Popular among the largest ethnic group, the Oromo, the OLF fell out with the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in 1992 and soon began launching armed attacks. Last month, the OLF reached a deal on returning home following an accord with representatives of the government. Fana also said that more than 1,300 OLF fighters had crossed into Ethiopia from Eritrea, where the government had offered them safe haven. On Saturday, thousands of OLF flags flew in celebration above Meskel Square in the city centre as a huge, jubilant crowd awaited Dawud and his entourage. The OLF's return comes just days after militants from Ginbot 7, another armed opposition group that renounced violence after Abiy's rise, also came home.

Source: Ethiopian News September 15, 2018 13:07 UTC