Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia
Encyclopedia
The Islamic Front for Liberation of Oromia (IFLO) was an Oromo
based polito-military organization founded in 1985 by Commander in Chief Sheikh Abdulkarim Ibrahim Hamid otherwise known as Jaarra Abbaa Gadaa.
The group was politically and militarily based in eastern Ethiopia, controlling portions of the countryside in the eastern highlands and around Jijiga
by the time Mengistu Haile Mariam
fled the country in Spring 1991. They then joined the Transitional Government of Ethiopia
(TGE) where the party held 3 seats out of the 27 reserved for Oromo parties. The Oromo Liberation Front
(OLF) held 12, while the Oromo People's Democratic Organization held the remaining 10.
which was overthrown in 1991, the IFLO later engaged in armed clashes with other dominant parties in what was the TGE, namely the TPLF. The clashes were sparked by alleged TPLF/EPRDF acts of sabotage and aggression towards the organization. This began immediately following the overthrow of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Some examples include:
On January 18, 1992, two leaders of the IFLO, Sheikh Abdel Rahman Yusuf and Izzeldin Mohamed Ahmed, were killed by the EPRDF in Dire Dawa
. Five others were wounded. The EPRDF claimed that the IFLO leaders failed to halt their car at a roadblock and opened fire on the EPRDF guards; the IFLO claims that the incident was a planned ambush, and pointed to the killing of another of its leaders, Faisal Birru, and the wounding of others, in the previous months by the EPRDF.
The home of Ato Mehammed Chello in Addis Ababa
was converted into a prison for three days, from September 25 through 27 1993. A group of armed persons belonging to EPRDF occupied the home, alleging that Ato Mehammed has hidden certain individuals they were looking for and demanding to know their whereabouts. Ato Mehammed and three other men were tied tightly with ropes and beaten in front of their family members. The rope with which their hands were tied and the beating has caused severe damage to their bodies.
Ato Mehammed Chello was a member of the Central Committee of IFLO and once a member of the Council of Representatives of the TGE.
Tesfaye Deressa and Bekele Mekonnen of Urji newspaper were charged in December 1995 with "publishing false information and disseminating it internationally" in connection with their report of a military communique by the OLF and IFLO.
After withdrawing from the TGE and boycotting the 1995 general elections
, the group returned to the bush with the objective of toppling the EPRDF, and has since claimed responsibility for many operations launched against EPRDF targets.
In a 1994 interview with an Arabic-language paper made available by An-Najah Blogs, Sheikh Abdulkarim stated that the mujahideen control 24,000 km2, predominantly in the Misraq (East) Hararge Zone
, and were carrying out commando operations against EPRDF targets.
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
based polito-military organization founded in 1985 by Commander in Chief Sheikh Abdulkarim Ibrahim Hamid otherwise known as Jaarra Abbaa Gadaa.
The group was politically and militarily based in eastern Ethiopia, controlling portions of the countryside in the eastern highlands and around Jijiga
Jijiga
Jijiga is a city in eastern Ethiopia and the capital of the Somali Region of that country. Located in the Jijiga Zone approximately 80 km east of Harar and 60 km west of the border with Somalia, this city has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1,609 meters above sea...
by the time Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam is a politician who was formerly the most prominent officer of the Derg, the Communist military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991...
fled the country in Spring 1991. They then joined the Transitional Government of Ethiopia
Transitional Government of Ethiopia
The Transitional government of Ethiopia was established immediately after the fall of the Dergue regime. It was led by Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia. Zenawi remains the prime minister of Ethiopia to this day....
(TGE) where the party held 3 seats out of the 27 reserved for Oromo parties. The Oromo Liberation Front
Oromo Liberation Front
The Oromo Liberation Front , or OLF, is an organization established in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people against what they call "Abyssinian colonial rule". It has been outlawed and labeled as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government...
(OLF) held 12, while the Oromo People's Democratic Organization held the remaining 10.
Conflicts
Apart from its armed insurgency against the DergDerg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
which was overthrown in 1991, the IFLO later engaged in armed clashes with other dominant parties in what was the TGE, namely the TPLF. The clashes were sparked by alleged TPLF/EPRDF acts of sabotage and aggression towards the organization. This began immediately following the overthrow of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Some examples include:
On January 18, 1992, two leaders of the IFLO, Sheikh Abdel Rahman Yusuf and Izzeldin Mohamed Ahmed, were killed by the EPRDF in Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa is one of two chartered cities in Ethiopia . This chartered city is divided administratively into two woredas, the city proper and the non-urban woreda of Gurgura....
. Five others were wounded. The EPRDF claimed that the IFLO leaders failed to halt their car at a roadblock and opened fire on the EPRDF guards; the IFLO claims that the incident was a planned ambush, and pointed to the killing of another of its leaders, Faisal Birru, and the wounding of others, in the previous months by the EPRDF.
The home of Ato Mehammed Chello in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
was converted into a prison for three days, from September 25 through 27 1993. A group of armed persons belonging to EPRDF occupied the home, alleging that Ato Mehammed has hidden certain individuals they were looking for and demanding to know their whereabouts. Ato Mehammed and three other men were tied tightly with ropes and beaten in front of their family members. The rope with which their hands were tied and the beating has caused severe damage to their bodies.
Ato Mehammed Chello was a member of the Central Committee of IFLO and once a member of the Council of Representatives of the TGE.
Tesfaye Deressa and Bekele Mekonnen of Urji newspaper were charged in December 1995 with "publishing false information and disseminating it internationally" in connection with their report of a military communique by the OLF and IFLO.
After withdrawing from the TGE and boycotting the 1995 general elections
Ethiopian general election, 1995
General elections were held in Ethiopia on 7 and 18 May 1995 for seats in its Council of People's Representatives; elections in the Afar, Somali, and Harari Regions were delayed until 28 June to assign experienced personnel who could solve possible conflicts and irregularities...
, the group returned to the bush with the objective of toppling the EPRDF, and has since claimed responsibility for many operations launched against EPRDF targets.
In a 1994 interview with an Arabic-language paper made available by An-Najah Blogs, Sheikh Abdulkarim stated that the mujahideen control 24,000 km2, predominantly in the Misraq (East) Hararge Zone
Misraq Hararghe Zone
Misraq Hararghe is one of the 17 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Misraq Hararge takes its name from the former province of Hararghe. Misraq Hararge is bordered on the southwest by the Shebelle River which separates it from Bale, on the west by Mirab Hararghe, on the north by Dire Dawa and...
, and were carrying out commando operations against EPRDF targets.