When different people see what they do not like to see, circumvention of the reality is often what resorted to. In this case the commentator below is not aware of what he is engaged in, or he/she might be. But is a classic circumvention of what one could not stop, but does not like to see, or hear. What a .....

web admin,

the comment page should not be a place to post articles.

Few days back, one “breaking news” from Oromia came out telling the world that the beginning of 2010 is “the end for the armed struggle of the Oromo liberation movement, i.e. the OLF is almost dead.” Is this fact or fancy? Are the news makers deceiving themselves or are they devoid of the sense for reality? Did the consumers of the news fall into the trap of buying the reason for the merrymaking in the Weyane camp in the last few days? Here, I do try to show how almost all stakeholders are living in self-deception as far as the Oromo liberation movement is concerned. I think the following groups do live under such self-made “reality” about Oromo, Oromia and the Oromo liberation struggle:





- the international power players and the interested governments, such as the UK and USA, do think that they can maintain the peace and stability they want to have in the Horn of Africa by neglecting, ignoring and suppressing the Oromo liberation movement and by simply supporting the occupation force of Weyane. For this definitely will not serve their strategical interest, they seem to live under self-deception.





- the unitarist forces of the empire, which still dream to reverse the liberation move of the Oromo people towards self-determination by simply talking about the unconditional Ethiopian unity and which are still trying to dismantle the present symbolical Oromia, do also live under self-deception; and they continue to preach as if the Oromo people are interested not for national independence, but only for the individual freedom in the unitary country called Ethiopia, which they seem to romanticize.





- the hegemonist leaders of the ruling party, who are almost blind to see their near and far futurity because of the arrogance they developed based on the “military success” they had against Derg and thereafter. They are living under the self-deceptive fancy of ruling over Oromia and other national areas in the empire forever without taking into consideration the negative consequence of their present action on the fate of their future generation.





- the collaborating Oromo individuals as a part of the ruling party, who do tell us that they have already liberated the Oromo people and preach to us that now we are successfully on the way of developing economically, are living under the self-deception par excellence.





- those who are democratic federalists out of conviction and who tell us that Oromian autonomy within Ethiopian context is the end-goal of the Oromo liberation movement do live under self-deception, considering it as fact that “the Oromo people will never demand more than this federal arrangement.”





- some of the liberation fronts, which want to limit the goal of our liberation movement to the achieving of only the isolated & independent republic of Oromia, also seem to live under self-deception, and they want to convince us that the further integration of independent Oromia with its neighboring nations in whatever form “is not in our interest.”





- of course, the special group of people, who do want to live under self-deception are those Oromo individuals or groups who gave up the armed struggle and joined the ruling party. Some of them told us that “the Oromo question under the current regime is already satisfactorily answered.” The currently surrendered group under self-deception told the world that “the OLF is no more an effective freedom fighter on which Oromo people can further count.” This is the worst self-deception of all. As long as Oromia is under occupation force, OLF will stay not only alive, but continue to develop as a major force in the region. The only effective way of killing OLF is the liberation of Oromia so that the Oromo people will have no necessity to foster and support such liberation front. Otherwise, OLF has got a potential 40-million freedom fighters, including those Oromo individuals in the ruling party, whom it can mobilize whenever it needs.





The self-deception of these all stakeholders is specially regarding the fact on the ground that Oromo nationalism is growing slowly, but surely similar to a gradual rise of a sea level to slowly flow over their heads. They will just be surprised in due time how overwhelming this movement is to uncover their denial. The Oromo liberation movement is also like a slowly heating water to its boiling point. The foes of the movement will just experience that they are like frogs in such a slowly heating water. They enjoy the warmth till they will get overwhelmed in due time in the slowly boiling water.





The other very important reality on the ground, which should be accepted by all stakeholders, is that the Oromo liberation journey from this status quo of self-deception will continue by any means through achieving a self-administration envisioned by some federalist movements towards the self-determination of the nation as planned by our liberation fronts. All the above mentioned stakeholders need to perceive this reality and act accordingly for the sake of their own respective long term interest. They need to consider the inevitable Oromo liberation movement in the equation of their political calculus. Specially, the oppressed mass of both Amhara and Tegaru nations should take this into consideration and fight for the self-determination of their respective people to free from Weyane tyranny in parallel and/or in alliance with the liberation struggle of Oromo and that of other oppressed nations in the empire/region.





But my call to the factions of OLF and the different fronts of the Oromo liberation movement is again to unite or to merge. The Oromo people now has almost come to the conclusion that there is no difference of Kaayyoo (goal) between them. We, as a nation, do have only one Kaayyoo with three terms to be met through three different Karaa’s (ways): through the way of the Oromo rebel fronts, via the way of the opposition movements and/or through the way of the Oromo ruling party. Despite all the hitherto sufferings and failures, the Oromo people will push in our fight for freedom forward. I don’t think that we need a “paradigm shift” as some people try to suggest to us, but we need only a deep comprehension about the complementarity (no contradiction) of the different terms of our Kaayyoo, which each of our liberation organizations seems to follow. There is no conflict of Kaayyoo, but there is only ONE Oromo-Kaayyoo, which can be divided into the following three terms:





- the I-Kaayyoo (Immediate or short term Kaayyoo), i.e Oromian autonomy (true federation)





- the M-Kaayyoo (Middle term Kaayyoo), i.e Oromian independence without a union, and





- the E-Kaayyoo (End or long term Kaayyoo), i.e Oromian independence with a union of independent nations, including or excluding Abyssinia.





Some people are talking about only the I-Kaayyoo and they want us to make it be the E-Kaayyoo. They present it as if OLF is against the I-Kaayyoo. Such opinions are sometimes from the Weyane cadres, who are intentionally trying to create the conflict among Oromo liberation fighters, even though there is no conflict of Kaayyoo between them. Let the people in such pro-I-Kaayyoo group bring us to a genuine federation with the democratization in Ethiopia, if it really can happen. No Oromo with sound mind opposes this move. The same attempt of confusion is true for those who do try to create a conflict between I-Kaayyoo and M-Kaayyoo as well as between M-Kaayyoo and E-Kaayyoo. I am sure they all now know how every Oromo is nowadays determined to forge Tokkummaa for Bilisummaa (unity for liberty) to march together to achieve the above mentioned short, middle and long term goals – one after another.





We all first will achieve the true kilil-federation, where Oromian autonomy will be respected within the Ethiopian context. Then, only Oromo people will decide if we will be satisfied by achieving only this I-Kaayyoo or whether we will move further to the M-Kaayyoo, i.e. struggle for Oromian independence. Then again, it will be the role of only Oromo people to decide, if we will be satisfied by arriving at the middle Kaayyoo or whether we will move further to the E-Kaayyoo, i.e. to foster the union of independent nations, which may include only the hitherto oppressed nations of the empire or may include also the two Habesha nations (which till now fought against the right of oppressed nations to self-determination) or which may include all nations in the Horn. Anyways, the Oromo liberation journey is from the status quo of slavery under Weyane subjugation — through federation to secure Oromian autonomy — and through liberation in a form of Oromian independence — to the union of nations with bilisummaa Oromo (Oromo people’s freedom) and walabummaa Oromia (Oromoland’s sovereignity). In short, our Kaayyoo is, in entirety, the walfaanummaa (union) of nations with bilisummaa and walabummaa.





Specially, it is good for the consolidation of our liberation struggle to have such guideline with the union of independent nations as a common END, instead of talking about only bilisummaa Oromo and walabummaa Oromia. The advantage is that it sends good message to the Oromo liberation groups to cooperate and coordinate their move as well as it tackles the opposition from the other groups, which do have fear from the Oromo liberation movement:





- to all Oromo nationalists rallying behind different liberation movements, even to those supporting OPDO, it gives the very clear direction and guideline of moving: from the status quo kept by OPDO – first to the goal of OFC – then to the goal of OLF – at last to the goal of the AFD-like unionist, so that there is/will be no point of conflict and area of contradiction among them.





- to the Ethiopianist Oromo individuals who do oppose the Oromo liberation movement just for having “love to the united Ethiopia,” it persuades them to be obliged to choose between a unitary Ethiopia and an Ethiopian/regional union. Of course, they cannot have moral ground to prefer unitary region to regional union.





- to the other oppressed nations in the empire, which feel insecure by the rhetoric of establishing only the independent republic of Oromia, it gives them the moral and the chance to be on our side. They will feel to be part of the future union of the future free and sovereign nations in the region. It encourages them to rally on the side of Oromo freedom fighters.





- to some of the rational and democratic Habeshas who at least can see the legitimacy of our liberation struggle, but oppose it for having fear to be limited only in Abyssinia, it helps them to understand that the future union of free nations means also a custom union, a common market and a political union of all nations in the empire/region, which allows free movement of capital, goods, labour, person and service with the right for all citizens to settle in any place in the union. These group can rally beside Oromo freedom fighters, instead of crying only about the unitary empire. It is clear our main enemies (the die-hard unitarists and hegemonists, who do fight us unconditionally to bring back the unitary empire or to maintain their hegemony in the present empire), do every thing possible to hinder our forward move.





- to other sovereign nations in the Horn, like Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia, it sends the message of inclusiveness, so that they will not have irrational fear from being disadvantaged and dominated by the biggest nation of the Horn (the Oromo) in the future.





- to the international community and the superpowers which do have a big interest to keep the integrity of the empire/region, it sends one alternative way of doing it, instead of only unconditionally supporting the oppressive, dominant and undemocratic unitarists or hegemonists.





In general, the opinion of having a union of independent nations as an end-goal is constructive and helpful to promote our struggle for national liberation as well as to foster the future regional integration, both of which need to be stressed and done one after another or side by side. Despite the obstacles, the setbacks and the hitherto failures, take it only 1 year, about 10 years or as long as 100 years, Oromia shall be free, and a necessary stable ground for the future union of independent nations in the region will be established. We, Oromo, should have no illusion: we like it or not, now we are under occupation. No rhetoric can undo this fact; we need to struggle for our freedom. Time will come when the next generation of our current oppressors will ask the Oromo nation for forgiveness for the crime their ancestors did till now and are doing today.





We also need to stop the blame game sometimes directed against only the leaders of our liberation movement for the unsuccess we had in our struggle. Just as we do share the glory whenever they lead us to success, we should also be ready to share the pain when we (they) fail. It is enough that the Weyane cadres do the blaming and the accusation, in order to discourage them, 24 hours and 7 days per week in the cyber world. Let us Oromo nationalists concentrate on the constructive criticism, i.e. by showing the alternative and the corrective way forward. Leading the Oromo liberation is very very difficult because of many factors attributable to us – the Oromo people, to our foe Abyssinian rulers and to their allies (administrations of the neighboring nations and that of the Western nations). Here I am not saying that our leaders are free from mistakes, but I just suggest that we need to address their “weaknesses” in appropriate manner, at a right place and time. Of course, we need to learn also to give them a due respect for leading us until now under the dire circumstances to the victories we already achieved.





To have more success and victory in our future move, we should try to break the hitherto vicious cycle, which may contribute to the downward spiral leading us to the strategical failure and we need to build the necessary virtuous cycle, which can promote our struggle towards success. Examples for the vicious factors are the division based on region, party and religion; passivity and inaction; as well as the negative aspects of our sub-cultures and religions, which are deviating our attention away from our liberation struggle. Because of such vicious factors, we all have paid and are still paying the price directly and/or indirectly. Some of the necessary virtues we need are, such as readiness to be led by Oromummaa and by the will of serving our national interest; a willingness to dedicate our talent, money and time for the struggle; more orientation towards and emphasis on practice, action and pragmatism in contrast to the ideologies and the theories we usually like to talk and write; last but not least, we need a necessary patience and perseverance in the long lasting journey towards our End-Kaayyoo.





We also do not forget the fact that nations like England were under occupation of the roman empire for many hundred years and nations like Israel used to had lost their existence as a nation also for many hundred years. The fact that Oromia is now under occupation for the last about 150 years is not exceptional. But it is an oxymoron and a self-deception of the black community, in particular, and the international community, in general, to consider Ethiopia as a “never colonized country in Africa”; and it is a paradox to accept Finfinne as “free capital city of Africa”, whereas the fact is that one of the biggest African nations, Oromia, and its capital city, Finfinnee, are under occupation of the only African partaker of the European colonizers’ scramble for Africa in the end of the 19th century, i.e Oromia and its capital city Finfinne are still under the occupation of Abyssinia. I hope in due time all the stakeholders, who are still living with the above all mentioned self-deception and denial will wake up and smell the coffee. Even if they don’t wake up, despite the discouraging stands of all the stakeholders, the different parts of the Oromo nation will slowly, but surely come together and move forward together from the present OPDO’s political position of Oromo self-deception — via OFC’s position of Oromo self-administration — to OLF’s position of Oromo self-determination.





Galatooma!

The oromo people have not risen yet. When the people rise that's when both Tigre and Amhara should run for their hide. I see the saturation point is near. The oppressed people of Oromia shall rise and lay claim to their liberty, freedom and sovereignty.

OLF did a lot for Oromo people. I just don't see a small splinter (Full of enemy spies) to have any affect on long and dedicated struggle of WBO to fulfill it's mission.

"Lucho Bukhura" so whats yuour next assignment trator?

First and foremost, it is fair to sketch the long journey in its historical development of OLF. In its development, it has gone through numerous transformations in time. To properly understand the OLF's journey, its development has to be narrated backwards in time. For this reason, its development, its context, its use and its political implications should be historicized.

The development of Oromiffaa had been hindered by Abyssinian occupation of Oromiyaa. Hence for a long time, Oromiffaa had remained as a spoken language. Because of colonial occupation, the Abyssinians made it illegal and forbidden to write in Oromiffaa in any script, including in Sabean script. The early writing in the Oromo language began almost two centuries ago. It is the conquest of Oromiyaa by Abyssinia that interrupted its development into full-fledged writing instrument. Of the earliest writing was vocabulary of Oromo language in 1842 in Latin script by J. Ludwig Krapf, a German national. In 1899, Abba Onesimos Nasib (aka Abbaa Gammachiis) translated the Holy Bible into the Oromo language using Sabean script. In 1935, M. Mario Moreno, an Italian national wrote dictionary of Oromo language using the Latin script. In 1939, P. Gaetino da Thiene, a Catholic priest also wrote a dictionary of Oromo language in the Latin script. Between 1948 and 1953, Sheikh Bakeri developed a new script. All of these significantly contributed to the search for Qubee.

The final breakthrough in the search for script for the Oromo language came towards the middle of 1960s and the beginning of 1970s, with a phonetic study of the Oromo language made by Dr. Haile Fida, a brilliant Oromo scholar. Out of this study was produced an Oromo grammar book in Latin alphabet entitled, “Hirmaatadubbii Afaan Oromoo” in 1973. with Qubee and Oromo language grammatical rules such as long and short vowels - a single consonant for soft or double consonants for emphasis or stress of word – and more rules were published in Qubee and Afaan Oromoo. “Hirmaatadubbii Afaan Oromoo” was republished in 1979. This is the first systematically presented grammar book in Afaan Oromoo or Oromiffaa, written by an Oromo individual using Qubee.

This phase of Qubee in its context and use drew upon political implication. This is the Qubee known to us today. Later in 1970s, the OLF adopted it as Oromo alphabet. It was this Qubee that fundamentally changed the way the Oromo look at their own language. For the first time, Oromiffaa was transformed from a spoken language to a written language. Ever since, it has become as an instrument of struggle in the Oromo’s quest for independence. As the OLF entered Finfinee in 1991 and Obboo Ibsaa Guutamaa became Minister of Education for Transitional Government from 1991 to 1992, the implementation and its practical application officially began. Obboo Ibsaa Guutamaa single-handedly, as Minister of Education, made Qubee to reach every Oromo schools in every corners of Oromiyaa as official alphabet of teaching and work. That is, millions of teaching books were published and millions of Oromo children were taught in it. Indeed, Qubee brought the irreversible conflict between Ethiopia and Oromiyaa. It may sound clichéd, but the plain truth is Qubee would not have been possible as a living Qubee today without the work of Dr. Haile Fida and its adaptation by the OLF and without Obboo Ibsaa Guutama becoming Minister of education to implement it in that shortest period of time.

In the development of Qubee, in 1982, Gene B. Gragg and Tarfa Kumsa, published Oromo Dictionary. Dr. Tilahun Gamta published Oromo-English Dictionary (1989) and Comprehensive Oromo-English Dictionary (2004), among many of his previous others writings. Dr. Tilahun Gamta is the most recognized prominent Oromo scholar and educator who pushed Qubee to its height not only as instrument of instruction, but also as instrument of political struggle. When the Oromos talk about Qubee, Dr. Tilahun Gamta comes to every Oromo’s mind. He stands the tallest among his peers. Because of his commitment and persistent and tireless work and campaign, Qubee is now what it is today. And Obboo Ahimad Muudee published English-Oromo Dictionary (1995). Obboo Abiyyuu Galataa published Galma Afaan Oromoo (1996). Obboo Ibsaa Guutamaa published Special Oromo Dictionary (2004). For this, the Oromo are grateful and indebted to the late Dr. Haile Fida, Obboo Ibsaa Guutamaa, Dr. Tilahun Gamta and Obboo Ahimad Muddee and Obboo Abiyyuu Galataa for their uniquely special contribution to the growth and development of Qubee and its practical implementation in making it a living Qubee. They are rightly the founding fathers of Qubee Oromo. Their works enabled the birth of the “Qubee generation” as we know it today. It is from the above historical development of Qubee that the Qubee Generation was born.

The Qubee Generation

Understanding what is meant by the “Qubee generation” is not complex. Simply, the “Qubee Generation” is a new generation in the Oromo struggle that has came into being since 1991 with the adaptation of Qubee, a Latin alphabet, as Oromo’s writing script and thereafter. By Qubee Generation we mean the Oromo youth generation that have been born and grew since 1991 with the idea of struggle for the liberation, independence and sovereignty of Oromiyaa and a generation that has been taught in Qubee, in the Oromo school system. It is a generation that is not adulterated with Ethiopian political outlook. It is a generation that is not hostage to Ethiopian colonial empire’s policy of Oromo divide and rule. In that sense, it is a new generation that refused to accept Ethiopia, Ethiopianism, and Ethiopia’s institutions, its laws and constitution. The Qubee Generation is a new generation that sees Oromiyaa and its people with Oromo eyes; a generation that believes in truth and justice of the Oromo cause. It is a generation that has unbounded faith in the independence of Oromiyaa as those Oromo nationalists who had paid the ultimate price in lives in the struggle for the liberation of Oromiyaa and as those who are still in this struggle despite the obstacles posed by the alliance of internal and external enemy forces.

First and foremost, this generation is different from its predecessor generation, the generation of the Darg era. Their difference is fundamentally profound. The Darg era generation was raised as Ethiopians; taught as Ethiopians in Abyssinian political outlook and prepared for Ethiopia. In this way, to make them loyal to the empire, Darg had imprinted a political servitude on the characters of its era generation. It is for this reason, the Darg era Oromo generation has irretrievably failed to distinguish and understand the difference between democratization of Ethiopia and the independence of Oromiyaa.

As political difference sprouted within the OLF between pro independence of Oromiyaa and pro Ethiopian democratization faction, the Darg era generation overwhelmingly took side in favor of pro Ethiopian democratization. And so the Darg era generation supported Shanee [the Asmara Group], the pro Ethiopian democratization faction and went along with it and its political platform against the platform of the independence of Oromiyaa. Oromo nationalism or patriotism has not deeply ingrained in this Darg era Oromo generation; whereas it has irrevocably penetrated and instilled in the minds of the Qubee generation. This Qubee generation is raised as Oromo, taught as Oromo and prepared for Oromiyaa. This generation is raised in the spirit of struggle for independence of Oromiyaa and of its ‘bilisummaa’ whereas the Darg era generation were raised in the spirit of Ethiopian unity. It is for this the Qubee generation has been called the future of Oromiyaa and its people.

To reiterate what have been said above, despite the loyalty of capitulationists to Ethiopia, the Oromo are not loyal to Ethiopia; they have never been; they will never be. Their sacred loyalty is to Oromiyaa, their own country. The Abyssinians perfectly know this. It is by knowing this truth the successive Ethiopian empire rulers and their supporters coined a phrase that says, “Gaallaan maaman kamootee bichaa naw” which literally means to trust Oromo is only after his/her death. Later on, as time went by, they realized the political implication of this phrase and so they rephrased it as “sawuun maaman kamootee bichaa naw”, which means to trust a man is only after his death. Since the last century to date, this has been Abyssinians’ long-standing policy towards Oromo. The Abyssinians believe that the Oromo are the threat to Ethiopian empire, the empire they build. That is rightly so.

In Abyssinian political view, even the most loyalist Oromo, as loyalist as Goobana Daacee and Habte Giorgis Qusees Dinagdee were considered as an eventual threat. For this, the Abyssinians see Oromo with skepticism and suspicion. It was because of this, Goobana Daacee, the man who helped Abyssinia to colonize his own country and Fit Habte Giorgis Dinagdee, the man who skillfully helped Menelik to rule the newly created empire were eventually poisoned to death. Throughout the history of this empire, all Oromo nationals who had made alliance with Abyssinians and served them and their empire with distinction and in good faith were dishonored, and discarded, and finally murdered. And if history is any guide, the new collaborators too will face the same destiny, the same fate that their predecessors like Gobanaa Daaccee and the rest had faced.
Ulfina wojjin,
Oromticha.

Ok, then we don't want to hear any Oromo to be arbitrarily arrested and detained for being accused of supporting non-existing oranization and let government release thousands of Oromos who were jailed for the very same reason.
And also we don't need any body to stand far away and tell us to fight for our libration with out even having common stand among itself.
We ask Ethiopian government to stop accusing any of our citizen for being OLF supporter and ask TPLF to manipulate its banda/OPDO as usual to stop doing the same thing for fear of failing to win the upcoming election.

Well, this shows the OLF program is not up-to-date anymore if they still favor secession


OLF should support OPC/OFDM ideology or officialy cease

don't be selfish and cruel with innocent blood of oromos

a few years ago, OPDO generals defected from TPLF, BUT that was not the "last leg" of TPLF

TPLF says this every year