The Triangular ATO (Amhara, Tegaru & Oromo) Elites Learned Bitterly in Turn What National Humiliation Means
By Fayyis Oromia*
How satisfying it is to witness in our lifetime that the elites of Ethiopia’s three major nations—Amhara, Tegaru, and Oromo—have each, in turn, experienced what national humiliation truly means.
During the fascist Derg regime, Amharas were not persecuted because of their national identity. As a result, Amhara elites couldn’t understand the suffering of Tegarus and Oromos due to their ethnic backgrounds. Under the Woyane regime, Tegaru elites, forgetting their past struggles, became oppressors of both Amhara and Oromo. Now, under the fascist rule of Biltsigina, the Amharas are again experiencing the bitter reality of being persecuted because of their national identity.
Hopefully, from now on, the elites of the ATO triangle will deeply understand what it means to be discriminated against, oppressed, and persecuted due to one’s ethnic identity. This hard-earned experience is the most important prerequisite for finally coming to our senses and finding a win-win solution to this century-old problem of national oppression.
It is high time that democrats from the triangle come together, find a common denominator, and unite in opposition to the incumbent regime—fighting for a democratic country where we can all live with liberty, equality, and fraternity.
On Democracy and the Lamb-Wolf Analogy
I was inspired by a brilliant quote from Benjamin Franklin:
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!”
This metaphor captures Ethiopia’s political dynamics well. Many Ethiopian elites—especially from the two major power camps of assimilationist Amhara and bantustanist Tegaru—speak of unity, justice, democracy, and peace, not for their intrinsic value, but to justify their appetite for controlling the resources and destiny of oppressed peoples—especially the Oromo and the marginalized Habesha masses.
For decades, these two “Wolves” took turns dominating the Lamb. The Amhara elites’ cry for “unity” is no different from the TPLF’s; both sought dominance in the name of democracy. In reality, both were fighting over Finfinne, with the resources of Oromia and others as their prize. In this metaphor, the subjugated peoples were the Lamb voting alongside Wolves.
But since 2018, both Wolves seem to have lost their claws. Until 1991, the assimilationist Amhara elites were the dominant Wolf; after that, TPLF—the bantustanist—took over. All oppressed peoples of Ethiopia, including those from the two Abyssinian nations, are part of the Lamb, which has finally begun to win the contest.
Liberty Before Unity
For years, the Oromo people—part of the Lamb—have demanded liberty first, before any discussion of unity. Liberty is the only goal worthy of sacrifice—not unity without liberty. We’ve always distinguished between:
- Unity as a means to achieve liberty (tokkummaa for bilisummaa)
- Union as a result of liberty based on free will
We embraced unity-for-liberty among Oromo liberation groups. Only after achieving liberty could we decide whether to accept a union with others. This was a principled and practical approach—choosing to die for liberty to escape the Wolves. Even the Amhara and Tigrai masses should have followed this path—first demanding their own liberty before proposing a union.
As in personal relationships, unity between nations (e.g., Oromia and Abyssinia) must also be based on liberty. Whenever Abyssinian elites (the Wolves) prescribe unity as a cure, we Oromos must ask: Before or after liberty?
As someone said (paraphrased):
“A society that puts unity before liberty gets neither. A society that puts liberty before unity can achieve both.”
The Four Competing Visions for Oromia
- Dismantling Oromia – Desired by assimilationist unitarists (now the powerless Wolf). They see Oromia as an obstacle to national unity and back parties like ECS.
- Fake Autonomy for Oromia – Supported by TPLF and allied opportunists (the powerful neo-nafxanya Wolf). They maintain pseudo-federalism to exploit Oromia’s resources.
- Genuine Autonomy for Oromia – Supported by a minority of unitarists, some federalists, and parties like Medrek. This middle ground is practical and acceptable as a transitional solution.
- Full Independence of Oromia – Desired by a portion of Oromo nationalists. Although lacking international support, many push forward with this vision. A free Oromia within a union is more globally acceptable.
The first two represent the Wolves’ interest. The fourth vision, while aspirational, can align with the third for practical purposes.
Amhara unitarists (the first Wolf) must abandon their dream of dismantling Oromia. Oromo nationalists should collaborate with federalists to reach the middle goal—autonomy—and then pursue self-determination if desired.
TPLF (the second Wolf) was already neutralized by the well-armed Lamb, i.e., the democratic mass movements supported by oppressed peoples.
Political Polarization and the Missteps of the Wolves
If democrats and freedom fighters in Medrek and PAFD cooperate, they can jointly challenge authoritarianism. This requires the Lamb to be organized and empowered.
Unfortunately, both Wolves—TPLF and unitarist elites—played divide-and-rule games. TPLF stoked divisions among Oromo fronts and Amhara elites. During the 2010 elections, unitarists even sided with TPLF against the unionist opposition. Their handshake was symbolic of their agreement to devour the Lamb.
Some conservative Amhara elites who once despised TPLF later praised and allied with them, not because they trusted them, but because they feared Oromo liberation more. This led to major splits in the Amhara political camp, pushing some toward TPLF and others toward Eritrea.
TPLF’s divide-and-rule policy succeeded in three ways:
- Dividing Amhara forces
- Polarizing Oromo fronts
- Undermining Oromia’s self-determination
Despite this, democratic and liberation forces made progress countering this manipulation. Still, some unitarists cooperated with TPLF—willingly or naively.
Unity Through Liberty: The Only Way Forward
All oppressed peoples (the Lamb) must view elections not as fair contests, but as opportunities to resist tyranny. Armed resistance and organized political struggle must go hand-in-hand.
Benjamin Franklin’s quote sums it up:
“Liberty is a well-armed Lamb contesting the vote.”
Let us hope that not only the Oromo but all nations in Ethiopia recognize liberty as the foundation for any genuine unity.
Pan-Africanists like Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin wrote in the AU anthem:
- “Let us all unite and celebrate together The victories won for our liberation; Let us dedicate ourselves to rise together To defend our liberty and unity…”
Ethiopia’s future unity must be like that: Liberty first, then unity. The so-called unity from Tewodros to Meles was simply slavery.
The next chapter must be unity with liberty, not a return to old chains. To achieve this, the Lamb must stay well-armed—with solidarity, clarity, and courage.
Galatooma!
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2019/06/05/4028/