejected this and split off.
2020-2024: the OLA split and insurgency
Fighters rejecting the 2018 deal formed the OLA, formally splitting in April 2020 and continuing an insurgency.[3]
A partial peace agreement with one OLA faction was signed on 1 December 2024, though the wider insurgency continued.[4]
· Agreement
Partial OLA-Ethiopian government peace agreement, 2024
One OLA faction reached a peace deal, though the broader insurgency continued.
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
-
1.
Claim: The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) was formed in 1973, evolving from the 1960s Bale Revolt against Ethiopian government treatment of the Oromo people, and has defined its goal as the realization of Oromo national self-determination and the establishment of an independent state of Oromia.
- Oromo Liberation Front (Encyclopaedia Britannica) link, Formation and Objectives section. Source record
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2.
Claim: In August 2018, the OLF and the Ethiopian government signed a peace agreement declaring a ceasefire, providing for the disarmament of OLF fighters, the continuation of OLF political activity by peaceful means, and the establishment of a joint committee to implement the agreement.
- Oromo Liberation Army (Wikipedia) link, 2018 peace agreement section. Source record
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3.
Claim: The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) split from the OLF, consisting primarily of former OLF armed members who rejected the 2018 disarmament terms out of scepticism toward the peace deal; the split was formalised in April 2020, after which the OLA continued an armed insurgency against the Ethiopian government that intensified from 2019 onward. This bundle does not narrate the insurgency's specific incidents, including named massacres, in detail.
- Oromo Liberation Army (Wikipedia) link, April 2020 split section. Source record
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4.
Claim: Peace talks between the Ethiopian government and the OLA began on 25 April 2023 but broke down, with conflict resuming after the talks failed in May 2023; on 1 December 2024, the Ethiopian government signed a peace agreement with one OLA faction, whose members began moving into designated camps, though reporting at the time noted that the broader OLA insurgency across Oromia, ongoing since 2019, remained unresolved despite this partial agreement.
- Ethiopia signs peace deal with Oromo Liberation Army splinter group (The Africa Report) link, 2023 talks breakdown and 2024 partial agreement sections. Source record
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/oromo-self-determination/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.