We Need Revolution by All Citzens and Nations to get Rid of the Fascists as we Did Against the Feudals!
By Fayyis Oromia*
We got rid of successive feudal regimes through all inclusive revolution by all citizens and nations in the year 1974. Since then, we entertained three fascist regimes, who tried to trade by favouring one nation at the cost of the others. Derg favoured Amara elites, Woyane previlaged Tegaru elites and Biltsigina is promoting Oromo elites, but neither of them benefited the respective nations, behind whom they tried to hide. Interestingly, Amara elites didn’t feel the pain of Tegarus and Oromos during Derg rule, Tegaru elites were blind regarding Amara and Oromo suffering under Woyane and of course some Oromo elites don’t care about the misery of Amara and Tegaru caused by Biltsigina. It is now enough, all nations in Ethiopia need to learn from this devide and destroy mechanism of the three fascist regimes. We should revolte against the fascists in unison. The opposition bloc of Amara has to be free from Derg mentality, that of Tegaru from Woyane mindset and the camp of Oromo from Biltsigina way of thinking. We need to have common denominator of fighting for freedom and democracy in order to foster common home, in which we will live with liberty, equality and fraternity.
Specially, Amara and Oromo elites repeatedly fall in the trap of the dictatorial regimes in Ethiopia. All the hitherto regimes survived and thrived by dividing and polarizing these two blocs of elites. Currently, Amara elites did three major mistakes to fall into the trap: they framed their struggle as anti-Oromummà (literally against Oromo identity), called the Oromo with the derogatory G-word and used their obsolete narration of being civilizer of other nations including the Oromo. Now, Biltsiginà party of Dr. Abiy is using this opportunity for the same mechanism of devide and rule. Why is it as such easy for Biltsiginna to rule over Ethiopians?
It is just because of these misguided elites of the two big nations – Amara and Oromo. They are still fighting over past history, present ideology and potential destiny. Biltsiginna managed to corner these elites and persuaded them to struggle for unconditional domination of Amaranet vs leadership of Oromummà respectively. With this move, Biltsiginnà could reserve the middle ground, i.e union of autonomous nations (colourful rainbow country) as its own position, so that it can accuse Amara elites as chauvinits and Oromo elites as narrowists and manipulate both of them to fight each other. I did appreciate a position of the visionary leaders from both big nations, who signed the formation of an alliance called AFD in 2006 and took a necessary step to tacle Woyane’s tactic of devide and rule at that time, which gradually led to formation of the Oromara movement to bring regime change in 2018. Can we now forge AFD-2 in order to deal with the ongoing Biltsiginna’s divide and destroy machination.
It was quotted by somebody that Meles Zenawi had said: “Amara – Oromo conflict, (historical face-off between them) is a unique historical advantage for TPLF to perpetuate its rule”. He also said regarding the dialogue between Amara forces and Oromo fronts within AFD, that “it is a marriage between fire and straw (isat ina chid)”. It is really pity that these two big nations live in a conflict against each other, which was caused by the hitherto ruling class & their sponsors – European colonizers. The effect is that the fate of both nations seemed to be a subjugation by successiv ruling classes of monarchs and dictators.
Disregarding the hitherto Habesha ruling class, actually both Amara and Oromo peoples were victims of European colonizers. The main conflict and imbalance of power between Amara and Oromo started at the end of 19th century at which time Europeans had their programm of scramble for Africa. It is said that French colonizers used to move horizontally between Dakar and Djibouti, whereas British colonizers’ move was vertical between Cape town and Cairo. These two forces were about to confront each other in the Horn of Africa. To avoid the confrontation, British colonizers had to do their usual manipulation in Africa: choosing one ethnic group as “superior”, and using it to suppress others which they consider as “inferiors”. They told Amara rulers that they are “superior semitics” and christians who had to “civilize” “inferior animist” Oromo and others in the south. They gave them weapons and helped them by giving military advice. So they controlled indirectly the area without confronting French army. With such manipulation, both Amara and Oromo became victims, since then both were not free. Amara rulers being ex-servants of the British (as suppressors of the Oromo), both Amara as a people and Oromo as the suppressed subjects were lacking freedom.
Then, Tigrean ruling class played similar role as servant of American imperialists again to suppress the Oromo and of course the Amara were also oppressed. Theoretically, there is nothing which can hinder alliance of Amara pro-democracy forces and Oromo pro-freedom fronts to come together and fight for their freedom and democracy as they attempted in AFD, but still there are practical problems. Both need yet to stop their striving for Amaranet domination (AD) and Oromummà leadership (OL) respectively. Amara forces pushing for AD makes Oromo freedom fighters only to be sceptical for they know what the unity forces want to achieve with this pretext. At the same time an attempt of some Oromo freedom fighters to forge OL without giving any possibility for a union and without giving value for the benefit of union between neighbouring nations push Amara forces to panic because they think that they will be driven out of Oromia. Such move of certain part of Oromo fronts seems to be as counter-productive as the vehement wish of Amara forces for AD.
Beside that, TPLF manipulated this “difference” between the two big nations to creat more discord and make them fight each other. Now, Biltsiginnà is doing the same. In order to neutralize such action of TPLF, very important for the two nations was to concentrate on common agenda: freedom and democracy. Both of them came to their sense and rallied behind these two ideals, so that the other two virtues they wanted to realize, i.e free Oromia within Ethiopian union can now be fullfilled indirectly. Is this impossible? It is possible if all nations in the empire will be free from tyranny, killing, and looting like what was happening under TPLF. So our main problem was the lording, killing and looting that all the nations in the empire did suffer under the Woyane. Victims from the two big nations needed to wake up and say together: NO to the fascist Woyane! It is now necessary to take similar step against the currently ruling dictatorial Biltsiginna.
To achieve durable alliance of the two forces against Biltsiginnà, the two big nations need to forge one common ground as a common goal. I recommend as a common goal: union of free peoples with both Afàn Oromo and Amarigna as working language of the federation, i.e free Oromia and free Amaraland within Ethiopian union as a result of self-determination of each nation. Till now, it was very difficult to get a common purpose on which Oromo pro-freedom fronts and Amara forces could agree. Oromo fighters argued that the Oromo must be free from colonization by any meanse and then build union based on free will. Very few smart part of Amara forces argued that Habesha are the Abyssinized Oromo and Agaw, who are speaking Amarinya and Tigrinya, so the Oromo don’t have to separate from their own people, but they should bring the Habeshanized Cushites back to their lost origin and the Oromo should have an appropriate leading role in politics of the country.
Further more, most of Amara pro-democracy forces do fear disintegration of the empire they think to build. So they seem to do every thing possible so that Oromo freedom fighters never have an upper hand in the empire’s politics for they fear that these fronts may opt for independence of Oromia. On the contrary, Oromo freedom fighters do all things possible to hinder the come back of Amara forces to power, for they know what these forces are going to do – Amarinization of whole nations in the empire. The two big nations simply sabotage each other’s succeess. As an example we can look at the political moves during and after election 2005. As CUD which was dominated by Amara forces was almost on the verge of coming to power, all Oromo freedom fighters didn’t give support. As OLF was in its highest point of influence and forged AFD to be an alternative for power in Finfinne, Amara forces were those, who vehemently opposed the alliance.
This mistrust between Amara forces and Oromo fronts is a God-given opportunity which Biltsiginna is using now to rule over the country. Till these two groups may come to terms and cooperate against Biltsiginna, all nations in the empire have to settle for rule of the dictators not only for few years, but for many decades. I think union of free peoples based on the right of nations to self-determination is a middle ground and can be used as a common purpose on which the two giant nations of the region can further agree. Union of free Amara, Tigrai, Afar, Oromo, Ogaden, Sidama, Gurage…..etc as a result of their respective self-determination and even the union including Eritrea, Djibouti, Somaliland, Puntland and Somalia (if they agree) is a noble cause for which all can fight together. Not accepting this model means unconditional separation of these independent nations as an alternative.
The question yet to be asked is: do Amara forces choose to settle for this last alternative or should they be compelled to accept such fact? I knew that the TPLFites accept such alternative of separation as soon as they sense that they lose power in Finfinne palace. To compell Amara forces accept such union based on national self-determination, we just have to demote Amarinya to be used in only Amara region and promote Afàn Oromo to the only federal working language. Then, Amara elites will see that Ethiopianness will not be equivalent to Amaranet (as it is now), but Ethiopiawinet will be the same to Oromummà. In such a scenario of Oromummà being equivalent to Ethiopianness, Oromo freedom fighters will definetly start to be pro Ethiopianity against “ethnicity” and Amara forces will begin to defend their identity by opting for self-determination of Amara people, so they will start to support “ethnicity” and reject Ethiopianity = Oromummà. This way, they can comprehend what it means to struggle for national independence with or without regional union.
Till now, certain steps have been taken by the OLF to forge common ground with Amara forces and to kill TPLF in Ethiopian political history. The short sighted TPLF, who was good at winning battles, but could never win the war, thought that it was possible to destroy the OLF by persecuting and massacring its supporters. But these actions of TPLF gave the OLF even more Oromo support, which it actually didn’t have till 1991. Further more, interesting is that the OLF killed not supporters of TPLF, but it took away the existence of TPLF in Ethiopia in a long run. OLF did this by taking two very important steps. In 1992, OLF denied TPLF the legitimacy it needed in Oromia. With that, TPLF became eternal enemy of the Oromo. TPLF could have made the OLF its partner and would have enjoyed support of all Oromo, but it formed OPDO and made itself alien to the Oromo people. In 2006, the OLF formed AFD together with Amara parties like CUD and accordingly, it took away the very important instrument, which the TPLF used to rule over Ethiopians: designating Amara forces as centeralists and Oromo freedom fighters as separatists; so that these two groups could fight each other instead of struggling together against TPLF. Slowly, this instrument died and TPLF was under attack from both the Amara and Oromo. The same thing must happen now against Biltsiginna. Surely, take it only 1 year or as long as 10 years, Biltsiginna will die away like Isepa of Derg and EPRDF of Woyane. After losing power, Biltsiginna will be remembered in Ethiopia as bad regime as Naizi is now remembered in Germany. The coming generation will distance itself from Biltsiginna and will be ashamed of its history just like the new generation of Germany is doing now regarding their forefather’s deed.
Actually, I do appreciate the effort of Amara forces, who are trying to foster democratic unity of the country. It is not bad to advocate such unity. As I understood from their hitherto writings, they do use both religious and political methods to promote and keep the unity. This is actually very dangerous combination, specially when used by one and the same individual or organization. I advise them as individuals to leave one method and persue the other. The problem is that as a politician, one can persue an interest of the group he/she does support, e.g interest of Amara forces to keep the empire intact against interest of Oromo freedom fighters to dismantle the empire and build a union. As a religous person, one is morally obliged to think inclusive, trying to satisfy both Amara forces and Oromo fronts, which will bring him/her in to difficult position. Otherwise in order to know what type of unity the Amara do advocate, they need to see the difference between an empire and a union. Amara forces use the euphemy, unity, to mean keeping the empire intact. Just to put the difference in short, an empire is “unity per force” and union is “unity based on free will”. If Amara forces are believers of this second premise, then they also do risk that “free will” of peoples to be expressed in referendum can lead to independence of nations without a union instead of only leading to the unconditional unity, which they want to achieve.
Otherwise, it is good to see that there is also difference between unity and union. The first is pre-modern, whereas the second is post-modern. In summary, here is the difference between pre-modern unity and post-modern union. I don’t remember his name, but certain English scholar classified countries in the world in to three: 1- pre-modern chaotic states like artificial constructs / countries in Africa, such as Abyssinian empire, which Amara forces seem to love, 2- modern nation-states like some mono-national-states in Asia and Latine America and 3- post-modern union of free nations like those in European union. So, Amhara forces should see that African nations, including those in Ethiopia, are kept as pre-modern due to the arrangement made by European colonizers and this is still being perpetuated further by AU dictators, who are dedicated not to change it. But, Africans need to leave artificial nations like Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Djibouti, Somaliland, Somalia and Kenya behind and forge productive natural nation-states like Tigrai, Amara, Afar, Oromia, Hausa, Yoruba, Somalia…etc in order to be transformed from our present position (pre-modern), passing through the stage of modern status like an independent Oromia without union further to post-modern situation like free Oromia within union of free peoples, the most beneficial status which Europeans them selves are enjoying now.
I hope Amara forces do not misunderstand my position here. I am not representative of the OLF as some accuse me often, but I am simple private person who tries to think independently. There can be certain views of mine which may be the same to that of OLF, but not always. Supporting OLF unconditionally and helping it to be on power is not my goal. My goal is self-determination of the Oromo which can lead to an independent Oromia within union of free peoples or to an independence of all nations without union. I know that few Amara forces do accept the first option, but many of them do reject the second goal. They do want larger unitary Ethiopia than the “inferior mini states” such as Amara state and Oromia state. I am also for the larger union based on free will of the Oromo, which can be result of referendum. But I don’t agree with idea of some Amara forces, who advocate for unconditional unity, which is dictatorial. To forge the common goal, i.e democratic union based on self-determination, we need alliance of all Amara forces and Oromo fronts against Biltsiginna. I hope this is also the status, which some Amara forces want to achieve. This form of alliance between Amara forces and Oromo fronts is a means to get rid of the dictator and the alliance can struggle for union of free peoples in the region as its end goal.
Some Amara forces even, at least theoretically, do believe that the destiny of Oromo people should be decided by only Oromo people who live in Oromia and “who are also Ethiopians”. If they really believe in what they some times write, that means they are ready to leave the decision on Oromo destiny for the Oromo. Then the question to be asked is: what will happen if the very Oromo they do mention as part of Ethiopians decide against unity which they want, but opt to build an independent Oromia without union? Do Amara forces accept it and move on or do they fight against it? Further more, they should be clear on the type of unity they want to foster: union based on free will or unity by force? Those who advocate unity by force have their own arguements. Specially, it is interesting to read that some of them are trying to instrumentalize the present American politics in order to push for success of their own type of unity, which is again an euphemy for keeping the empire. They do say just as American union was saved by force, we will struggle to save Ethiopian union. Can’t their “intellectual” mind grasp the difference between the two “unions”? America is the land of immigrants being melted together to take American identity speaking only English. Do they want all the native “Ethiopian” nationalities be melted to take such uniformity and speak only Amarinya?
As far as I know, even the most liberal movements like Ezema advocates unconditional integration, which is not goal of Oromo fronts and not the wish of other oppressed people, who do fight for self-determination. I am not against union based on free will of all nations, but I am against forced unity of any kind, which disregards free will of nations like the Oromo. If Ezema wants alliance of purpose with Oromo fronts like the OLF, I just suggest that it accepts a union based on self-determination of nations as common denominator, instead of talking about unconditional unity. I also read that Ezema was calling for an alliance of all Amara forces and Oromo fronts as means to get rid of Biltsiginna. I do accept this attempt, but my concern and the question I would like to ask is: alliance of whom against Biltsiginna?
As I understood till now, Ethiopian politics is kept in balance due to fighting between the following three blocs: 1- bloc of the Biltsiginna domination force; 2- bloc of the so called “unity forces”, who do fight to keep the empire intact; this bloc does use different tactics in the name of democracy, but its message is simple and clear: save the empire from disintegration; 3- bloc of freedom fighters of all oppressed nations in the empire, who do first want to be liberated from the system of domination before trying to talk about unity. For this group, union must be only the result of self-determination of all nations in the empire. When Amara forces talk about alliance against Biltsiginna, do they mean alliance of only political and civic organizations in the second bloc? Or do they also want to include those in the third block? As I understood from the rhetoric of Ezema leaders till now, they already put precondition for alliance to be forged against the first bloc: i.e accepting Ethiopian unity unconditionally! With this precondition, they seem to exclude those in the third bloc such as the OLF, ONLF, SLF…etc, who want to achieve self-determination for their respective nations. In order to include the third bloc in to alliance they want to forge against Biltsiginna, the Ezema people need to change this precondition and should try to find common denominator with the third bloc.
I think the only common denominator can be acceptance of union based on self-determination of nations. If Ezema activists are democrats in practice as they do say always, I hope they will accept this. Nations should decide on their own destiny based on free will, be it for freedom within union or for an independence without union. Does their rhetoric about democracy include such demand of peoples to decide on their destiny? Or are they smart unitarist foxes in sheep’s skin? Or are some of them just naive poleticians, being instrumentalized to fullfill intention of the extremists, who want to restore their domination at any cost? I hope, slowly, Amara people will think and act independently from the hitherto extremist minded chauvinist conservatives.
The two positions, i.e position of Amara forces (unconditional unity) vs position of Oromo fronts (union based on free will) should be discussed and debated before attempting to forge an alliance against Biltsiginà. Even when nations give their vote to freedom within union, then it is mandatory to decide secondly on which type of federal arrangement to be accepted. Amara forces are advocators of geography based federalism in contrast to language based federalism (“ethnic federalism”), which is preferred by most of freedom fighters. As “democrats”, all of them can live accepting the winner per public verdict. This is what UDJ wanted to achieve in Medrek. Actually UDJ got what it intended to achieve: §39 was rejected and if Medrek wins in any election, the issue regarding type of federation will be decided by public verdict. Here, it seems that federalist Oromo parties in Medrek lost in the compromise solution. They didn’t insist to achieve right of Oromo nation to self-determination and even they compromised the further existence of Oromia because of the fact that if geography based federation wins, this region will be dismantled.
Now, the question to be directed to Amara forces is: can’t they extend this philosophy they do apply for deciding on which type of federation, based on public verdit as agreed in Medrek, also to the arguement: freedom within union vs independence without union? Doesn’t this require self-determination of nations to decide on which type of sovereignity peoples can have? Can’t they imagine that the public can also decide on this issue per referendum? Doesn’t their democracy rhetoric include this option? Can’t they accept and live, if certain public decides for self-rule without union? Or do they go to forest and fight for union they want to see? As I heard till now, Ezema didn’t even decide on the issue regarding which type of federation to support.
Amara forces should not misunderstand me here. I do support union, when it is based on free will. My question to them is again just as UDJ accepted principle of public verdict on the decision regarding geography based federation vs language based federation, can’t they just in principle accept that people also can decide regarding type of sovereignity they want to have, i.e on self-rule within union vs independence without union? Concerning the benefit/cost discussion in comparing the two types of sovereignty, all stakeholders, of course, can try to convince the public so that majority may accept their respective wish before voting. Amara forces can advertise for the advantage of a union and the pro-liberty fronts can talk about the importance of an independence. Of cource the compromise and the common ground for both groups can be national freedom within regional union, which can be advocated by both forces if they make consensus on it. Then, alliance of both forces can try to convince the public about the importance and benefit of this common goal – union of free peoples. At last, the public should decide which to prefer.
Yet interesting is to read that some Amara forces fear that peoples can be brain washed and vote against their own interest. It is simply wrong to think that peoples decide against their own interest. If they do mistakenly vote against their own interset like the Americans elected Mr Bush by mistake, let it be. That is also part of democracy! Do Amara forces want that certain force should have been raised and prevented this election of Mr Bush or do they want that, just like Meles Zenawi did, certain forceful person would have taken away the victory and declare himself the winner? During elections, informing the public before making the decision is some thing good, but just taking away this possibility of decision making from the people is undemocratic. So, my message to Amara forces is that there is no half backed democracy. Either they accept it as it is, including the right of nations to self-determination or they just stop acting like pope of democracy and they should stop condemning those who are undemocratic, for it is known that they can be also the same or even worse if they get the chance to be in power. If they do reject such simple right of nations being an oppostiion, it is imaginable what they can do if they get power: they may do worse than what TPLF is doing.
The mere fact that concerned people may be brain washed by interest groups to vote against their own interest is the reality we have to live with. All nations do have our own interest and each of us want to convince people that our respective position is right. By the way, why should we call it brain washing instead of calling it convincing? It is about influencing people, be it this way or that way. In America, the evangelicals were convinced and were successfull with Mr Bush and the quasi-socialists were successfull with Mr Obama. Where is brain washing? It is about convincing the majority. The one, who won hearts and minds of majority was the victor. In free and fair competition, for Amara forces who struggle for unity, there is the same chance to that of Oromo fronts (advocators of union as result of self-determination). Their freedom of choice is mutually respected.
But regarding those dictatorial unifiers who are advocating unconditional unity without the option for public verdict, it should be known that they do take freedom of Oromo fronts by advocating such dictatorial position. For example, when they say “be andinet lay anideraderim!”, they are sending the message: you either accept this andinet or we will deal with you. They don’t say, we advocate for unity and then let the public decide. Their approach is arrogant, dictatorial and uncompromising! To such people, Oromo fronts also should say: “be netsanet lay anideraderim”. Now how can two groups who do say “anideraderim” deal with each other democratically? The only solution will be bullet, as it has been till now. Up to now, pro-unconditional-unity dictatorial forces won for the last 150 years and they “united” us by force. Oromo freedom fighters call this colonization, for it is not union based on free will. Some people with similar dictatorial ideology do now want to continue status quo at gun point. That is why Oromo fronts dare to say: such forces are not open for lasting solution, but they are still causes for misery in the Horn region.
The question yet to be answered is again: do we see any possibility and any common denominator for an eventual alliance between the above mentioned bloc of Amara forces and Oromo fronts against Biltsiginnà? I suggest that the only common denominator is acceptance of common strategical goal, i.e union based on nations’ right to self-determination. In relation to this common denominator, we can classify current political organizations in Ethiopia in to the following three roups: 1- on the right side are ethio-nationalists, who want to see Ethiopia with uniformily amharanized one people; they are geogeraphy based federalists who do advocate for “democratic federal Ethiopia” where there will be no visible danger for future disintegation, they actually plan to get rid of national areas like Oromia; 2- in middle are language based federalists, who are usually known as ethnic federalists. They want to see autonomous nations like Oromia determining their fate in their national area, but this group does exclude pushing for the right of nations to self-determination per referendum; 3- on the left side are ethno-nationalists, who want to excercise right of nations to self-determination and forge a sovereign, independent republics of their national areas like independent gadaa republic of Oromia without union.
I think, position of the OLF is the third one, i.e self-determination of Oromo people per referendum which can lead either to language based federation (union of free nations) or to independent republic of Oromia without union. Now, coming to the call for alliance by Ezema, I think it is alliance of all these three groups, who can agree on establishing federal democratic Ethiopia per public verdict to decide firstly on type of sovereignity: YES to union vs NO to union and then if the choice is YES, secondly to decide on type of federation: language based federation vs geography based federation. The OLF can be part of such alliance for its vision of Oromo’s right to self-determination leading to self-rule within union or to an independence without union based on referendum among the Oromo will be accepted and respected.
Also in Oromo liberation camp, nowadays there are three tendencies or directions: 1- Ethiopianist Oromos rallying behind Ezema seem to claim that Ethiopia belongs to the Oromo or the Oromo belong to Ethiopia and they say we have to fight for freedom of all Ethiopians from any sort of domination, exploitation and subjugation. They are not against Afaan Oromo beside Amarinya to be working language of federal government as it is language of the majority. This group of the Oromo are smart to claim some of Oromos’ right in a diplomatic way. 2- Federalist Oromos like those rallying behind OFC are supporters of language based federation, they want to see Oromia having its autonomy and its limited sovereignity, but this group don’t dare to push for right of the Oromo to self-determination, instead they seem to accept unconditional unity. Otherwise they say other regions can be devided if they want to forge geography based federalism, but this is not vision of the Oromo and should not be fate of Oromia. They look at geography based federalism as a plot to dismantle Oromia. That is why I do ask: can Ezema get support of this group? 3- Oromianist nationals include all the Oromo rallying behind their liberation fronts, specially behind the OLF and they want to achieve self-determination of Oromo people leading to either self-rule of Oromia within union or to an independence without union based on outcome of referendum among the Oromo.
I hope the right oriented ethio-nationalists, who want to stablish Ethiopia with geography based federalism and the middle positioned federalists, who want to establish democratic Ethiopia with language based federalism or with the assymetric federalism (having both mononational states like Oromia and multinational states like SNNP at a time) will give up their respective positions and join the left oriented ethno-nationalists, who want to liberate their respective national area and simultaneously forge union of free nations based on self-determination. To be clear, neither the vision to dismantle Oromia nor the intention to dismember Ethiopia per force can lead to the lasting unity, which Amara forces want to see. So, I hope we can bring all the stakeholders to rally behind common goal of building language based federation or union of free peoples based on self-determination as compromise solution.
Just as some of Amara forces seem to love the name Ethiopia, some Oromos suspect that this group does hate to see Oromia existing. When I do hear and read the persistent rhetoric of Ezema leaders talking that acceptance of Ethiopian unity is precondition for the alliance they want to forge, I can just conclude that Ezema is simply smart version of the notorious chauvinists! They do exhibit arrogant stand of “my way or high way”, which doesn’t promote the unity they actually want to realize. I do believe that the only viable unity should come from free will of nations in the empire through self-determination. Otherwise these people in Ezema can strive as long as they want, they can never win hearts and minds of the Oromo and all other self-conscious oppressed nations (excluding the mental slaves who are already acting to be more Habesha than the natives).
Good is that Ezema struggles against EPP but it seems to make no constructive compromise to build an alliance with Oromo freedom fighters. With that it already made a big obstacle even for unity forces. Intentionally or unintentionally it is against the cause it seems to fight for. Sure is that the bloc of unity forces can not win against both the first and the third (bloc of freedom fighters), who actually do have a potential to build strategical alliance against their second bloc of unity forces. Those forces in the second bloc should remember that they lost the struggle in 2005 not only because of action of the TPLF, but also because of the support they lost from the Oromo and other oppressed nations. As an e.g, OFC and UEDF abandoned the alliance at the last minute, as they observed the danger CUD might bring by reversing even the fake language based federation of the TPLF, in which at least limited cultural autonomy of nations is respected.
Now, Ezema seems to do the same mistake. That is why I dare to say, these people in Ezema are either naive politicians or implants to sabotage the intention of Amhara unitiy forces, for their approach at last leads not to unity. If they realy want lasting unity, they have to agree to accept verdict of the people. When the time comes, they can advocate for unity they do believe in, others will advertise independence of their respective nation, then let us leave the result for people to decide. That is what we call right to self-determination per referendum. Further more, if the parties in the alliance make consensus to forge union of free peoples from the very beginning, all can propagate together their common vision and allow the public to either accept or reject it. If this is view of Amara forces, there will be nothing to quarrel on with Oromo freedom fighters. Let the people decide firstly on type of sovereignity regarding self-rule within a union vs independence without a union and then secondly after deciding for union based on free will, people can yet decide on type of federation we will have: language based federalism vs geography based federalism. If this is view of Amhara forces, there is no hinderance for the possible alliance with Oromo liberation fronts against bloc of Biltsiginna.
If rightly excercised, genuine ethnic federalism, i.e free Oromia in Ethiopian union based on free will of nations is good common ground for both Amara forces and Oromo fronts. Therefore, if Ezema gives up its stand of having unity as precondition for the possible alliance, any move of Ezema and OLF to struggle together for freedom and democracy in Ethiopia is very smart and timely. Yet the two organizations need to build middle way compromise solution to their apparently irreconcilable goals (OLF struggles for independent Oromia and wants to achieve an integrated Ethiopia). I think any alliance similar to AFD is best way to self-determination of the Oromo as a nation and to democratization as well integration of the resulting union of peoples in Ethiopia as a region (national independence within regional union). The result will be free Oromia in Ethiopian union. This is not just fancy, but fact which can be realized
Last but not least, I would like to say: no empire in history has ever changed through reforms. It was only fall of empires that could set enslaved nations free. For democracy and union of nations in Ethiopia to be realized, the empire must end and then Ethiopian union can be forged. Sovereignty of all Ethiopians over their country should be recognized. All nations in the empire, big or small, should have equal rights to national self determination. It is only if they are free that they can decide on their destiny. At the end, peoples of the empire and many more can join the union if they want so. There should be no other nation to decide on fate of others, as the Habesha tended to do. The same is true for all nations in Africa. Then, even there will be possibility for united sate of Africa to be established based on free will of its entire nations and peoples. Even Habasha nations, that have never had a say in the way they were governed, will get opportunity to excercise their own self-determination and elect leaders of their own choice freely. As long as national domination persists, the struggle for liberation shall continue. That is why I would like to say, a panacea for the current problem in Ethiopia is co-operation of Amara pro-democracy forces and Oromo freedom fighters having language based federalism in a form of Ethiopian union as common ground and common purpose. Just as ODF priviously did, I salute the call of some elites to work with all Oromo organizations in particular and all Ethiopian opposition forces in general in order to fight against the Abyssinian system of domination! May Wàqa help us all to be victorious!
Galatôma!
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