Mereja.Forum

[OPFist]

Of Course, the Oromo Today Should Repeat the Sixteenth-Century Comeback

By Fayyis Oromia*

Nowadays, we repeatedly hear and read some Amhara elites accusing the Oromo of attempting to repeat their sixteenth-century victory. They used to call it the Oromo migration because they did not want to recognize it as an Oromo victory over the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia. Now, at least, they have started to speak about an Oromo invasion, reluctantly acknowledging that the Oromo were strong warriors.

The most extremist faction of Amhara elites, such as Ato Tekle Yeshaw and Prof. Habtamu Tegegn, have even begun to narrate the story as one of Oromo colonization of Ethiopia. They describe the Oromo as barbaric, uncivilized, aremene (without ethics), inferior (with an animal-like culture), and subhuman. They deny the originality of the Oromo as a Cushitic people indigenous to northeastern Africa.

However, the reality on the ground is that the Oromo were pushed southward over the last 3,000 years of so-called “glorious” Ethiopian history. Focusing only on more recent history, the Oromo were continuously pushed southward and Amharanized by the Christian kingdom following the rise of Yekuno Amlak in 1270. Therefore, Ato Tekle and his allies should begin the history of Amhara–Oromo conflict from the thirteenth century, not the sixteenth century as they currently do.

The Amhara (Christians) pushed the Oromo (Waaqeffataas) southward for about 300 years, from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. Then, the Oromo pushed back the Amhara for roughly another 300 years, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. The rise of the Qemant Christian king, Tewodros II, once again shifted the balance of power. The Oromo were pushed southward again and subjugated for more than a century, until the eruption of the 1974 revolution.

Since the revolution of 1974, the Oromo have again been becoming incrementally victorious. This can be seen as another push of the Amhara back toward the north. The struggle between these two camps—pro-Amaranet and pro-Oromummaa—continues to this day. The million-dollar question is: which camp is the hybrid regime of Dr. Abiy Ahmed promoting?

I do not think this regime is loyal to either camp. Rather, it uses the conflict to its advantage through divide-and-rule tactics. At one point, it instrumentalized Amhara forces to weaken the Oromo Liberation Army; now it is using Oromo forces to crack down on Amhara patriotic forces. It is time for democratic Amhara and Oromo elites to come to their senses and seek a lasting solution. We must move beyond fanatics such as Ato Tekle Yeshaw.

Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com

[OPFist]

The most extremist faction of Amhara elites, such as Ato Tekle Yeshaw and Prof. Habtamu Tegegn, have even begun to narrate the story as one of Oromo colonization of Ethiopia. They describe the Oromo as barbaric, uncivilized, aremene (without ethics), inferior (with an animal-like culture), and subhuman. They deny the originality of the Oromo as a Cushitic people indigenous to northeastern Africa.

[Abere]

You are braying like a damn donkey doing it non-stop calling for family of hyena to feast over her. Your repeated instigation and yelling at "Northern" looks you are calling death against Oromo. Orommuma only stole, never fought and won. The Southerners also hate Orommuma the most. You are inviting death in Oromo homes. You better shut up and stop braying, if you do not want cry later.

[OPFist]

However, the reality on the ground is that the Oromo were pushed southward over the last 3,000 years of so-called “glorious” Ethiopian history. Focusing only on more recent history, the Oromo were continuously pushed southward and Amharanized by the Christian kingdom following the rise of Yekuno Amlak in 1270. Therefore, Ato Tekle and his allies should begin the history of Amhara–Oromo conflict from the thirteenth century, not the sixteenth century as they currently do.