Ethiopian rebel leader speaks to the AP from hideout in rare interview

Описание: (2 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: East Wollega, Oromia, Ethiopia - 15 July 2025
1. Various of Oromo Liberation Army fighters in an orientation session
2. Mid of OLA fighters gathered under tree
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Western Oromia, Ethiopia – 17 July 2025
3. Various of Kumsa Diriba, also known as Jaal Marroo, commander-in-chief of the Oromo Liberation Army, writing at a desk in his hideout
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kumsa Diriba aka Jaal Marroo, commander-in-chief of the Oromo Liberation Army:
“Our troops operate under strict military discipline and a clear political vision. We categorically reject and condemn any act that harms innocent civilians. Our code of conduct prohibits the targeting of civilians. We also reiterate that we welcome an independent investigation by a neutral international body.”
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nairobi, Kenya – 27 January 2026
5. Sarah Kimani, media manager at Amnesty International, working on her laptop
6. Laptop screen showing Amnesty International article about Oromia 
7. Various of Kimani at her laptop 
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Kimani, Amnesty International East and Southern Africa Regional Office media manager:
“The research that we conducted puts both the OLA and the government forces in the middle of the conflict in terms of summary executions, in terms of torture, in terms of abductions, in terms of rape of women. So what we are saying is our report is able to point to both groups having been responsible for the atrocities that are being carried out in the Oromia region and that continue to be carried out against civilians in the region."
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 5 May 2025 
9. Various of Addis Ababa 
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Central Oromia, Ethiopia - 16 July 2025
10. Bore Adugna, a fighter who long dreamed of joining the movement, retrieving his fighting equipment from his makeshift home
11. Various of Adugna
12. Adugna and other OLA fighters – including female fighters – walking through the bush
13. SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Bore Adugna, fighter who long dreamed of joining the movement:
“In the history of empires, no nation has ever gained its liberation through peaceful means. Our oppressed people, even those who follow the path of peaceful struggle, are being killed. I came to believe that the only solution to this oppression is found in the barrel of a gun. Therefore, together with my comrades, and having dreamt of this for so long, I have taken up arms and joined the struggle.”
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: OLA Western Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia - 2 June 2025
14. Various of OLA fighters 
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Hamburg, Germany - 4 August 2025 
15. Getu Saketa, a human rights investigator focused on Oromia, working on his laptop 
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Getu Saketa, human rights investigator:
“The humanitarian situation — health, education, transportation, agriculture — has been highly, highly affected due to this conflict. The abuse continued, and reporting is very limited. There is underreport(ing) of the situation, the overall situation.”
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS 
ARCHIVE: OLA Western Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia - 2 June 2025
17. OLA orientation session with fighters chanting
18. Close of fighters 
19. Fighters lined up with their guns
20. Close of the group’s machine guns
 
STORYLINE:
Wanted by the Ethiopian government, rebel military leader Jaal Marroo moves constantly to stay ahead of drones hunting him from the skies.



But in a rare interview from one of his hideouts, Marroo rejected accusations that his fighters target civilians.










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