Kumsa Diriba (Oromo: Kumsaa Dirribaa; Amharic: ኩምሳ ድሪባ; born 1 January 1977), better known by his nom de guerre Jaal Marroo, is an Ethiopian rebel leader who currently serves as the Commander-in Chief of the Oromo Liberation Army.[1][2][3]

Jaal
Kumsa Diriba
Personal details
Born
Kumsaa Dirribaa

1 January 1977 (age 47)
Horro Guduru, Welega Province, Ethiopia
Known forLeadership of the OLA.
NicknameJaal Marroo
Military service
Allegiance Oromo Liberation Army
RankCommander-in-Chief
Battles/wars

In August 2021, Diriba announced an alliance against the Government of Ethiopia with the Tigray Defense Forces, stating that he and the OLA aimed to overthrow the government militarily.[4] In November 2021, he claimed to the Agence France-Presse that OLA troops were near the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Oromo Liberation Army: On the ground with Ethiopian fighters", BBC News, 6 November 2021, archived from the original on 1 November 2021, retrieved 6 November 2021
  2. ^ "US envoy heads to Ethiopia to urge end to fighting". Al Jazeera. 13 August 2021. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  3. ^ Yekoye, Simegnish (July 17, 2020). "Ethiopian Rebel Group Denies Role in Singer's Death". VOA News. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. ^ Plaut, Martin (12 August 2021). "The Oromo alliance with Tigrayans – opportunities and risks". Eritrea Hub. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Ethiopia's Oromo rebel leader predicts victory 'very soon'". Yahoo! News. Agence France-Presse. November 8, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.