• Statement of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)

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

Asmara, Eritrea

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, who on January 13, 2010, officially surrendered to the tyrannical TPLF regime of Ethiopia.

Let it be known to all that Licho Bukhura, Abdataa Baasiree and collaborators had established contact with the TPLF spy network and had been trying to form a splinter group and were consequently expelled from the organization on October 31, 2008. Responsible journalism, fairness and the need to provide balanced news to readers and/or audience require full coverage of the issues under consideration. In this regards, the Nation Media Group Reporter only reported a one sided erroneous information instead of contacting the OLF and obtaining a balanced information; that some members of the OLF surrendered to the TPLF regime.

Those who surrendered to the TPLF regime 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. Surrendering to the regime only makes their collaboration official.

To show to their spy handlers that they persuaded a significant number of the Oromo Liberation Fighters to surrender, the ringleaders of the defection, Licho Bukhura and Abdataa Baasiree, managed to collect their recruited of about fifty unarmed Oromo youth from the locality, deceived few fighters and shamefully paraded with them in front TPLF TV reporters. They claimed that they are the last remaining OLF fighters. It was obvious that the whole show was planned and coordinated by TPLF government intelligence agents as part of the forthcoming sham election’s propaganda campaign of the regime.

We would like to assure all concerned that, the OLF Army in the South, East and Western Oromia is intact and will continue to discharge its national duty until the liberation of the Oromo nation from the tyranny is achieved.

The reason for the formation and persistence of the OLF is the political, economic and sociocultural situation of the Oromo nation in Ethiopia; where the Oromo people have forcibly been deprived of political power in their own country, lost control of their natural resources and subjected to suppression, humiliation, subjugation, marginalization, exploitation, gross violation of their fundamental human rights and freedoms and the relegation to a status of second class citizenship. The objective of the Oromo National Liberation struggle led by the OLF is to undo the status quo that the Oromo nation is consigned to in Ethiopia.

Among the indispensable preconditions for peace and stability in the Horn is the Liberation of the Oromo nation. It is foolhardy to believe that the defection of a few traitors is the end of the Oromo liberation struggle. The surrender of the whole battalion of TPLF fighters during the war with the Dergue regime did not change the course of war between TPLF and the Dergue. Similarly, this as well, will not change the course of the Oromo people’s Struggle. Traitor’s of the Oromo liberation struggle have betrayed commitment to their people and organization and also have sold out pride for monetary gains. The traitors sold their pride and chose to serve the regime than continuing the struggle with the Oromo Nation that is yearning for liberation and justice. As such traitors do not represent the aspiration of the Oromo people for liberation, freedom, equality and justice. Traitors shall not determine the future of the OLF or the destiny of the Oromo
Nation. The future of the Oromo nation shall only be determined by the Oromo nation and its true sons and daughters who are committed to its national liberation.

Victory to the Oromo People!

Oromo Liberation Front
ADDA BILISUMMAA OROMOO