Hundreds of civilians have been reportedly killed after drone strikes attributed to the Ethiopian military hit the Oromiya region between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) said in a statement on Thursday.
The attacks which struck the OLA strongholds which is home to Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group numbering over 40 million, according to the statement, is separate from the two-year war between the federal government and regional forces in the northern region of Tigray.
The Oromiya region has also experienced unrest for many years which is rooted in grievances about marginalisation and neglect by the federal government, which has at times cracked down on the region, according to the region officials.
“The combined civilian death toll stands in the hundreds. Schools, hospitals and parks and other civilian targets were hit by the Ethiopian drone strikes,” the OLA statement said.
Local media reports that the deadliest drone strike occurred on Tuesday during a graduation ceremony in the West Shewa’s Cobi County for members of the OLA, which Ethiopia has labeled a terrorist organisation.
“Residents were told by the rebel group to attend the ceremony, so hundreds of people were there because not attending the event was not an option
“What I saw some 20 minutes after the attack was a carnage. Women, children, the elderly and some members of the rebel group were killed,” an eyewitness who survived the attack told newsmen.
The opposition Oromo Federalist Congress, one of Ethiopia’s largest political parties, which also confirmed the attacks in a statement, said:
“The irresponsible drone attack on killed 7- and 10-year-old children, mothers, the elderly and disabled people,.
“The government is busy using drones and fighter jets against civilians. And it is trying to hide these killings against ethnic Oromos from the public.”