Free Oromo and Oromia as Precedence for Liberation of Nations in Ethiopia Particularly and Africa Generally!
By Fayyis Oromia*
The Oromo and Oromia are already 75% free as we achieved it step by step during the last three revolutions (25% in 1974, reached 50% in 1991 and of course 75% in 2018). The next inevitable change of the regime in Finfinné shall definately lead us to 100% liberation of the Oromo and Oromia from any alien rule as well as from our own dictators. Then, genuine Oromo nationalists, who have the best interest of the Oromo, will have power in Finfinné palace. After that, it is up to the Oromo political elites to play a very maginanimous politics also to promote liberation of all nations in Ethiopia particularly and in Africa generally. Free Oromo and Oromia are very good precedences for the true liberation of African nations from Europeans’ colonial legacy and from their own dictators as well. Finfinne as a capital for Oromia, Ethiopia and Africa is a very nice opportunity for the Oromo to play a leadership position in the country, Horn region and the continent. I hope that Oromo politicians will play this joker card in their Hand smartly in the best interest of the Oromo and Oromia.
Otherwise, it is interesting to observe Amara activists, who hoped that the OLF be destroyed by EPP, are now desperately campaigning against every thing Oromo. They are now led by the prime minister Abiy Ahmed. I can simply say that the Tegaru hegemonists are gone never to come back, but the assimilationist Amara elites still have the possibility to revive because of the cultural, economic and language dominance they have, due to the historicasl previlage they got in the last about 700 years. They need to be checked continuosly. Unfortunately, the prime minster, who is supposed to be Oromo and pro-Oromummà, is helping them survive and thrive. The only difference between Menilik and Abiy seems to be that Menilik had no mask of Oromummà to implicitly promote Amaranet. Abiy is doing this bidding to Naftagnas both explicitly and implicitly. He is keeping the dominance of Amaranet at the cost of Oromummà. We know that Oromo liberation struggle has got two phases: 1. fighting for freedom and 2. selecting type of sovereignty. Now, EPP of Dr. Abiy is in power and we thought the first phase is already closed. But, thanks to the betrayal of Dr. Abiy, we are now at square 1 again. Actually, we should have focused on pursuing the type of sovereignty we want to realize: an independent Gadà Oromia of the republican Oromos or an integrative Oropia (Oromummà led Ethiopia) of the democrat Oromos? But, we are obliged to finish the first phase by getting rid of Naftagna rule led by Abiy Ahmed. The struggle for freedom is still continuing. Aluta continua!
As we know, during the time of occupation by Abyssinians for the last about 150 years, the Oromo people were “allowed to elect our leaders” under the aristocracy of monarchs, the military dictatorship or autocracy of Derg and under the ethnocracy of Woyane. We all know what sort of elections we had till now; there is no need of elaboration about them. Now, we will have next election and hopefully will elect our leaders. Are we really free from TPLF hegemonists as well as neo-naftagnas and can the election be fair and free? What should we, the Oromo people and other oppressed nations, in the empire do during this elections? Elect the naftagna EPP of Dr. Abiy and his team? ‘Run behind Oromo individuals’ – who are unitarists, i.e. individuals of Oromo origin in Ezema and the likes? Or should we elect democratic unionist Oromos rallying behind the OFC & OLF?
We like it or not, such elections are de facto struggle mainly among the following trio: unitarists like Ezema, oppressors like EPP and unionists like the OLF. The question which Oromo people need to answer is: which of the three does serve best interest of the Oromo? No question, unionists, which at least strive
for genuine ethnic federation and which tries to make Afàn Oromo one of the working languages of the federation. So, before we decide to move for such election, we need additionally to ask ourselves the following question: who should take power next, if at all successful, the unitarists or the unionists? It is clear that no Oromo of sound mind will elect the naftagnas, but we all need to choose from the two opposition camps (ethiofederalists and ethnofederalists). Nowadays, Ethiopian politics is already crystallizing very well. The camp against the naftagna EPP is well divided into the following two:
– unitarists, who do want to forge unitary country of one language (of course, Amarigna), one people, one culture, one ethnic dominance (of course, Amara dominance) and one flag under one God. This camp includes parties like Ezema, which want to dismantle Oromia with the pretext of opposing ethnic federalism, the camp which was instrumentalized by TPLF to fight against the major unionist opposition alliance.
– unionists like the OLF, who want to form union of free peoples in Ethiopia, where both individual citizens’ rights and collective nations’ rights will be respected. Parties organized under Medrek and PAFD stand for this action and that is why they were vehemently attacked by the EPP and its allies.
Actually, the word ‘unity’ has got double meaning. Unitarists want to hide behind the word ‘unity’ even though the true and acceptable ‘unity’ is free union of all citizens and nations based on their free will, which the unionists try to achieve. Major parties which belong to the unitarist are the likes of Ezema, whereas major parties which can be categorized in the unionist opposition camp are those in Medrek like the OFC and in PAFD like the OLF. Surely, in the possible genuine election, the conservative unitarist group will lose, whereas the unionists still need to be smart enough to cooperate and coordinate their efforts more in order to get rid of EPP naftagnas from Finfinné palace.
In the year 2010, TPLFites were very much terrified because of the second opposition camp (the unionists), that was why they did support unitarist opposition camp and forged quasi-alliance in form of Shawel-Zenawi Handshake, even though their policy differs very much, the goal being to weaken the unionists. At that moment, Ato Hailu and Ato Lidetu were taken by the TPLF as hopeful saviors of Ato Meles Zenawi’s fascist government by trying to neutralize or eliminate the unionist opposition camp. So, Oromo people had moved against the unholy handshake; and here are some of the reasons why Oromo people should yet elect the unionists:
– unitarists are with obsolete mindsets – who think to subjugate the Oromo, dismantle Oromia and Amaranize (assimilate) the whole Ethiopia. It is mind-boggling to read in their programs that it is almost accepted as normal to claim Amarigna be federal language, whereas Oromic (Afàn Oromoo) needs public verdict to have the same status. If the “moderate” Amara oriented party – Ezema– thinks like this, we can imagine how the very conservative parties think about equality of languages in Ethiopia, like equal chance of Amharic and Oromic to be federal working languages.
– Naftagna EPP elites have no healthy political position to support Oromo people exercise our God-given right to self-determination for they never want to lose power and the possibility of exploiting the very rich resource of Oromia as long as they can.
– future political move of the region and the globe is in direction of realizing both liberation of nations like self-determination of the Oromo and regional/continental integration like the necessary future African federation of free nations. So, unionists are parties of the future, whereas unitarists are parties of the past and naftagna EPP is, of course, temporary party of only the present.
– the hitherto election in Ethiopia was not actually true election per se, but it could be used as means of struggle, through which we could use to move in our liberation journey a millimeter forward. Our people always used any opportunity of “election” to start another phase of peaceful uprising against tyranny.
– we like it or not, despite the setbacks here and there, the OLF has been transformed into a powerful political/military force that even non-Oromo are starting to rely on to help bring change in Ethiopia. With its military wing led by the professional officers’ corps, and with a matured and highly experienced political leadership, the OLF has become a leading player in Ethiopian politics. As the fast-decaying EPP regime is falling apart, the OLF military alone can step in and maintain order, let alone joined by other opposition parties. OLF leaders have played a key role in the hitherto realignment of forces in the Horn of Africa region. Their visionary leadership has contributed significantly to the recent paradigm shift in Ethiopian politics from politics of serving unitary empire to the future fostering of political union of all free peoples in the region.
– the nucleus of all unionist parties are PAFD and Medrek, both of which are core of the necessary coalition for common good purpose. Medrek’s current objective is to promote a national reconciliation dialogue. It is good to believe that one of the routes to regime change in Ethiopia is the one that is being followed by Medrek. The fact that alliances like PAFD and Medrek do exit at all has completely changed Ethiopian political landscape overnight by confirming that the ethnic-based groups are the mainstream Ethiopian politics.
The ideal remedy against the naftagna EPP is transformation of the unitarists into unionists, so that all can cooperate and fight together the hegemonists. That means, people in parties like Ezema should stop dreaming and talking about bringing back the old unitarist country and they should accept the new union of free peoples in Ethiopia. Additionally, I also would like to encourage oppressed mass of Amhara nation to fight for their own self-determination and then struggle for a strong union of free peoples in Ethiopia. This can unite all the opposition groups under one umbrella to burry the naftagna EPP once and for all. Hopefully, unitarists will come to their sense and do this in a near future so that we can have all-inclusive opposition against the evil of the Horn region – EPP, so that it will have no chance to rule further.
Future politics of the Horn region will be led with the interest to get rid of both unitarism preferred by few Amhara elites and hegemonism of the TPLF as well as to rally behind the unionists like the OLF in order to forge future union of autonomous nations in Ethiopia, where all citizens individually, and all the nations collectively, will be free to determine our own fate without being looted and lorded. That is why I do recommend, in short, that the Oromo people, in particular, and all oppressed nations, including the oppressed Amhara mass, in general, should check unitarist forces, fight EPP dictators, but of course, elect unionists. Tegaru hegemonists are already done and Amara assimimilationsts need to be checked.
I just encourage all Oromo and other peoples to be registered for the next election and then start new phase of inclusive uprising against the anti-Oromo individuals in EPP, in favor of promoting and supporting the democratic forces like those in OFC & OLF. I wish that the Oromo people and other oppressed nations to have good fight against unitarism as well as incumbent naftagnas, and I would like to express my strong wish of success in our further struggle of democratization. The unitarists can get support from the Oromo only if they are ready to make Afàn Oromo the primary working language of the union, accept the BRW (black-red-white) flag as that of the federation and aknowledge the name change of the country from Ethiopia to Oromia! In short, Tegaru hegemonists are done and lost power, now we will continue the freedom struggle against the present naftagna regime in Finfinne palace. Then, it is time for us to debate on the type of sovereignty we want to have. Oromo’s main job now is to get rid of the Neo-naftagnas, check the assimilationsts by promoting the different cultures and languages of all nations, especially by reviving that of great Agaw people in north part of Ethiopia. May Wàqa help us!
Galatôma!
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2023/06/1 ... generally/