FORMER OLF HEAD ABABIYA SEEKS GOE-OLF

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 000148 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ET SUBJECT: FORMER OLF HEAD ABABIYA SEEKS GOE-OLF RECONCILIATION REF: A. 08 ADDIS ABABA 3188 ¶B. 08 ADDIS ABABA 3159 ¶C. ADDIS ABABA 63 Classified By: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). Return After 17 Years -------------- ¶1. (C) Former leader of the banned Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) Ababiya Abajobir told the Ambassador on January 16 that he has returned to Ethiopia (with the permission of the Government of Ethiopia (GOE)) after 17 years' exile to "move forward with peace." Ababiya, who said he formally quit the OLF in 2004, now directs the East Africa Multilogue Center, which he described as a "peace organization," and has met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to discuss OLF-GOE reconciliation. Ababiya said that his current objectives are to facilitate the return of veteran OLF leaders and to coordinate various groups advocating peace. "I have not been very successful so far," Ababiya admitted, "but it is a slow process." OLF-GOE Reconciliation Efforts -------------- ¶2. (C) Ababiya acknowledged that several entities are promoting OLF-GOE reconciliation, including Professor Ephraim Isaac and Pastor Daniel Gebreselassie (Elders I) and Ambassador Berhanu Dinka, Head of Mekane Yesus Church Reverend Itaffa Gobana and Oxfam America Director Aberra Tola (Elders II)(Ref A). Ababiya said that Elders II is clearly "in the lead," but added that he and Elders I had drafted a roadmap of reconciliation conferences designed to facilitate the safe return of the OLF to the Ethiopian polity. While supportive of Elders II, Ababiya said that Berhanu had recently "made a mistake" with public remarks that the OLF had accepted the Ethiopian Constitution, because, even though OLF Chairman Dawud Ibsa (in exile in Eritrea) had agreed in principle, Dawud had not yet briefed Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. As a result, Ababiya explained, Dawud was forced to repudiate the entire elders mediation process to mollify Isaias. Ababiya denied, however, that Isaias effectively holds OLF leaders in Eritrea against their will, citing as an example the recent travel from Eritrea of six senior OLF members on a business trip. "I advised Berhanu to go more slowly and discuss fully with all relevant stakeholders in the future," Ababiya said. NB: Per Ref A, the Embassy has been supporting the Elders II mediation process. END NOTE. ¶3. (C) Ababiya acknowledged that OLF leadership is split between Dawud and another faction, led by Brigadier General Kemal Gelchu, but insisted that both factions ultimately want peace with the GOE, although they each need express guarantees of their safety and security in order to return to Ethiopia to negotiate. "A lot of talking is still needed" between OLF members and supporters in exile before significant progress can be made, Ababiya said. The recent arrest of a number of Oromos for alleged OLF ties (Ref B) is "confusing," Ababiya said, given that that government is aware of Ethiopian elders efforts to return OLF members to Ethiopia. "We've asked the Prime Minister to lower the profile in terms of arrests," Ababiya added. Ababiya Cites Other Concerns -------------- ¶4. (C) Ababiya said that he and Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party co-founder Yacob Hailemariam had raised the case of re-jailed UDJ leader Birtukan Dimeksa with senior Ethiopian government officials to no avail. Separately, Ababiya said that he is concerned of religious conflict in Ethiopia "brewing from under." He said he has urged the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church to establish an interfaith elders committee of various Christian and Muslim factions to look into the matter and preempt greater conflict. YAMAMOTO