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The Oromo’s Summary Goal: Oromia and/or Oropia!

Post by OPFist » 28 May 2025, 16:11

The Oromo’s Summary Goal: Oromia and/or Oropia!

By Fayyis Oromia*

It’s encouraging to see that Dr. Abiy of the OPP and General Marro of the OLA have begun negotiations concerning the Oromo issue. I hope the outcome will be positive for the Oromo people. The two leaders must reach an agreement on the fundamental goal—or kaayyoo—of the Oromo, which is to achieve either Oropia or Oromia.

Priority should be given to the creation of an integrative Oropia, meaning an Ethiopia led by Oromummaa. Oropia is like our gross salary—an inclusive national union guided by Oromo values. If other nations choose to separate from us, we will still have Oromia, our net salary. Therefore, while an independent Oromia remains a valid and strategic goal, it should be our secondary objective.

Historically, the Oromo have expressed our visions and goals in various ways: independent Oromia, true ethnic federation, renaming Ethiopia, changing the flag, democratizing the country, etc. However, currently, we have two main tasks:

Reclaiming Oromo aangoo (power) at the Finfinne Palace, and
Promoting Afaan Oromo as the working language of the federal government.
The Oromo’s political power (aangoo) must be reclaimed from the Neo-Naftagna elite, and Afaan Oromo should replace Amarigna as the primary working language of the federation. All other concerns are secondary to these two core objectives.

Above all, the Ethiopian Constitution must be amended so that Afaan Oromo becomes the primary federal working language, replacing Amarigna. If this happens legitimately, all federal institutions—parliament, government, military, security, and judiciary—will primarily use Afaan Oromo. In such a scenario, many of our longstanding goals would be fulfilled because an Afaan Oromo-led Ethiopia would essentially become Oropia.

Let us concentrate on these two key duties as we celebrate Irreechaa in Finfinne. As the Oromo and other Cushitic peoples celebrate Irreechaa during the months of September and October, I always wish for us to thank Waaqa for our past victories and ask—not beg—Him to help us succeed in our ongoing struggle against subjugation, oppression, and tyranny.

Irreechaa is not about self-denigrating worship of an alien god; it is a celebration of the Father God. Oromo Waaqeffataascall their God “Father,” which is why the term “beg” is inappropriate. Just as we don’t beg our human fathers for our needs but ask them with confidence, so too do we approach Waaqa with gratitude and bold requests. He is a generous spiritual Father who responds according to His will.

According to the story of Irreechaa as described in this article, the Oromo began celebrating Waaqa under the Odaa tree, which was first planted by Atete. The tree symbolizes Ora-Omo—the resurrection of Ora, who rose from death to reconcile with his brother and murderer, Sete. Since that time, other Cushitic nations have also commemorated this event—either under a tree (Odaa), beside a stone monument (like the Axum Obelisk), or beside a temporarily planted Demera, now commonly seen throughout Ethiopia.

It is fascinating to see how the Odà tree, planted by Atete as a symbol of resurrection, has been replaced by the Axum Obelisk, and more recently by the temporary Demera. These transitions represent the symbolic shift from winter (darkness, failure, death) to spring (light, renewal, success, life). Whether knowingly or unknowingly, all Cushitic nations—including those who now identify as Semitic (Tegaru, Amhara, Gurage, Harari, Argoba, etc.)—celebrate Irreechaa, the celebration of Ora’s resurrection.

That is why Irreechaa is actually a holiday for all Cushitic peoples, even for those who deny their Cushitic roots and attempt to identify with Semitic figures such as David, Solomon, or Arab ancestry.

So let us thank Waaqa for our past victories, and then confidently present our current requests. Two of the most significant victories achieved by the Oromo and other oppressed peoples in their anti-colonial and anti-domination struggle are:

“Land to the tiller” – the 1974 revolution led by Oromo nationalists in Me’ison, along with other revolutionary groups.
“Self-rule of nations” – the 1991 victory under the leadership of Oromo nationalists in OLF, with the support of allied movements.
Unfortunately, both victories were hijacked—first by the military dictatorship of the Derg, and later by the ethno-fascist rule of the TPLF. Under the current TPLF regime, these victories exist only symbolically. Land is still not owned by the tiller, but by the government. Self-rule remains a formal right, but national regions are in reality under colonial-style control by the Tigrayan ruling elite.

Despite these setbacks, the path forward must be to implement and realize these victories—not to reverse them. Attempts to restore land to the feudal lords or to fragment national areas under a false “geographic federalism” led by Amhara-oriented geo-federalists must be resisted.

This is the heart of the current political struggle: Oromo forces want to realize the two historic victories, while Amhara-oriented forces often aim to reverse them. Can these opposing forces overcome their conflict and form an all-inclusive alliance against the fascist regime? **Yes—**but only if democratic and moderate Amhara factions take a decisive stand and distance themselves from nostalgic feudalists who dream of restoring the old empire where these victories are nullified.

Two major threats shake the core of the Neo-Naftagna (EPP) regime today:
- A potential Tegaru-Oromo alliance, and
- A possible cooperation of this alliance with Eritrea.
That is why EPP cadres are doing everything in their power to prevent such collaboration. Tragically, mistrust between ultra-left Oromo nationalists and Tegaru forces continues to be a source of division, much to the delight of the ruling regime. Ultra-left Oromo fear that Tegaru may exploit the alliance, while Tegaru suspect Oromo nationalists aim to dominate Ethiopia through it. What an absurd and self-defeating situation!

How long will this mutual suspicion continue, enabling the Neo-Naftagna regime to rule indefinitely?

The central question now is: Can we save both Ethiopia and Oromia? Tegaru forces often cry about saving Ethiopia—but what they really mean is maintaining control by eliminating Oromummaa. On the other hand, Oromo nationalists often focus solely on liberating Oromia, without considering the benefits of regional integration, whether as part of an Ethiopian union or a broader Horn of Africa union.

This dilemma is like the classic medical challenge faced by obstetricians: save the mother or save the baby? In modern medicine, both can often be saved. Similarly, modern politics demands that we save both Oromia and Ethiopia through balanced, inclusive solutions.

The ultra-rights have their “solution”: to save Ethiopia by eliminating Oromia. Moderates, however, are starting to move in a more modern direction—trying to save both Ethiopia and Oromia. These moderate forces are now seeking alliances with Oromo democratic federalists and liberation forces. Their goal is to build a common ground for an inclusive coalition against the current Neo-Naftagna regime.

This common ground must be one of three things:
- A true ethno-federation—a union of autonomous nations;
- A confederation—a union of sovereign nations within Ethiopia or the broader Horn region;
- Or a referendum—letting the people decide among all possible alternatives.
To prevent such an alliance, EPP cadres are working relentlessly. In Oromo forums, they push the idea of an unconditional independent Oromia, while in Amhara-oriented platforms, they promote a unitary Ethiopia. This two-faced strategy serves to polarize the Oromo and Amhara peoples, preventing any effective alliance against the regime.

Sadly, these cadres gain support from both extremes:
- From the ultra-left Oromo nationalists, and
- From the ultra-right Ethiopian elites.
Thus, it is crucial for Oromo nationalists to distinguish between two different groups who promote “independent Oromia”:

True ultra-left Oromo nationalists, who genuinely fight for independence and are open to uniting with others to defeat the colonizers.
EPP cadres in disguise, who pretend to support independence only to sow division and obstruct Oromo unity and cross-national alliances.
It’s perfectly valid for genuine Oromo nationalists to push for independence as long as Oromia remains under occupation. However, they must not fall into the trap of unintentionally serving the interests of the EPP regime—whose only goal is to maintain division and dominance.

At the same time, true ultra-right forces will continue to fight for a unitary empire and seek to reverse the victories of 1974 and 1991. While they are openly anti-EPP, their goals also run counter to the interests of the oppressed nations.

The EPP cadres who promote unitary Ethiopia from the shadows are particularly dangerous, as they work to sabotage any alliance between Oromo forces and moderate Tigrayan or Amhara factions.

I hope that Tegaru-oriented democrats and moderates will overcome these challenges, just as they did when supporting the “land to the tiller” victory and the “self-rule of nations” goal. They should follow the example of Wallelign Mekonnen, who famously advocated for the recognition of the multi-national character of Ethiopia.

A stable and enduring Ethiopian union can only be built on:
- Public referendums, or
- Consensus around either a true ethno-federation (union of autonomous nations), or a confederation (union of independent nations).

The Political Evolution of Amhara Forces

It is encouraging to observe how some Amhara forces have politically evolved over the last two decades. They are beginning to understand what it means to live under national domination and marginalization. However, it’s still difficult for some oppressed nations to fully trust Amhara elites, because some of them still believe that the empire rightfully belongs to them.

That said, things are changing—slowly but surely. We must support the further political evolution of these elites. If they genuinely wish to work with Oromo democratic and liberation movements, they have no choice but to accept the framework of true ethnic federation. Here’s a brief outline of their political evolution:

- Before 2000: They rallied behind EWP (Isepa) and AAPO, demanding a unitary Ethiopia and rejecting the rights of nations to have autonomous regions or political parties. Their slogan: “One country, one nation, one culture, one destiny under one God.”
- In 2005: They began supporting CUD, advocating for geographic federalism as a replacement for the existing ethnic federalism. They claimed to respect nations’ rights—but denied their right to have their own parties or regions.
- By the 2010 election: Some Amhara elites began advocating for democratic federalism, proposing a public vote to decide between ethnic and geographic federalism. Parties like AG7 even started cooperating with nationalist groups they once denounced.
- Post-2010: Many began supporting the true ethnic federalism championed by OFC, as a compromise to maintain the union and work with Oromo and other oppressed nations.
- Present day: No prominent Amhara-oriented group has yet supported a confederation of independent nations as proposed by the unionist-liberators like the OLF. But such support may come when Amhara elites recognize that they too are now under Tigrayan domination, and that it is Amaraland—not the empire—they must aim to liberate.
This political shift among Amhara elites is a direct result of the Oromo struggle. It is no longer optional—they must respect the ethnic federation if they hope to preserve the union they pray for. The era of calls for a unitary Ethiopia, or even a geographic federation, is over.

That’s why Amhara-oriented elites in so-called “multinational” parties must come to terms with the fact that they already lost two historical monopolies:
- In the 1974 revolution, they lost the monopoly on land—“land to the tiller” was the clear outcome.
- In the 1991 revolution, they lost the monopoly on political power—“self-rule of nations” became the principle.
Though these victories remain largely symbolic under TPLF rule, they will be realized fully in the near future. The current regime will inevitably lose control over both land and power to a coalition of oppressed peoples striving to implement those victories. Any attempt to reverse these changes—particularly by using the language of “liberal democracy” to do so—will not gain support from the oppressed nations, especially the Oromo.

The anti–“land to the tiller” rhetoric of pre-1974 feudal lords and the anti–“self-rule of nations” stance of pre-1991 colonizers cannot be made acceptable simply by wrapping them in the guise of modern liberalism. Those attempting to do so must realize that these two victories are irreversible. The best path forward is to respect the rights and will of the oppressed nations and unite in the struggle against Tigrayan dictatorship, systemic looting, racism, fascism, and apartheid-style governance.

To achieve meaningful success in our current and future struggle, the liberation bloc must be empowered. This means:
- Strengthening internal unity among oppressed peoples;
- Building coalitions based on shared values and strategic interests;
- And rejecting all divisive tactics, especially infighting among opposition forces.
As we approach the celebration of Irreechaa—also known as Irressa or Irrensa—let us reflect on its twin meanings: thanksgiving and empowerment.

Let us celebrate Irreechaa in both senses:
- By giving thanks to Waaqa for our past accomplishments;
- And by committing to empower our peoples for the next stage of the liberation struggle.
- We can empower ourselves and each other in two key ways:

Coming together in front of Waaqa, reaffirming our unity and our commitment to freedom;
- Rejecting all causes of division—especially internal conflicts within the opposition.
- May Irreechaa be a time not only of gratitude but also of renewed strength and unity for all oppressed peoples, including the Amhara, who are increasingly waking up to the reality of oppression under the current regime.

It is powerful to recognize that the name Oromo itself symbolizes Ora-Omo—the resurrected human, the revived person, the symbol of new beginnings and success. That is what Irreechaa celebrates: the life of resurrection, the triumph of light over darkness, and the victory of success after failure.

Let us all—Oromo people in particular, and all oppressed peoples in general—commit ourselves to this new beginning, both in our collective political journey and in our individual personal lives.

Closing Message:

Merry Irreechaa to all Cushitic nations who celebrate it—consciously or unconsciously:
- Under Odaa trees, like the Oromo;
- Beside stone monuments, like the Tegaru;
- Around Demera fires, like the Agaw, Amhara, Gurage, and others;
- Or even under Christmas trees, like Christian communities.
Despite the differences in form, we all celebrate the transition from winter (darkness, failure, death) to spring (light, renewal, success).
May Waaqa bless us all.
And as far as Oromo nationalists are concerned, let us remember our two primary responsibilities:
- Reclaiming Àngoo (Oromo power) in Finfinne, and
- Promoting Afan Oromo as the federal working language.

Galatooma.
Read more:https://orompia.wordpress.com/2023/04/2 ... or-oromia/