The first round of peace talks focusing on the conflict in Ethiopia's Oromia regional state has ended in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ethiopia's Government Communication Service (GCS) said in a statement.
According to the GCS' latest update, talks between the Ethiopian federal government and a rebel group from the country's Oromia region, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), were mostly productive, though some issues remained unresolved during this round of talks, hosted by neighboring Tanzania and facilitated by Kenya and Norway.
"The Government of Ethiopia would like to take this opportunity to reiterate its commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in accordance with the FDRE [Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia] Constitution and within the framework of fundamental principles that have guided such efforts until now," the GCS said in a statement.
The GCS stressed that both sides of the negotiations acknowledged the need to continue working toward a permanent and peaceful resolution in accordance with Ethiopia's constitution and "within the framework of fundamental principles that have guided such efforts until now".
"I want to clarify these are preliminary talks meant to pave the way for comprehensive negotiations in the very near future," OLA's spokesman Odaa Tarbii told the media ahead of the talks on Sunday. "For now, the focus is on building confidence and clarifying positions."
On Sunday, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared that his government would commence talks for peace with the OLA rebel group, despite its prohibited status, in a bid to end long-running silent conflict in the country's Oromia region. This marks the first instance in which the government has publicly announced its willingness to negotiate with the banned rebels.
"The talks are dearly needed by both our government and citizens," Ahmed stated.
The OLA militant group has been in conflict with the Ethiopian government since the Seventies, fighting for greater autonomy and self-determination for Oromia, the largest and most populous region of the country. In recent years, the rebels have demonstrated an increased intensity in their hostilities. In May 2021, the federal government led by Prime Minister Ahmed branded OLA as a terrorist organization.