By Giulia Paravicini
NAIROBI (Reuters) – A first round of peace talks between the Ethiopian government and rebels from the Oromiya region ended with no deal, both parties said on Wednesday, amid a conflict in which hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands displaced.
Rebel groups in Oromiya, which is home to the country’s largest ethnic group, the Oromos, have fought the federal government for decades and accused it of marginalisation and neglect.
“While the talks have been largely constructive, it was not possible to reach an agreement on some issues during this round of the talks,” the government said in a statement, adding that the parties had agreed to continue to talk.
The talks, mediated by the regional Africa group IGAD, started last week in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.
The violence in Oromiya, which surrounds the capital Addis Ababa, is a major security headache for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed following a two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region which ended when the two parties signed a peace deal last November.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an outlawed splinter group of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a formerly banned opposition party, confirmed in a statement its willingness to continue talks and said no agreement was reached on “key issues”.
(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Gareth Jones)
