Oromo Liberation Front, Ogaden National Liberation Front and Ginbot 7 Free From Terror List

The Oromo Liberation Front or OLF was once part of the fight against the Marxist Derg regime, but upon victoriously taking Addis Ababa, they were sidelined by the newly formed EPRDF regime in Ethiopia.

They have been fighting for the secession of the Oromo region ever since.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), is also another ethnic based group that has been fighting for the secession of the Ethiopian Somali region.

Ginbot 7 an armed rebel group based in Eritrea with some affiliations in Yemen has widespread support with the Ethiopians in the diaspora.

Of the five groups placed on Ethiopia's terror list in 2011, Al Qaeda and Al Shabab (Somalia based) remain.

In a statement made for the press on Twitter, Fitsum Arega the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said:

Pursuant to Proc. 652/2009, Cabinet has submitted a resolution to Parliament for ratification that will rescind the designation of OLF, ONLF & Ginbot 7 as terrorist groups. The decision will encourage groups to use peaceful political discourse to achieve political ends. #Ethiopia

- Fitsum Arega (@fitsumaregaa) June 30, 2018

Since the parliament in Ethiopia is controlled by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF, the ratification of the resolution will be a formality.

The Ethiopian government also released Abdikarim Muse Qalbi Dhagah, a senior ONLF military commander that was transferred to Ethiopia from a Somali jail.

British national Andargachew Tsige a senior member of Ginbot 7 was also released from an Ethiopian Prisoner.

The new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is making sweeping reforms in every sector of Ethiopian society.

Charges were also dropped against opposition media groups such as ESAT (Ethiopian Satellite) and OMN (Oromo Media Network).

OMN has already opened an office in Ethiopia with plans to continue their operations locally.