For more than three decades, OLF has been fighting for the independence of Oromia, a vast region in Ethiopia inhabited by 30 per cent of the country's 80 million population. Oromos are the largest ethnic gro up in Ethiopia.
But Lucho Bukhura, who was one of the earliest fighters assuming senior positions including in Executive Council, Central Committee and Especial Envoy of the OLF to various western countries, says the rebellion has been decaying for years and that it is now disintegrated and the fighters 'have lost conviction and don't see the importance its cause'.
'The Front is no more capable of engaging the Ethiopian army militarily,' he said on Friday in Addis Ababa.
Lucho and three other senior leaders of the OLF were speaking at a press conference the Government Communication Affairs Office organized after they defected along with 250 fighters under their leadership who laid down their arms. Along with Lucho were OLF's Deputy Military Commander and Leader of the Southern Zone, Abdetta Besere, Central Committee Member, Kanu Jirimo and Zonal Political Head Wako Guyo.
The defectors crossed over from Kenya and surrendered to Ethiopian army a few weeks ago. They say the rebellion has disintegrated into three factions and has 'zero capacity' either to fight or to topple the government. But an OLF statement issued from Eritrea called these leaders 'traitors' saying their defection would not affect the Front's future.
"The OLF was meant to liberate its people, but divisions and a lack of vision has hampered its cause," Lucho Bukhura, a former central committee member, told journalists in Addis Ababa.
Lucho said the group had split into three factions "based on geographical background".
"It has been disintegrating for the past 17 years. They have zero fighting capacity at the moment and zero chance of overthrowing the government," he said.
According to Lucho, the defectors surrendered after negotiating with the Ethiopian authorities following which they have been guaranteed safety.
'We want to be constructive citizens and contribute to the development of both Oromia Region and the country,' Lucho said. 'There is a lot of development going on in this country over more than a decade that we didn't know about for we were not here. If there is development and positive change in Oromia, which we have been fighting for, there is no reason to continue fighting.'
He indicated a possibility of peaceful opposition but declined to confirm and give details about his future in this line.
The Oromo ethnic rebellion was part of Ethiopia's transitional government which was in power from 1991 to 1995, following the demise of the, Dergue, a Marxist regime of Colonel Mengistu Haile-Mariam which ruled the country for 17 years.
OLF then had a dispute with the government of Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) under Prime Minister Meles Zenawi before it left the now ruling coalition and demanded the creation of an independent state of Oromia.
That marked the re-start of the armed struggle by the rebellion which was fighting since mid-19 70s. The Ethiopian security force ever since has repeatedly blamed the group for carrying out "terrorist activities" and fomenting insecurity, while opposition leaders of Oromo descent accuse the government of arbitrarily detaining hundreds from the Oromo ethnic group on suspicion of supporting the group.
Lucho said he had handed recommendations to the government to resolve the issue peacefully and was scheduled to have discussions with Meles and other senior government officials.
The state news agency ENA on Friday reported that members and leaders of the OLF held talks with Abadula Gemeda, Chief Administrator of Oromia, and other senior state government officials.
Addis Ababa - Pana 23/01/2010
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