Witnesses say new fighting in Ethiopia’s Oromia kills dozens

Intense fighting between Ethiopian government forces and Oromo Liberation Army rebels in the country’s Oromia region has led to “several dozen” casualties in the past week, witnesses tell The Associated Press.

The fighting in Oromia, the largest of Ethiopia’s federal states, intensified as peace efforts were ending a larger, separate conflict between government and Tigray forces in northern Ethiopia.

A witness in the West Wollega area town of Bila said he saw bodies scattered on the ground following an alleged aerial attack on Nov. 2 by what he described as a “small flying plane” or possible drone.

“It was a market day, and students were leaving school,” the witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “I have lost count of the dead, but several dozen people were killed and injured.”

Witnesses in recent attacks in Oromia have blamed Ethiopian forces.

Conflict between the two neigbours who share a common history has been blamed on foreign non state actors who seek to distabilise Ethiopia a nation that was one of the world fastest growing economies before the war.

Western influence in distabilising the continent is legendary with reports blaming countries like France and America for their role in deposing leaderships that refused to yield to froeign influence especially where rare mineral resources were involved.