Re: Oromo’s Objective: Gadaa Democratic Ethiopia or Gadaa Republic Oromia!
What can be common ground for the decolonization forces from these different nations to forge a sort of alliance against Biltsiginna oligarchs? The common ground can not be either “unconditional independence without union,” which is propagated by certain liberation fronts or “unconditional unitary state without national independence,” the mantra which is always prayed by some patriotic forces. The way forward as common purpose can be a sort of consensus on the necessary union of free nations in Ethiopia, which is the goal of some democratic forces like the OFC. Hopefully, many of those from liberation fronts and patriotic fronts will give up their ultra-left and ultra-right positions, respectively, and come together in this middle position of democratic federalists. Unfortunately, Biltsiginna is still instrumentalizing both the left and right poles to make them fight each other and neutralize each other. This makes them not to be a challenge for Biltsiginna, so that it could balance the two poles for its own benefit. That is why we do hear, see and read Biltsiginna cadres being camouflaged as either of the two ultra forces to attack the other side so that it could seem as if the main struggle is between these two, instead of the fighting of all against the evil Bilitsiginna. I hope, at the end of the day, when these three freedom forces (pro-independence, pro-federation and pro-unity) agree on the above mentioned middle position, it will be very easy for such an alliance of all oppositions to engage Biltsiginna with appropriate methods to compel it to give up power, without unrealistically expecting that it will do this per ballot box. In case such consensus on the middle ground is impossible, then to pursue one’s program and leave final decision for the public verdict is an alternative, so that one of the three alternative goals in Oromo’s summary objective – ‘self-rule of Oromia and/or shared-rule of Ethiopia’ – can be realized. For the Oromo, even democratization of Ethiopia without an independence of Oromia per se, but with self-rule of the six traditional regions (Boorana, Baarentu, Arsi, Macca, Tullama and Wallo) is not a loss, as long as it will be decided based on the principle of respecting popular sovereignty of Oromo nation.
Re: Oromo’s Objective: Gadaa Democratic Ethiopia or Gadaa Republic Oromia!
Such allied and united opposition can easily start a coordinated struggle using three best methods against the fascists: civil disobedience, armed struggle and public uprising. Taking part in elections should only be for the sake of facilitating these methods, not for the sake of taking power per ballot box as if elections are going on in a democratic nation-states. It can not be otherwise in the future “elections.” Democratization of an empire with colonized nations is practically impossible. Let’s first decolonize such nations, which are still suffering under the system of domination and, then we can talk about democratization of each nation in a possible union of free peoples. Trying to persuade us now to talk again about democratization process is simply one of the ways used by Biltsiginna oligarchs just in their attempt to fool us. So, we had enough election process to expose Biltsiginna in front of the “gullible” international community, which has either naively or deliberately accepted the Biltsiginna-led country as one of “African nations, which is on the noble road of democratization.” The OLF already exposed the undemocratic nature of TPLF in 1992, just a year after its takeover of power in Finfinne palace. CUD and UEDF did the same job of exposing TPLF in 2005; Medrek and AEUP repeated it in 2010; OFC did the same during 2015 “election”. The OLF and OFC exposed Biltsiginna in the last election process of 2021. From now on, we do not need this job of exposing Biltsiginna any more. This can not be the purpose of taking part in any future “election”. What we need is to come together, forge a necessary alliance based on the above mentioned common ground and then fight against the fascists, specially by using the above mentioned effective three methods (civil disobedience, armed struggle and public uprising).
Re: Oromo’s Objective: Gadaa Democratic Ethiopia or Gadaa Republic Oromia!
Let’s first decolonize oppressed nations, i.e. get our freedom from Biltsiginna dictators, and then democratize all national areas of Ethiopia in the form of multiparty competition. Yes, democratization of the empire is impossible, decolonization should precede democratization, i.e. citizens’ and nations’ freedom should be achieved in order to exercise democracy. After decolonization (after achieving freedom from the system of domination), we can democratize all the decolonized nations, which can have a possibility to foster union of free peoples in Ethiopia on grave of the already existing Tigrean empire, based on the genuine free will of all concerned nations. Even if it is necessary, trying to democratize an empire is only a means to disintegrate its system, but not the end by itself. As a summary, in this struggle for freedom and democracy, the fact on the ground shows us that there are two lines of opposition movement against the fascist regime in the empire: the line of multinational federation as a prelude to an independent Gadaa republic Oromia (the Leenco Lata line) and the line of multi-regional federation as a prelude to an integrated Gadaa democratic Ethiopia (the Haile Fida line). If the two lines fail to foster a consensus in order to pursue one common line, they can agree on a struggle for freedom from Biltsiginna and for democracy (including referendum on the two lines) after the demise of Biltsiginna. Both routes and their results are not as such disadvantageous for the Oromo people. Can the two camps agree on these common factors (freedom and democracy) and cooperate to remove the current evil we faced in Ethiopia? Time will show us, but the Oromo polity must do every thing under the sun to coordinate the necessary cooperation of the two lines for there is nothing the Oromo people will lose if we follow both lines of freedom movements. At the end of the day, one of the components of Oromo’s summarized objective – ‘self-rule of Oromia and/or shared-rule of Ethiopia’ – can be fulfilled. We can finally achieve either Gadaa democratic Ethiopia or Gadaa republic Oromia. May Waaqa help us see these three alternative possibilities (an independent Gadaa Oromia of the OLF, Oromia in Ethiopia of the OFC & an integrated Gadaa Ethiopia of Haile Fida!