Is PM Abiy an Integrative or a Polarizing Oromo Figure?
By Fayyis Oromia*
PM Abiy Ahmed in his speech in Ambo once glorified both sides of Oromo heroes in history (both Oromianists and Oropiansts). He mentioned Oromianists, who fought for freedom of the Oromo and sovereignty of Oromia like Mamo Mezemir and Alemu Qixessa as well as Oropianists (Ethiopianists), who struggled for nation building and national defence of the whole Ethiopia like H/Giorgis Dinagde and Leurate Tsegaye G/Medihin. Till now, Oromo elites couldn’t reconcile these two sides of Oromo history. Some elites in the OLF aknowledged Oromianists and denounced Oropianists, whereas many elites in OPP did the vice versa. PM Abiy’s approach soundes some what integrative of the two sides. On the other hand, his performance in the last seven years effectively polarized and devided Oromo nationalists in to two blocs: anti-Abiy republicans and pro-Abiy prosperitans. Now, the PM has a chance to decide for further polarizing orgy or for reintegration of the Oromo camp. It is up to him to choose how he will be rememvered in the future Oromo histrory: as integrative figure or as divisive leader. If he wants the first, he has to immediately release all Oromo political prisoners and come to consensus with the OLF and OFC. Otherwise, he can continue enjoying the ongoing support of few Oromos and fight against the Oromo majority to be remembered as Oromo Quisling in history. The ball is in his field.
Otherwise, PM Abiy trying to undermine Ethno-federation and being open for Ethio-federation at the moment is not timely, but far sighted. An independent Oromia was good Kayyô (vision) in the past as we had low confidence and low security because of all the intimidations we had to endure. Federal union (Ethno-federation) is our appropriate vision at this level of transition, where we have intermediate confidence and security, for the fact that Amaranet/Amarigna is still dominating at the cost of Oromummà/Oromiffà. An integrative Oropia (Ethio-federation) will be our optimal vision in the future for we surely will develope high confidence and security as well as Oromummà will be at the leading position in the whole country. We then just ask: is the PM trying to dismantle what the Oromo already achieved or is he moving faster (untimely) towards our future vision?
I can say, now is better than the past, but Abiy admnistration is also leading the country being dominated by Amaranet at the cost of Oromummà. Both the Oromo and Amaranet are in power as it used to be, but Oromummà is not yet in a leading position. Oromo’s future vision can be ‘leading Ethiopia and/or liberating Oromia’. The vision of leading Ethiopia can be fulfilled only when Oromummà will be the main element of Ethiopianness and Amaranet will have the second position. This is legitimate for the Oromo are the biggest nation of the country. Such leadership of Oromummà (not only power of Oromo elites) can be fulfilled by promoting Àdà Oromo, Afàn Oromo and Àngô Oromo to the primaty position in Ethiopia. It seems that the OPP has no stamina to do this and the future ORP (Oromo Republican Party) as merger organization of the OLA, OFC and OLF can bring both the Oromo and Oromummà to a leading position of Cushitic Ethiopia. It is now the right time for Oromo people in particular, and for all oppressed nations of Ethiopia in general, including the oppressed mass of Amara and Tigrai, to say Oromai (it is an end or is completed) after their struggle for more than a century against the existing system of Amaranet domination. We are on the verge of getting rid of the oppressive system and we are moving towards liberty of citizens and freedom of nations being prepared for multinational democracy, including self-rule of nations. Simply put, we are slowly dismantling the system of Amaranet domination in order to build a genuine union of free peoples. Was Dr. Abiy’s promotion by the struggle of Qérô not for this mission and vision?
Unforunately, only the rule of dictatorial Amara elites and hegmonial Tegaru elites are gone, but the century long domination of Amaranet in Ethiopia is still flourishing at the cost of Oromummà and other national identities. The main element of Amaranet is the language Amarigna, which is yet enjoying the dominating position in Caffé Aràra palace, Finfinné City and the whole country. As long as Amarigna is dominating, also Amaranet is ruling, disregarding who ever is in power, be it Amara as it was till 1991, Tegaru up to 2018 and Oromo now. That is why we dare to say Oromo elites with Amaranet domination are now in power. Was this not the case with Menelik, Hailesillasie, Teferi Banti and Mengistu? What makes Abiy Ahmed different?
Few years ago, certain blogger came up with an interesting topic: “An Oromo Obama: The Audacity to Reinvent Ethiopia.” The blogger tried to express his wish that the Oromo people take a responsibility to democratize the whole Ethiopia, rather than an attempt to only decolonize Oromia. He came up with the “either – or” thinking as if decolonization of Oromia and democratization of Ethiopia are exclusive to each other (thinking in a “parallel framework”). One another author reacted with short article of a very good precision, which was published on Gadaa.com, showing how both decolonization of Oromia (being free from the hitherto system of domination) and democratization of Ethiopia can go hand in hand.
I just say, any Oromo “Obama,” who may ignore the existence, decolonization and independence of Oromia, be it within the clothing/mask of Ethiopia or Horn is doomed to fail. The only Ethiopia, which might have a chance to survive, is the one based on free will of Oromo people. Thinking otherwise and still preaching democratic unitary country, where the Oromo will be dominated, is an obsolete mindset of the “modern” Amapianists (elites keeping the Amaranet domination of Ethiopia). The only way of democratization which can be accepted by certain Oromo Obama is multinational democracy after or with self-determination of the Oromo.
It is only after/with self-determination of oppressed nations in the region, including Afar, Ogaden, Oromia, Sidama, Anyuwak, Benishangul, etc., that a true democratization of the country, be it in from of Ethiopian union or Horn union, can take root. Trying to democratize an empire is simply a self-deception just as it was during the past Teferi Mekonnen’s “aristocratic democracy,” Mengistu H/Mariam’s “autocratic democracy” and Meles Zenawi’s “ethnocratic democracy.” We can just talk about this buzz word democracy, but we continue to suffer further under tyranny. The elites in the country, specially Habesha elites, should come to their sense and smell the coffee. The era of deceiving Oromo people and other oppressed nations with sham democratization is over.
That is why it is now the time for calling ALL oppressed nations to rise up against the worst one EVIL (the fascist Biltsiginna) in the Horn. No question that the devil in the Horn of Africa now is this fascist org. All nations in the country have this one common enemy. Nations in Ethiopia like the Oromo, Amara, Gurage, Sidama, Somali, Afar, Welayita, etc. and even the neighboring nations like Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia need to have certain de facto alliance against Biltsiginnà. I think “multinational” forces of freedom and democracy cooperating with national liberation fronts can be a new version of an alliance yet to be fostered, which is similar to AFD. The possible new alliance of forces of freedom and democracy will definitely be the beginning of the end for devil of the Horn. One of the best sentences said by Dr Berihanu Nega until now was: gezhiwoch iyekefafelun yalut, kenesu bilxinet yetenesa sayihon, kenya monyinet yetenesa newu.
This wise assertion was a call for the alliance of all against tyranny to struggle together having the following two phases of the struggle for freedom and democracy: – first phase to achieve our freedom from tyranny or from the system of domination, i.e. decolonization.
– second phase to build multinational democracy in Ethiopia or the Horn, i.e. democratization.
Here we see that decolonization of nations like Oromia and that of regions like Ethiopia comes prior to democratization. Decolonization is a very good prerequisite for democratization. Other way round, theoretically, democratization of Ethiopia can be a very good means for decolonization of Oromia. But trying to democratize an empire was just a means to the end – liberation. In the second phase – democratization, we all can compete for power in genuine union of free peoples in a democratic process.
So, it is time for all opposition democratic parties and liberation fronts, including both the “legals” and the “illegals”, to come to their sense, after the past many years of foolishness. I wish all of them agree on one common ground, i.e. common purpose: national freedom, like free Oromia, within Ethiopian union. It was encouraging that we have started to observe that Habesha dominated organizations started to talk that they are fighting first for freedom from tyranny and then struggle for a possible multinational and multiparty democracy. In the past, there were four groups of politicians in the country regarding this common purpose:
– the fascist TPLF, who claimed to have achieved both national autonomy for all nations and to have forged federation (unity) based on “free will” of these “autonomous” nations.
– the conservative unitarists, who reject national autonomy of nations and who push for Ethiopian unity (an euphemism to keep the empire with its system of Amaranet domination), by which they mean Habeshanized unitary Ethiopia.
– the radical liberation fronts of Oromo people and some other liberation fronts, which do seem to ignore the possible regional union, but do struggle vehemently for only national independence like an independent Oromia, disregarding the possible benefit of regional union of all nations on grave of the hitherto empire.
– some moderate organizations, which seem to struggle for establishing Ethiopian union with the possible national freedom of all peoples in the region. I think this was vision of the OLF from the very beginning – to achieve both Oromo national freedom and, if possible, based on the free will of the concerned nations, to forge Ethiopian union.
I hoped the liars in the first group will be compelled to stop their deception. Fortunately, those in the second group are in the verge to lose mass base. Those liberators and politicians in the third group need to come to their sense and join the fourth group, for the current momentum is in favour of the fourth group, and it is becoming clear that national Oromo freedom and Ethiopian union are not exclusive to each other per se. Based on public verdict of the Oromo, freedom of Oromia can be respected within or without Ethiopian union. I think those fronts and parties with common purpose of national freedom within regional union must forge a new all inclusive alliance.
It is only such clear vision and mission of all nations in the empire which can give birth to the highly seeked Oromo Obama of the coming true union. As the author on Gadaa.com rightly put, there can’t be any Oromo Obama to administer the apartheid and enslaving empire. As Mandela administered the post apartheid democratic South Africa, and as Obama was elected in the post slavery democratic United States of America, a certain Oromo Obama can emerge and administer only in a democratic union of free peoples on grave of the domination system. Is the above mentioned blogger ready for such a union to be build on grave of the empire? I doubt it for he seems to have no cognition to recognize the legitimate leadership of Oromummà. Is Dr. Abiy the wished Oromo Obama or is he the one to prepare the highway for the future Oromo Obama? Is he ready also to get rid of a century long Amaranet domination? I would like to suggest to Habesha “democrats,” who want to instrumentalize the Oromo, to stop beating around the bush and recognize the right of Oromummà to lead the country. If they take such step and be ready for Ethiopian union to be build on the stable rock of Oromummà's leadership, I am sure not only one Oromo Obama, but hundreds can rise up against any sort of injustice in the region, we may call Ethiopia or the Horn. Let them learn to decolonize (make free from tyranny) nation-states like Amhara, Tigrai, Afarland, Oromia, Ogadenia and other nations in the empire by cooperating and coordinating with freedom fighters of oppressed nations.
The possible upcoming genuine Oromo Obama is not the one who sings the song of unitary Ethiopia at the expense of Oromummà’s leadership, but the one who struggles for its legitimate position, being open for regional union which includes all other free peoples in Ethiopia. Even, Adde Birtukan Midhagsa, whom Habesha elites and Western powers used to prepare for playing this Obama role, couldn’t be accepted and respected by the Oromo, whenever she was anti-Oromummà. Only when and where she was ready to accommodate and promote both Oromumma’s leadership and Ethiopian union, it was possible that she could garner support of the Oromo. Yet, no one, including Dr. Abiy tried to get rid of the still ongoing Amaranet domination in Ethiopia.
The Problem, which Oromo people have, is not that of not giving birth to Mandela or Obama, but we do have the problem of not seeing any Frederik Willem de Klerk and Helen Suzman from camp of the Habesha elites. Is the blogger who wanted to see Oromo Obama a person who can think, talk and walk like Helen Suzman of South Africa? Is there any political leader, who is ready to act like de Klerk, from Habesha elites, who are still the authors and perpetrators of Amaranet domination? When we do see de Klerks and Suzmans from Habesha elites as well as when the time comes that we do see enough Habesha politicians accepting and respecting the right of Oromia to exist and be emancipated from the hitherto system of despotism, then it is really Oromai for the tyrants in Oromia and Ethiopian union, and it will be time to see many Oromo Obamas coming and growing out of the liberated nation.
Sure is that, Oromo people already said Oromai to the system of Amaranet domination in Oromia, but not yet to the Amaranet domination in Caffé Aràrà palace, Finfinné City and the whole Ethiopia. All democratic forces and all freedom fighters, who do have such vision and mission should now come together and organize the upcoming election. It is evident that cadres of Biltsiginnà always make much noise to persuade genuine opposition parties to boycott the repeatedly ongoing sham elections to hinder the possibility of exposing their already programmed vote rigging and to inhibit the chance of initiating the public uprising following the rigging. I personally recommend not to boycott any election, but all anti-Biltsiginnà forces be ready for the possible public uprising. It is good that Oromo nationalists are organizing demonstrations when and where necessary. But this is not enough, there must be similar steps to be taken in the whole empire. I hope that all oppressed citizens and nations rise up and say together Oromai to tyranny by Biltsiginnà as well as to the system of domination in Oromia in particular, and in Ethiopia in general, be it during the upcoming election or thereafter in the near future. Peaceful uprising against tyranny must be intensified. I hope that we seriously say Oromai the Biltsiginnà’s system of Amaranet domination. I personally would like to say Oromai. May Waaqa help us all!
Galatôma!
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2019/06/15/4057/