Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.), which contributes over 70 percent of the world's coffeernproductions, is characterized by a low genetic diversity, attributed to its allopolyploidy origin,rnpredominately self-pollinating nature and its recent evolution. A total of 81 wild coffee trees fromrnfour populations of Yayu (Geba-Dogi) forest and Sore forest (only thee samples for comparison)rnwere used to assess the within and among populations genetic diversity using inter-simplernsequence repeat (ISSR) marker. Two populations (Yayu-1 and Yayu-2) are from disturbed regionrnof the forest and two populations (Yayu-4 and Yayu-5) are from undisturbed region of the forest.rnThe samples range in age from about 2 years old to very old trees. Larger genetic diversityrnestimate was observed for Yayu-2 (P=27.27%, H=0.079, Hâ€™j=0.175) and lower for Yayu-4rn(P=10.91%, H=0.31, Hâ€™j=0.07). Individuals in disturbed regions are clearly distinguished fromrnthose in undisturbed regions on dendrogram generated based on Jaccard similarity coefficientrnand unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA). Smaller geneticrndistance exists between Yayu-1 and Yayu-2 (0.011) and larger genetic distance exists betweenrnYayu-1 and Yayu-4 (0.109). Larger proportion of the total genetic diversity exists withinrnpopulation (above 55%), which is the pattern for populations with mixed-mating. The results ofrnthe present study suggest that coffee populations in the semi-disturbed regions of the forest havernhigher genetic variability and need to be given priority for both in situ and ex situ conservationrnas well as for breeding purposes. Those from undisturbed populations should also be conservedrnas they may have some unique genes.rnKey words: Coffea arabica, ISSR, Yayu, intraregional diversity, Ethiopia