The causes and consequences of the 2018 failed peace agreement between the Oromo Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government

Abstract

Following the 2018 political reforms in Ethiopia, many rebel groups that were fighting against the government and labelled as ‘terrorists’ were allowed to return to the country. The most prominent of these was the Oromo Liberation Front, which had been based in Eritrea before it was granted amnesty. Subsequently, the Oromo Liberation Front announced a ceasefire, made a peace agreement with the Ethiopian government in the Eritrean capital Asmara and later entered Ethiopia. However, the details of the peace agreement were not publicised and there was no clarity on the legal grounds of the agreement. The peace agreement soon failed to deliver the expected outcome of peace. This paper argues that the failure of the agreement was due to a number of reasons, most notably the absence of a clear DDR process for ex-combatants, the presence of factions within the OLF, lack of political will and the absence of a democratic ethos.