This is a developing story…
The Oromia PP government is staging a spectacle featuring Sanyii Nagassa, a former member of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) who defected to their side. In a carefully choreographed photo session, Shimelis and Sanyii exchanged ceremonial agreement folders, more like heads of states, attempting to spin a narrative of triumph—the supposed defeat of OLA and the surrender of its freedom fighters.
But what a facade! The image of a lone defector, flanked by government officials basking in unwarranted glory, stands in stark contrast to the reality of over 100,000 OLA fighters who remain steadfast in the valleys, hills, and mountains of Oromia.
What audacity to call this peace! What gall to dress betrayal in the garb of negotiation!
A single picture, they say, can tell a thousand stories—and this one screams of deceit. The stage was set with all the trappings of grandeur: white doves as if fluttering in the background, a veneer of peace enveloping the event. Yet, for all its pomp and pretense, the truth could not be more glaring. How did a one-man capitulation transform into a spectacle of such exaggerated importance? Because for the PP government, “negotiation” is nothing more than a euphemism for total disarmament and unconditional surrender. That is precisely what traitor Sanyii Nagassa has offered—and his reward? Likely a plush villa, rent-free, and a chauffeur-driven Toyota Land Cruiser V8 to boot.
What is truly farcical is this: Sanyii Nagasaa does not represent the OLA, and as he rightly stated upon defecting, he explicitly declared that he does not represent the OLA in any form or capacity. Yet, the Oromia administration, through their publicity materials and banners displayed before invited guests, portrays this as a peace-making process with the OLA. Seriously? It could not be more absurd.
But the charade does not end there. Does President Shimelis Abdisa truly believe this hollow performance will fool the world? Or is it sheer desperation that drives him to such theatrics? In moments like these, what he thinks scarcely matters. What carries weight is how global politicians, diplomats, and analysts perceive this debacle. By attempting to paint the OLA—a formidable force fighting for freedom—as diminished and irrelevant, he has only exposed his administration’s incompetence and inability to engage in genuine dialogue.
To reduce a struggle of such magnitude to the actions of a lone defector is not just laughable—it’s a monumental failure of leadership. As the world watches, Shimelis Abdisa has only succeeded in making a mockery of himself and his government. Good luck to him, indeed. He will need it.
