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Dr. Abiy Started the Struggle to Revenge the OLF and Dr. Berihanu Began Political Career to Stop the Oromo: Fact or Fancy?

We are repeatedly told that Dr. Abiy joined the OPDO as 14 years young boy to revenge against the OLF, which allegedly had killed his brother. When we now observe how he tries to manipulate the OLF in order to make the vanguard organization out of political game, it seems the story holds water. Dr. Berihanu also wrote himself that he decided to be involved in politics in order to save Ethiopia after observing how Oromo nationalists in prison were determined to liberate Oromia. Both of them have got similar motivation to fight against the OLF in particular and the Oromo in general, so that Ethiopia shall be saved from possible disintegration as a result of Oromia’s liberation. Now, the two anti-OLF (anti-Oromo) men are star leaders of the incumbent and the opposition respectively. It seems that both are successful (at least for the time being) in weakening the OLF and pushing it out of the central political game. The question yet to be answered is: can they win the final war against the OLF, i.e against the Oromo? I don’t think so! The two politicians choosing to be against the OLF automatically make them enemies of the Oromo. Surely, at the end of the day, the Oromo shall win the struggle and Ethiopia will be trasnsformed to Great Oromia or Ethiopia will give birth to Gadaa Oromia.
Read more: https://fayyisoromia.wordpress.com/2018 ... -or-fancy/

It is interesting to observe Oromo politics in particular and Ethiopian politics in general nowadays. In one of his speechs three years ago, Dr. Abiy Ahmed said “Oromo Nationalism bellitles the great Oromo people”. Many Oromo nationalists were not happy about this assertion of the Prime Minister. But, is there any grain of fact in the statement? The answer is in our political point of view regarding the questions: 1. who are Oromo and 2. where is the border of Oromia? Are Oromo only those who speak Afaan Oromo and identify ourselves as Oromo or does Oromoness include also the lost Oromo in the Horn of Africa, from Egypt to Tanzania? Is Oromia only the Smaller Oromia now governed by OPP or Small Oromia of the OLF or Ethiopia itself as Great Oromia or the Horn of Africa as Greater Oromia? If we think Oromia is the small Gadaa Oromia and fight to separate it from other parts of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy’s statement can offend us. If our vision includes that Ethiopia itself is Great Oromia, which the Oromo can claim and transform, then his speech is encouraging. As far as I am concerned, Cushitic Ethiopia, including the Habeshanized part, is in reality Greater Oromia. Oromo nationalism, which doesn’t take this fact in to consideration really bellitles the great Oromo people.

The Oromo are now at the time to think bigger. I think, Dr. Abiy is not against such bigger thinking Oromo nationalism, which claims the Horn of Africa (Greater Oromia) as our home. His approach seems to be: 1stly free Tulluu Dalatti (Menelik palace), 2ndly free Smaller Oromia of OPDO, thirdly free Great Oromia (new Ethiopia), fourthly work for regional integration of the Horn (Greater Oromia) and fifthly promote formation of African federation with its political capital in Finfinne and of course the Oromo playing centeral role in the process. To be successful in such sense, Oromo nationalists need unity of purpose. I personally used to advocate for Oromo unity and that is yet to happen; I tried to promote Amhara-Oromo alliance and this will emerg, despite EPP’s divide and destroy machination. Qeerro Oromo went to Bahr-Dar to cleanse our biggest lake carrying the slogan “Xanaan keenya” and Ob. Lammaa Magarsa visited Amhara region to start an Amhara-Oromo dialogue with an intention: “Ethiopiyan keenya”. ANDM and OPDO voted for the integrative personality – Dr. Abiy – as PM of the Country.  I was glad to observe my political position being implemented by the Oromo movement. Both tokkummaa/unity of the Oromo and tumsa/alliance with the Amhara are best anti-dotes against EPP’s dictstorship. The question is only: what hindered us till now from excercising this solutions? Why couldn’t we try to come together for the sake of overcoming the challenges? One of the reasons is that the Oromo till now hesitated to accept Ethiopia as “biyya keenya = our Country”, whereas the Amhara rejected their ethnic identity in order to save Ethiopia. Now, Amharas starting to struggle for their ethnic right and the Oromo begining to entertain the rhetoric, “Ethiopiyan keenya” are good common grounds to approach each other and fight against EPP in unison.

When we look at the mindset of Oromo freedom fighters, we can classify ourselves into three, based on our confidence level as well as our visions regarding the post-freedom kaayyoo (goal) and according to an approach to our rivals. Concerning our level of confidence, I would like to say that we opted for independent Gadaa Oromia (kaayyoo ganama = “morning’s goal”) as we were under worst oppression and had low confidence. Then, after achieving some rights through our bitter struggle, we developed more confidence in ourselves (thus, we now have intermediate confidence) and started to entertain federal union Ethiopia (free Oromia within federal Ethiopia) as kaayyoo guyyaa = “midday’s goal”. Slowly, we are seeing and recognizing our future potential to transform Ethiopia to Oromia, so we will have high confidence in the future in order to envision an integrative Great Oromia (transformed democratic Ethiopia, which can be de facto Oromia), thus we will develop kaayyoo galgalaa = “evening’s goal”. Is this what Dr. Abiy has in mind? Is he a step forward ahead of other Oromo nationalists? Based on our visions and approachs to our rivals, there are the following three political generations of Oromo nationalists:

– the 1st generation are communist oriented, who believe in “my way or the high way” principle of the 1960s. Out of the three known types of post-freedom sovereignty (1. independent Oromia = Gadaa Oromia, 2. federal Union = Union Oromia & 3. integrated Ethiopia = Great Oromia), they choose one and say “that is the only solution”. Thus, they are called “arrab-tokkee” (single tounged). By this generation, Oromo nationals, who opt for the other two types (different from position this group) are considered as enemies to be destroyed. For instance, the pro-independence OLF of Ob Galaasa, the pro federation OFDM of Ob. Bulcha and the pro integration MEISON of Dr. Haile Fida belong here.

– the 2nd generation of 1990s are a bit open minded and entertain two of the three post-freedom visions, but reject one of the three vehemently. As examples, the pro-self-determination OLF of Ob. Dawud entertains referendum on ‘independent Oromia’ vs ‘federal Union’, but vehemnetly opposes those who struggle for ‘integrated Ethiopia’ (geo-federation); and the pro-unity ECS of Ob. Andargachew (also Oromo) supports referendum on ‘federal Union’ vs ‘integrated Ethiopia’, but vehemently rejects any possible vote for ‘independent Oromia’. These two organizations seem to entertain a limited democracy, but they try to dictate the public not to excercise our full right of choice. Thus, they are refered to as “arrab-lamee” (double tounged)

– the 3rd generation of 2020s is yet to emerge! There is no single organization now, which is ready to accept popular free will to choose one of the three types of sovereignty (independence or federalism or integration). Only Fayyis Oromia is advocating these approach and may be some individual politicians like Dr. Nagaaso Gidaada seines to be open for the three post-freedom eventualities. As an organization, ODF and OFC seem to develop in this direction. Can Dr. Abiy be the starter of Oromo movement in a sense of this generation? Mind you, according to the view of Great Oromians (unlike that of Gadaa Oromians), the Axumites and Gonderians are not biologically less Oromo than the Wellegites and Harerians; of course they are culturally lost.

We hope that the Qubee Generation will be smart enough to be open for the three types of sovereignty and to forge an inclusive alliance of all freedom fighters from these three camps against EPP. The common denominator for the three groups can be freedom from EPP and democracy after EPP. Such arrab-sadee (tripple tounged) freedom fighters are unique to the Oromo liberation movement, in contrast to single tounged Africans (persuing only the independence version), who fought against European clonizers and double tounged minority at periphery (like Eritrea and South Sudan), who had only two options (independence and federation). The Oromo, as majority over all the country, have three possible types of sovereignty to be realized after our freedom (independence, federalism and integration). As far as future accomodative Ethiopia (in contrast to Derg’s assimilative Ethiopia and Woyane’s apartheid Ethiopia) is concerned, the Oromo with high confidence will be pro-integration, whereas the Amhara with low confidence may start to entertain the pro-independence politics. Is Dr. Abiy such highly confident Oromo? Till now, the two nations played the opposite (Amharas being pro-integration and the Oromo pro-independence), due to their past experience and still being fixed on Amhara’s past assimilative Ethiopia, not yet could see Oromo’s future accomodative Ethiopia. That is why low confident Oromo nationalists seem to oppose the bold statement of Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

Oromo nationalists usually seem to have a bit conflict regarding which land to call “biyya keenya = our country”. Which one is our country? Oromia (Biyya-Oromo)? Ethiopia (Biyya-Kuush)? Africa (Biyya-Haam)? Actually, all the three are ours (Biyya-Keenya); it depends only at which level we are talking. The conflict mainly lies on claiming Ethiopia as our country. Some Oromo nationalists vehemently reject this country as their own. In reality, Ethiopia is Tulama Empire, not Habesha Empire as usually told. It was formed by an alliance of the Habeshanized Tulama led by Emperor Menilik and the non-Habeshanized Tulama led by General Goobana. These two leaders were founders of the present empire and majority of their army were Oromo. We can even call it Oromian empire and now, we need to transform this empire to Oromian (Ethiopian) union.

The difference between an empire and a union can be summarized as: “an empire is a dictatorial bringing together of nations by force; union is a democratic coming together of nations per free will.” Gadaa Oromian independence as advocated by some nationalists can happen, either if all our neighbours reject such a union by free will and forge their independent countries or if Oromo people decide for such independence per referendum. OFC prefers the first approach (let other minority nations go from us for we are majority at the center) and the OLF opted for the second (let our people decide either for an independence or for a union). Anyways, Biyya-Oromo is imperatively our country, Biyya-Kuush is optionally our country and Biyya-Haam is inevitably our continent (also country); we can call the three levels Biyya-Keenya. We also can call Biyya-keenya (our country) in only double sense, considering Africa as our continent: both Biyya-Oromo (Oromia’s) and Biyya-Kuush (Ethiopia) are Biyya-keenya. Either of them or both of them can be final result of our self-determination per referendum as planned by the OLF. As far as I am concerned, self-rule of Biyya-Oromo within shared rule of Biyya-Kuush is a pragmatic solution for the Oromo at present.

Dr. Abiy seems to persue this option, which is shared by the OFAmharanet(. Also the OLF is not far from this, it only wanted to give chance to choose for Oromo public. Having autonomous Oromia within united Ethiopia is a feasible solution, but the Oromo should not necessarily limit ourselves within small Gadaa Oromia instead of owning the big Great Oromia (democratic Ethiopia). Does Dr. Abiy’s statement imply this? Now, Oromophobic Ethiopia, which we vehemently rejected is dying, whereas Oromophilic Ethiopia, which we want to save and keep is growing. I think this second version of Ethiopia can be loved by the Oromo and this love is an Ethiopiawinet which will be an addiction to us (“Ethiopiawinet inde hashish suus new” according to Ob. Lammaa’s speech in Bahr-Dar. Oromo politics of 2020 may entertain this re-claiming of Ethiopia by the Oromo and say “Ethiopiyan keenya”. If Ethiopia (Great Oromia) is ours, Gadaa Oromia is not necessarily for what we should struggle unconditionally. At the moment, we can be open for three types of post-freedom sovereignty: 1. only Ethiopia, 2. both Ethiopia & Oromia in a form of federation, 3. only Oromia. Dr. Abiy’s bigger vision can get resistance from Gadaa Oromians, but Great Oromians, who claim Ethiopia as Oromia, need not misunderstand his assertion. Otherwise, in case both Dr. Abiy and Dr. Berihanu continue to act against the OLF and the Oromo, we just would like to say: aluta continua! May Waaqa help Oromo nationalists to tolerate each other in persuing our common cause of freedom together and then excercise democracy in order to decide for one of the above three post-freedom sovereignty options per public verdict!