Oromo in Ethiopia. Report from Oromo workshop and its after-effects (CMI Report)

Exploring new political alternatives for the Oromo in Ethiopia. Report from Oromo workshop and its after-effects

CMI authors:
Siegfried Pausewang

Keywords:
Ethiopia Oromo Democracy Local administration Ethiopian federation

Geographical keywords:
Ethiopia

Siegfried Pausewang ed. (2009)

Bergen: Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI Report R 2009: 6) 77 p.

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This report is intended to stimulate a debate on political alternatives for the Oromo, an ethnic and social group in Ethiopia. It makes documents from an Oromo conference in Bergen at CMI available for the discourse among the Oromo in exile and also in Ethiopia. It argues that it is necessary to consider alternative strategies apart from armed resistance struggle. The contributors, scholars from different countries, with long experience in Ethiopian politics, consider it essential to discuss again issues of armed struggle and of the location of their political organisation in exile in Asmara. They strongly suggest the OLF to develop a detailed and credible, applicable plan for a political order that gives sovereignty back to the people. The report urges the

Exploring new political alternatives for the Oromo in Ethiopia. Report from Oromo workshop and its after-effects

Traitor Lichoo Bukura says that they "surrendered after holding negotiations with the authorities and obtaining guarantees on their treatment"

Traitor Lichoo Bukura says that they ""surrendered after holding negotiations with the authorities and obtaining guarantees on their treatment"

Rebellion 'on last legs'

Fri Jan 22, 11:00 AM

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - A rebellion by ethnic Oromos in Ethiopia is at its weakest state after years of internal divisions, a former rebel leader said Friday, claiming it had "zero" chance of toppling the government.

Six senior members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which for more than three decades has fought for independence of the Oromia region, crossed over from Kenya and surrendered earlier this month, along with 250 fighters.

"The OLF was meant to liberate its people, but divisions and a lack of vision has hampered its cause," Lucho Bukhura, a former central committee member, told journalists here.

Lucho said the group had splintered into three factions "based on geographical background" since its inception in the 1970s.

"It has been disintegrating for the past 17 years. They have zero fighting capacity at the moment and zero chance of overthrowing the government," he said.

Lucho, who spoke along with three other former rebels, said they surrendered after holding negotiations with the authorities and obtaining guarantees on their treatment.

The OLF insisted in a statement this week that its operations would not be affected by the defections.

"Those who surrendered... are traitors, who had contact with the tyrannical minority regime's intelligence network and had, for a long time, been sources of problems in the area," the statement said.

The OLF was part of Ethiopia's transition government from 1991 to 1995, after the fall of the Marxist regime of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam.

After numerous disputes with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's EPRDF party, it quit the coalition and demanded the creation of an independent state to be called Oromia.

Since then, Ethiopian police have routinely blamed the group of carrying out "terrorist activities" and fomenting insecurity, while opposition leaders of Oromo descent accuse the government of arbitrarily detaining hundreds from the region on suspicion of supporting the group.

Lucho said he had handed recommendations to the government to resolve the issue peacefully and was scheduled to meet the prime minister this week.

"The government needs to come out and work with the people. We have given recommendations in order to uplift the Oromo people," he said.

Oromos are the largest ethnic group in the Horn of Africa nation, comprising more than 30 percent of the population of 80 million.

Source: Yahoo News

weOromos, ourOromia!

Traitors shall not determine the Future of the Oromo Liberation Front or the Destiny of the Oromo Nation. (OLF Statement)

Traitors shall not determine the Future of the Oromo Liberation Front or the Destiny of the Oromo Nation.

Statement of the Oromo Liberation Front
(OLF), January 19, 2010)

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is prompted to issue this statement in response to misleading information published in the Daily Nation of January 14, 2010 regarding the defection of Mr. Licho Bukhura and conspirators.

Full statement is available here
or download the attachment.

2010 New Year's Resolution: OROMIA - The Next Decade's Destiny -- A Member of the United Nations Organization (UNO)

2010 New Year's Resolution: OROMIA - The Next Decade's Destiny -- A Member of the United Nations Organization (UNO)

Fayyis Oromia

This is the issue raised by Gadaa.com and we are invited to give our opinions. Here is my short view in to the future destiny of Oromia. I started to write in cyber world in 1999 as I observed Oromo nationalists in OLF fighting against each other based on the "different" Kaayyoo (goal) they envisioned for Oromo and Oromia. Galaasa-group claimed to persue Kaayoo-ganamaa (original goal) and accused Daawud-group allegedly striving for "democratization of Ethiopia" instead of "decolonization of Oromia". Daawud-group on other side claimed to take the geopolitical situations in to consideration and demanded "only self-determination" of Oromo instead of the exclusive and explicit "Oromian independence". The arguement between the two views is still going on, even though it is now milder than at that time of the beginning of OLF division.

I personally tried to show, that there is no difference of Kaayyoo (END goal)per se between the two, but only difference of the way to it, i.e difference of Karaa (tooftaa). Here I don't want to go in to detail for it is already discussed adequately in my hitherto articles. But in short, I would like to say that the OLF mindset, which is leading Oromo nationalists individually or institutionally, has got two mid-term goals on the way of moving to our END-goal. As OLF was established in 1973, Oromo and Oromia were under complete Garbummaa (slavery). No question Oromo nationalists started this liberation movement to lead Oromo people to its END-destiny, i.e to Bilisummaa (liberty of) Oromo people and to Walabummaa (sovereignity of) Oromo land.

The two mid-term goals, which are gradually found to be necessary in the process of the hitherto liberation struggle are:

- the limited cultural autonomy in a parially designated present Oromia, which we could achieve till now. OLF mindset in genuine and politically conscious Oromo individuals doing their job being organized in the ruling party aka OPDO tries to keep this status.

- the complete cultural, economic and political autonomy of Oromia in Ethiopian context, which seems to be more feasible to achieve in a near future. OLF mindset opperating in the opposition patrties like OFC tries to achieve this.

When we look at the position of the three OLF factions now a days, OLF-SG seems to support the move of OFC and then wants that Oromo public decide on the issue of Independence (within a union vs without a union of nations in the empire/region). The two main differences between OFC and OLF-SG are the fact that OFC struggles peacefully, while OLF-SG uses armed struggle and OFC uses the rhetoric of unconditional Ethiopian unity, while OLF-SG emphasizes self-determination of the Oromo nation per referendum. The mindset in the other two OLF factions (OLF-KY and OLF-QC) as well as in the other liberation movemnts like COPLF and FIDO stresses the importance of independent Oromia as an END-goal and as far as I know they are not against the possible union with other liberated nations, that is why I don't see where the difference of these groups is with the position of OLF-SG.

As I repeatedly put, there is no contradition between the Kayyoos of these all OLF mindsets who are only using different rhetorics. Oromo liberation movement is like a journey of a person from Djibouti (symbol for Garbummaa) through Diredhawa (limited cultural autonomy) and through Adaama (complete political autonomy) to the END-destiny, Finfinne (symbol for Bilisummaa, an independent Oromia within or without a necessary union based on self-determination per referendum). So hopefully the OLF mindset will synchronize the liberation movement in all organizations mentioned above to make them understand each other and to help them move from the status quo (the first mid-term) through the second mid-term to the final destiny.

Coming back to Gadaa.com's initiative, let's have a common new-year resolution for our destiny in the next decade. The last decade was, the decade of unproductive division of our liberation vanguard, OLF. I hope the next decade will be the decade of unity and merger between the three OLF factions and even including the other liberation organizations to forge only one very strong liberation front. Then we can plan first to achieve a genuine self-adminstration in a form of Oromian autonomy and then we can move together to self-determination per referendum to achieve Oromian independence, be it within or without a union based on our public verdict. By coordinating the struggle of OFC as an opposition and the struggle of the future only one OLF as an armed front, we can achieve our END-Kayyoo (Bilisummaa Oromo and Walabummaa Oromia) in the next decade.

Whether being the member of UNO as only nation-state Oromia or as a new union of liberated nations in the region in a form of supra-national region-state is part of our goal will be decided by the public during self-determination per referendum. By the way, when we talk about union of liberated nations, it can be a union of only the oppressed nations excluding the hitherto colonizer Abyssinia or it can be inclusive of the two Habehsa nations after they accept the God-given right of all oppressed nations to self-determination. Whether Habesha nations will be part of the union or not will also be decided by the public after a necessary debate and discussion. But first Oromia and other oppressed nations must be independent from Abyssinian domination and the two Habesha nations also need to be free from their colonial and dominating mentality. Our freedom from slavery and their freedom from being a colonizer are the two very essential prerequisites for the possible future union between Oromia and Abyssinia, if such union is favoured by the respective public from both sides.

That is why, it would be nice if we plan to have Oromia as a member of UNO and then opt for the union of liberated nations when the time will be suitable and the publics decide to have a supra-national regional union instead of only national independence. In order to achieve this noble destiny of the next decade, we neeed the necessary instruments like Tokkummaa for Bilisummaa (unity for liberty), commitment, dedication, pragmatism, cooperation and coordination of our moves...etc. Otherwise, I know that Waaqayyo/Rabbii will help us, if and only if we help our selves. So let's now start to work towards this Decade's destiny envisioned by Gadaa.com.

Galatoomaa!!