Ethiopia Surely Shall Give Birth to Oromia and/or Oropia!
By Fayyis Oromia*
This may not be what either Oromo or non-Oromo politicians want to hear—but it is a bitter truth that must and will eventually be accepted by all concerned. The Ethiopia we have known until now is, in reality, Amapia—a nation dominated by Amhara nationalism. However, the Ethiopia of the future is on a path toward becoming Oropia—a state led by Oromummaa. This transformation will happen slowly but surely. The only way to prevent this shift is through the separation of all neighboring nations from Oromia. As long as Ethiopia’s territorial integrity is preserved under the leadership of Oromummaa, Ethiopia will, in effect, become Oropia.
In short, Ethiopia’s destiny is already set: to give birth to Oromia and/or Oropia. This means one of the following three scenarios will materialize:
- An independent Oromia without Oropia.
- An autonomous Oromia within Oropia.
- An integrative Oropia without a distinct Oromia.
The Oromo liberation movement consists of two wings and a backbone—three core positions from which it challenges its common adversary. One wing seeks to establish an independent Oromia, envisioned as a powerful player in the Horn of Africa—focused solely on self-rule. The backbone of the movement pushes for a federal union—Oromia within Oropia—aiming to make Oromia a leading nation-state in a democratic federation. This approach combines self-rule with shared rule. The other wing focuses on transforming Ethiopia into a democratic state, potentially renaming it Oropia and promoting Afaan Oromo as the primary federal language, while placing less emphasis on regional self-rule—prioritizing only shared rule.
These three parts of the Oromo national movement are working to harmonize their efforts against the current dictatorial regime. As a result, we now see Oromo forces spanning the full spectrum of opposition—from political parties to liberation fronts. Yet, surprisingly, no single organization coordinates these three branches under a unified national liberation movement. This absence strengthens the argument that one of the three outcomes for Oromo sovereignty is inevitable—and none are necessarily disadvantageous for the Oromo people.
These three positions reflect different interpretations of Oromo history:
- Some see Oromo and Abyssinian histories as parallel and conflicting—e.g., Menelik’s conquest vs. the so-called Oromo expansion.
- Others view the past as both common and conflicting.
- Still others focus on a shared, proud history—such as the victory at Adwa.
From these historical views emerge the three post-liberation visions: independent Oromia, a federal union (Oromia within Oropia), or an integrative Oropia. To achieve freedom effectively, despite our differing perspectives, we must first unite against the current oppressive system. Only afterward can we decide—through open debate and public consensus—which path of sovereignty to pursue. Consider the following parallels:
– Those who view Oromo history as solely conflicting prefer the Russian model (an independent Oromia as proposed by Obbo Galaasaa Dilboo). Just as Russian elites dismantled the Soviet Union and established the Russian Federation, which continues to influence its neighbors through economic and military strength, this model sees an independent Oromia as potentially influential in the Horn of Africa.
– Those who embrace both the common and conflicting aspects of history lean toward the British model (a federal union as advocated by Dr. Leenco Lataa). The English liberated themselves from Roman rule, established England as an autonomous region, and formed the United Kingdom with others—using English as its working language. Oromia, too, could gain autonomy and unite with other regions to form a federal Oropia, using Afaan Oromo as its primary working language.
– Those who see only a proud shared history prefer the Indian model (an integrative Oropia as envisioned by Dr. Haile Fida). The Hindi people freed their entire region, named it India, promoted Hindi as the national language, and divided their homeland into federal regions. Similarly, Oromia could lead a movement to liberate all peoples in the empire, name the country Oropia, promote Afaan Oromo as the federal language, and base new federal regions on the historic Odàcenters (e.g., Odà Bisil, Bulluqi, Bultum, Garres, Makodi, Nabee, and Robà).
Every Oromo has the right to choose the future they believe is best for their nation. Ultimately, the will of the Oromo majority must prevail. Oromia’s self-rule and/or Oropia’s shared rule should become the core of Oromo political discourse—unlike the federation vs. separation dichotomy pursued by Tigrayan elites.
Interestingly, each of the three dominant Abyssinianist groups has only one political path:
- Amhara elites cling to the Indian-type model because Amarigna enjoys federal language privilege.
- Eritrean elites, historically marginalized, chose the Russian-style full separation.
- Tigrayan elites, lacking linguistic privilege and the capacity for independent statehood, favor the British-style federal union.
By contrast, the Oromo—being the majority and occupying the central region—are uniquely positioned to consider all three models. As long as freedom and democracy are the rules of the game, we should leverage our strategic advantage and coordinate with all pro-democracy forces in the empire to fight the current Amhara-dominated system and reach the point where we can vote on our preferred path.
In my view, all three visions are valid and viable. The final decision must come from the politically conscious Oromo polity and be ratified by the public through a referendum when the time is right. This essay is a bitter pill for those enemies of the Oromo who celebrate the fragmentation of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) into three factions. What they fail to realize is that the OLF has always had one goal: freedom—which naturally leads to three interpretations of post-liberation sovereignty: an independent Oromia, a federal union, or an integrative Oropia. The movement adapts to the realities of the moment—it plays its cards based on the Zeitgeist.
Galatooma.
Read more:https://orompia.wordpress.com/2023/05/0 ... ve-oropia/