Is Biltsigina Party of Dr. Abiy Ethio-dictator Like Derg or Ethno-dictator Similar to Woyane?
By Fayyis Oromia*
It is becoming clear that Biltsigina party of Dr. Abiy is neither for liberation of Oromia as envisioned by the OLF nor for leadership of Oropia (Oromummà led Ethiopia) as entertained by the OFC. It seems that the dictatorial Biltsigina is repeating either the goal of Derg’s WPE (ethiofascist Ethiopia with fake geo-federation) or plan of Woyane’s EPRDF(ethnofascist Ethiopia with fake ethno-federation). It is really pity to see Oromo elites sabotaging Oromo struggle for the third time. The revolution of 1974 happened by the Oromo nation was sabotaged by Oromo elites led by Mengistu (Oromo himself). The change in 1991 was sabotaged by Oromo elites in OPDO and the movement in 2018 is being sabotaged by Oromo elites led by Abiy Ahmed. These three revolutions came to effect with huge sacrifice of the Oromo, but lastly served the dominance of Amaranet/Amarigna at the cost of Oromiffà/Oromummà. No question that Biltsiginnà is pro-Amaranet, not pro-Oromummà as actually expected. The only question is: which way Biltsigina? To be EPRDF-2 by keeping the fake ethnic federation or EWP-2 by creating fake geo-federation? Time will tell us!
Otherwise it is interesting to observe how Oromo struggle evolves. We forged the OLF with vision of an independent Oromia at the beginning, where we had low confidence regarding the possible take over of Àngô/power in Finfinné palace. Then, we came through our struggle to the level of intermediate confidence and opted for federal union envisioning self-rule of Oromia and shared rule of Ethiopia advocated by the OFC. Now, after being sure that we can own Caffee Aràra, Finfinné and the whole Ethiopia, we are open for the objective of high confidence, i.e an integrated Ethiopia. It seems that the OLF has to either shift its vision slowly from an independent Oromia through a federal union to an integrated Ethiopia in order to survive in this evolution or it will be obsolete soon. OFC is in a good position at this phase of transition, but needs to move towards the goal of an integrated Ethiopia. Our move towards the third goal now is radical, but I doubt if it’s timing is optimal for we are still with mind set of intermediate confidence and need to evolve further in order to develop politics of high confidence. Surely, we will reach at this level in the near future and then focus on integrating Ethiopia in Oromo terms, which will be de facto Oropia (bigger than the originally wished Oromia of the OLF).
Now, Oromo democratic parties are trying to summon under one leadership. I am now happy seeing that OLF and OFC came to the position of alliance. Hopefully, they will also merge to forge ORP (Oromo Republican Party) as a competitor to the incumbent Prosperitan Party, We are now on the verge of concluding the liberation phase of our struggle and we need such two competitive parties in the phase of democratization. The Oromo people as a collective entity were without any question suffering under oppression or tyranny since the end of the nineteenth century. This collective entity is about to get back its lost freedom from the occupation or colonization by the invading warlords of Abyssinians. The Oromo fought against old Amhara elites till 1991, and against new warlords (TPLF) since 1991. Now, it seems that descendants of both the old warlords and the new ones are doing their best to come back to the lucrative power of Finfinne palace. The question to be asked again and again is: what should Oromo people do? Continue fighting each other as our enemies in both the old and the new oppressor camps want us to do?
I do write this short essay after visiting certain websites, where some “leaders of Oromo liberation” do write their articles opposing Oromo unity and after listening audios, in which anti-Oromo individuals are vehemently fighting against the move of Oromo nationalists to bring some of our liberation forces together. I am amazed to hear and read from such “Oromo” individuals. I put here the word Oromo in quotation mark for there is a highest probability that they are Afaan Oromo speaking part of our “smart foes” or misguided ones from our own society. Otherwise, I do not see any logic, why any reasonable Oromo should campaign against unity based on Oromummà (Oromoness) to get our full liberty at this particular time.
I tried to understand these “Oromo” individuals opposing our unity and to find out the reason they do have to be as such anti-unity. I found the following main reasons, which they do repeat daily:
– “unity which dismantles unity is not needed or what is now propagated and going on is a fake unity”;
– “unity suggested and led by Obbo Léncô Latà is fake”;
– “unity excluding other leaders is not true unity”;
– “the Oromo liberation army must not be exclusively controlled by the Oromo Liberation Front”, etc
Before trying to comment on these points of arguments, let me try to define operationally the concepts unity, Oromummà (Oromo nationalism) and liberty. I do this simple job, and I will repeat what I already wrote many times till both our “smart foes” and “misguided friends” do comprehend, if they really can or want to understand.
Oromo unity must be able to take our diversity into consideration, and Oromo nationalists should have the future democratic federal Ethiopia in mind. In such sense of possible federation of the Oromo people from different regions, clans and religions, unity is to be defined from the Latin word foedus meaning covenant. Such unity is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central (“federal”) government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the central government. A covenant, in its most general significanse, means any kind of promise or contract, whether it be made in writing or by parol. In a more technical sense, and the one in which it is here considered, a covenant is an agreement between two or more persons, entered into in writing and under seal, whereby either party stipulates for the truth of certain facts, or promises to perform or give something to the other, or to abstain from the performance of certain things.
In such sense, Oromo individuals or groups (based on region, clan, party and religion) should be able to forge such covenant, promise, agreement or contract in order to build a common purpose of establishing future federal Ethiopia as a union of free nations in the region or have a covenant in order to abstain from any sort of destructive words and works which hinder the Oromo from achieving our common purpose. For free Oromia in such federal union to be realized, the positive Oromo nationalism (patriotism) or Oromummà must be common ground for all Oromo individuals and groups. What is this common identity: Oromummà (Oromo patriotism)?
Patriotism is love and devotion to one’s country. The word comes from the Greek patris, meaning fatherland. Patriotism, however, has had different meanings over time, and its meaning is highly dependent upon context, geography, and philosophy. Although patriotism is used in certain vernaculars as a synonym for nationalism, nationalism is not necessarily considered an inherent part of patriotism. Among the ancient Greeks, patriotism consisted of notions concerning language, religious traditions, ethics, law, and devotion to the common good, rather than pure identification with a nation-state (nationalism is such identification). Some scholars even write that patriotism does not require one to agree with everything that his country does and would actually promote analytical questioning in a quest to make the country the best it possibly can be.
Then, let me take the beneficial definition, i.e. patriotism as a devotion to the common good. What is the common good for Oromo at this particular time? No question that moving from oppression to liberty was the common good all Oromo individuals and groups needed to devote to now. This devotion of Oromo, despite all diversities in the nation, to the common good is what I would call true patriotism. The unity we are now struggling for is the one based on such Oromummà. ODF and the new OPDO did good job in this regard.
The ultimatum goal of this unity of Oromummà is freedom in a sense of national self-determination, including individual liberty. Self-determination is a process by which a group of people, usually possessing a degree of political consciousness, form their own state and government. According to the UN charter, certain group of people has the right to form itself into a state or to otherwise determine the form of its association with another state, and every state has the right to choose its own political, economic, social, and cultural systems. Moreover, the administering authorities of dependent territories are to ensure political advancement and the development of self-government in those territories.
It is such freedom of the Oromo (self-determination), which needs to be taken as the common good. Additionally, freedom in a sense of individual liberty is to be pursued in the future federal democratic Ethiopia within or without union of nations in the Horn. Freedom in a sense of liberty has found philosophical expression in individualism. It is conception of the individual as having certain natural rights that could not be denied or taken away by society or by any external authority, it includes rights possessed by people living in a “state of nature” and not surrendered, only modified, in the social contract by which they agreed to live together in society. Political scientists point out that even in a “state of nature,” people are subject to the law of nature and that the rights enjoyed by them in society are historically acquired and not natural except in a strictly social sense. Liberties are acquired through joining of like-minded individuals to gain special privileges for themselves.
So, if we do understand freedom in such individual sense (liberty) and in collective sense (self-determination), no question that the Oromo struggled for freedom in both senses. Freedom based on Oromummà (respecting our diversities in region, clan, party and religion) is the best means we needed to achieve freedom in the above both sense. From this perspective, we just ask who are those individuals against our unity of Oromummà for liberty? As usual, I do see two types of personalities behind this opposition: our “smart” foes and our misguided friends.
The next question is, who are those Afaan Oromo speaking people in pal-media and those Afàn Oromo writing on the websites, and are vehemently opposing the current move of Oromo nationalists and Oromo people to forge and consolidate the best instrument, unity of Oromummà for liberty? Are these misguided Oromo with genuine argument for they probably see any sort of danger in this unity or are they a well paid and dispatched Biltsiginnà cadres just to disturb Oromo unity for they know that it is the only source of force the Oromo do have? To the cadres, I just say: you are doing good job; regarding the misguided Oromo, I would like to advise them to keep indifferent, if they have a position not supporting unity for some reason. The misguided Oromo better take heed not to harm their own nation by being instruments of our foes knowingly or unknowingly.
Time will show who these anti-unity individuals really are, but indisputable wss the importance of Oromo’s unity for freedom, which we want to achieve by any means necessary. Oromo is enslaved, in addition to the help our colonizers got from their Western friends, because of the fact that we gradually lost the unity we had under Gadaa rule. History shows us that the old dominators could conquer Oromo by dividing and using certain parts of Oromo elites; they also ruled till 1991 by instrumentalizing some Oromo elites. The new hegemonists modernized this trend of using collaborators by organizing them under one “Oromo political party.” So they tried to fool Oromo people by saying: “here you are already liberated, and you are now ruled by an Oromo political party.”
Of course, Oromo people are not as such fools to buy such insulting of our intelligence. We know the Afàn Oromo speaking Habesha rulers and the few privileged Oromo mercenaries in the “Oromo party” ruling Oromia are there just to keep the status quo. They keep the hitherto victories out of fearing Oromo people and inhibit further liberation movement just to benefit their masters who are in Finfinné palace. Further liberation move means lose of the lucrative power for their masters. Now being very rich as they are, the Biltsiginnà elites can buy any mercenary Oromo or any Afàn Oromo speaking others to sow discord among Oromo nationalists using media and websites as shown above. No wonder that these new dictatorss do anything under the sun to inhibit unity of Oromummà for freedom.
Are the assertions I heard/read in the media and I listed above legitimate reasons for the opposition by individuals against the necessary unity? What does “unity which dismantles unity” mean? Did the individuals want unity being controlled by Biltsiginna? Is any unity not accepted by Afaan Oromo speaking and Afaan Oromo writing anti-Oromo fake? Who are they to discredit and demonize Ob Leencoo? Did they contribute one hundredth of what he did? Are they really concerned that other leaders are “excluded” or did they now get another way of dividing Oromo nationalists? Why do they cry and try to separate WBO from ABO; is this really healthy approach? Is it again new way of dividing Oromo nationalists: ABO vs. WBO? Let readers answer these questions yourselves; I just leave the questions as such.
Thanks to Wàqa, despite these all efforts of our “smarts foes”, Oromo community all over the world is engulfed by the notion of unity, and no power on the earth can hinder it. We have seen unity forged by some of our hitherto mini-liberation forces. Now, we are waiting for the best breakthrough, i.e. re-unification of the OLF and OFC. Of course, then can follow the possible unification of OLF with others, i.e. with genuine and non-criminal Oromo nationalists. Such tandem action of Oromo nationalists in OFC, OLF & others is the best thing our enemies, who are longing for the coming back can experience. So, no wonder if they do everything to make sure that the Oromo will not be united.
They have tried division by presenting as if there is irreconcilable difference of goal among different Oromo forces. I hope, now many Oromo nationalists (except few, who still pray the old mantra) have got the fact that there is no conflict of goal per se. I will repeat it as often as possible: there is only one Oromo-goal (freedom in a sense of self-determination) with three possible sub-goals: tactical goal (Oromia’s autonomy in Ethiopian context), core goal (Oromia’s independence) and strategical goal (union of free peoples). Is this hard to understand or is it a “secret” not to be revealed to our enemies? I think, both our foes and our friends must understand what we want to achieve. This way or that way, freedom is not free! There is nothing our foes give us because of their benevolence.
We just need to forge unity of Oromummà for freedom, and then compell our oppressors in Finfinne palace to give up their subjugating grip on Oromo nation. We advise also the Amara mass and Tegaru mass to distance themselves from both the old war-lordism and the new one, respectively, and struggle for liberty (self-determination) of their respective nations, so that we can build union of free peoples in the Horn for our common economical benefit. Until the great Oromo nation becomes free from Abyssinian domination, there will never be peace and stability in the region, for which both Abyssinians and their Western friends long, as a prerequisite for development. So, liberation of Oromia is good not only for the Oromo, but also for other stakeholders of the area.
Last but not least, the beginning of this regional union is unity of Oromo as a covenant for our national common good. Now, it is a time for Oromo groups from diverse regions, clans, parties and religions to undertake such covenant to move together under the common identity of Oromummà with the positive Oromo nationalism (patriotism) towards the common good, i.e. freedom and democracy. After achieving Oromo freedom, there is nothing under the sky which can prevent the free Oromo nation and the free other neighboring nations from fostering the highly advantageous cultural, economic and political union. I hope both our foes and friends will comprehend this move of the Oromo and then accept as well as respect our legitimate move, which is ultimately advantageous for all stakeholders. That is why I dare to say unity of Oromummà for liberty and democracy is not only the right way for the Oromo, but also a panacea for all economic and political problems in the Horn. Otherwise, I just say, may Waaqa open minds of all the concerned, including the oppressors, so that they understand not only what is good for themselves, but what is the common good for all in the region! That common good is now the goal to be persued by the possible merger of the OLF and OFC to struggle against the dictatorial Biltsigina, which may opt to be EPRDF-2 or EwP-2.
Galatôma!
Read more:https://orompia.wordpress.com/2018/11/2 ... e-new-odp/