Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his former ally Lemma Megerssa is a member and leader of the ‘Oromo Shane’ a rebel group which is fighting the government and engaged in the killing of civilians in western Ethiopia, according to Mereja.com sources.
Abiy made the allegation in a joint meeting in which senior members of the Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP) and Amhara Prosperity Party (APP) were in attendance, dwelling on security challenges in western Ethiopia.
“I and Lemma had opposing political views. Lemma had been arguing that the central power should be shared mainly between ethnic Oromo and Amhara peoples based on their population size and other criteria,” Abiy was qouted as saying, the sources have said.
Lemma was against the move on creation of an alliance between the people of Oromo and Amhara, a view which I opposed most, said Abiy further alleging that Lemma then turned out to be leader of the Oromo Shane.
Explaining about the ‘Amhara Shane’, Abiy said ‘Amhara Shane’is ‘Ginbot 7’ a political group which was engaged in armed struggle in the fight against Ethiopia’s ruling party from Eritrea.
Abiy blamed the ‘Amhara Shane’ for attacking residents in Wollega four times in few months and called for joint efforts of OPP and APP to defeat both ‘Amhara and Oromo Shanes.’
Speaking about TPLF, Abiy said that TPLF has shrunk after its humiliating defeat five months ago, adding
it has stopped yearning for creation of the ‘Greater Tigray.’
TPLF is like a dying snake which still carries poison, said Abiy urging that it is hard to rely on TPLF despite the recent peace agreement.
Abiy also accused some individuals or a group of trying to step him down but he said they will not succeed.
“I played a vital role in stepping down the EPRDF government in a struggle that was launched within,” said Abiy warning those people or groups who are trying to step him down to stop conspiring against his authority.
