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Is Ethiopia's Western Oromia Region Returning to Normalcy ?

The country's national carrier, the Ethiopia Airlines, has announced plans to resume flights to Nekemte, a major commercial city in the Oromia region, following the construction of an aiport in the area. The move has been welcomed by the city's residents who have borne the brunt of the conflict between the government forces and the Oromo Liberation Army.

A month before the airport's inauguration, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed - accompanied by top government officials including the President of the Oromia region Shimels Abdisa - made a rare visit to Nekemte. Analysts attribute this to a "significantly improved" security situation in conflict-ravaged Western Oromia, which is seen as a step towards "normalcy".

But despite these developments, some Oromia inhabitants have expressed concern that with ongoing violence in several districts, the security situation is instead deteriorating.

InFocus

Ninara / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Sunset in the capital of the Oromia region (file photo).

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