WASHINGTON, DC – The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) said on Thursday its chairman, General Kemal Gelchu, has been relieved of his post and removed from the organization because of “poor leadership qualities and dictatorial actions.”

“General Kamal Galchu…has lost the moral and legal ground to continue to lead our organization. Allowing him to continue with his dictatorial actions will destroy an organization, thousands, if not millions have lost their lives and are still losing to maintain. His lack of leadership skills has been a complete abomination. He has lost the trust, confidence and respect of the organization, both as a leader and a person,” the executive committee of OLF which passed the decision said in a press release sent to Ethiomedia on Thursday.

OLF poured accusations over the former Ethiopian army general who fled to Eritrea in 2006 – taking with him a splinter regiment of 150 heavily armed soldiers. He has since then lived in Eritrea, where OLF maintains its headquarters as well as rebel base.

Oromo organizations in North America have over the years invited Gen. Kemal to appear as a guest speaker but he never left Eritrea, substantiating fears that the Eritrean regime has indeed placed the now-deposed OLF chairman under house arrest.