Mereja Forum

[OPFist]

Time For the OLF to be Liberation Front of Oropia, Rather than Only Oromia!

I think it was not bad that the exclusive ODP of Dr. Abiy transformed itself to an inclusive EPP to engage and lead all elites in Ethiopia. The only thing the EPP lacks is the expected genuine loyality to an interest of the Oromo and Oromumma. This hybrid party of the hybrid Prime Minister is still dedicated to maintain the hitherto domination of Amaranet/Amarigna, instead of promoting Oromiffa/Oromumma to its legitimate leadership position. Now, the OLF should try to correct this weakness of the EPP by trying to foster an inclusive EDP (Ethiopian Democratic Party) being led by Oromo genuine republican nationalists in order to transform Ethiopia from its status quo of Amapia (Amaranet dominated country) to its legitimate and natural position of Oropia (Oromumma led country). Then, EDP can be the best opposing contender of the incumbent EPP to take power and implement its vision. I think it is now a right time for the OLF to be transformed from an exclusive Oromian front to an inclusive Oropian (Ethiopian) party.
Read more: https://fayyisoromia.wordpress.com/2023 ... ic-oromia/

[OPFist]

Oromo republicans taking power from the ruling Oromo prosperitans and promoting Afaan Oromo to the primary working language of the whole country as well as democratizing Ethiopia in Oromo terms is the best objectiv the OLF can entertain. Such Ethiopia is de facto Great Oromia, which we can also call Oropia, that is two times bigger than the already envisioned republic of Oromia. One of the reasons to opt for democratic Ethiopia is that the Oromo are considered to be the stem of all other nations in the Horn region, which are claimed to be branchs of the Oromo (proto Cush). Adopting a modernized Gadaa system as an indigenious democratic rule for the whole Cushitic Erhiopia in the Horn, which includes Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and Kenia means fostering Greater Oromia in the region. That is why I repeatedly suggest to genuine Oromo nationalist to focus on the AAA of the Oromo, i. e on Aangoo/power in Finfinne palace, Afaan Oromo as primary language of the federation and Aadaa/culture of the Oromo as main component of Ethiopiawinet. Ethiopia under such AAA will be democratic Oropia, thus no need of unconditional fight for republic Oromia. That is why, even geo-federation is not bad if applied in such democratic Ethiopia.

[OPFist]

It is really interesting to hear few Oromo elites and of course a lot of Habesha elites telling us about the new “statistical” conclusion regarding wish of Oromo people. The conclusion declares that Oromo people don’t want “secession”. They also argue that Oromo is stem for all other nations (the branches) in Ethiopia. According to their logic, it is the branch that may need to break off or separate, but not the stem. That is well said, very good from Habesha elites and I do congratulate them on their new “research finding”.

[OPFist]

Even few Oromo elites are trying to tell us that the Oromo are changing our philosophy regarding liberation movement. According to them, Oromo liberation will be realized only in a united Ethiopia, not in a “separate” and independent Oromia. But I do hear the Oromo asking: from whom did this new philosophy basically come? Whoever the source of this theory is, I will try to challenge both the analogy (parable) and the philosophy of these elites.

[OPFist]

First of all, we should ask if the analogy is suitable to describe the relationship between nations in Ethiopia or in the Horn of Africa. I think the analogy used to describe and explain the relationship between nations in the region is mainly based on version of history that the elites accept and the version they want to apply as an instrument for their political objectives. Yet what is clear is that there are different versions of Oromo history and Ethiopian history.

[OPFist]

According to some church “historians” we are immigrants who came from Madagascar. Others tell us that we were originally confined only to Mada-Walabu and we eventually moved northward after few centuries and occupied the present Oromia, which was later invaded by our neighbors from the north (Abyssinians).

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[OPFist]

There are also those who argue that the Oromo are indigenous people to the region of North East Africa, originally from Meroe. This group claims that all Cushitic nations presently occupying the Horn of Africa are branches of this stem called Oromo – all being descendents of Cush. Just like their theories and, the solution these three groups suggest for the political conflicts in the region (especially in Ethiopia) differs.

[OPFist]

Those who say, Oromos are immigrants suggest that we should leave the empire and go back to where we came from. Those who trace the origin of Oromo to Mada-Walabu and argue the subsequent expansion then after, insist on unconditional independence (separation) of Oromia from Ethiopia. The final group of elite “historians” who believe that the Oromo are descendents of Cush and a stem for all other nations advocate for some autonomy within Ethiopia along with “our branches”. They further argue that the Oromo can be dominant force in the future of Ethiopia and thus there is no need for “secession.”

[OPFist]

I must say, the last version of Oromo history driven by historians who point the origin of Oromo people to land of Cush is a post-modern way of thinking that opposes Oromo people’s right to independence and self-determination. Lately, Habesha elites are trying to designate Oromo as stem from which even Amhara and Tigre originated. Their logic and move is fantastic: the stem (in this case Oromo) can not be separated from its branches. They think that with such simple belief, they can discourage Oromo nationalists from pushing for the creation of independent Oromia within or without the possible union of peoples in the region. My question to the Oromo elites who are preaching the same theory is whether they are being fooled by these Habesha elites or they have their own way to accomplish the agenda of indispensable rights of Oromo nation to self-determination at its heart.

[OPFist]

As far as I am concerned, the Oromo are not necessarily “stem” for the “branches” like Amhara and Tigre. Even if these groups had a common ancestry with the Oromo, now they are different nations and occupy different geographic areas with different languages, culture and history. I consider all nations in the region (big and small) including Amhara, Tigre and the Oromo as separate trees in a garden standing as neighbors, sharing common soil, air and water. These trees have their own discrete identities although they share a common environment. They can only live both independently and interdependently sharing the neighboring environmental resources.

[OPFist]

Let us imagine different trees with different nature living as neighbors enjoying a common area which can be considered as a garden. It is really beautiful to see them having different colors and flowers. But what will happen if one or two of them try to encroach over the area controlled by others and destroy the colorful garden in their neighborhood? Such a plant is considered to be invasive and destructive. Few months back, I read about such invading plants (usually foreign plants) aggressively encroaching on to area of other plants that are considered indigenous to the area.

[OPFist]

Aren’t habesha elites like these invading plants? What was the role of TPLF elite’s in Amhara, Oromia, Ogaden, Afar, Sidama, etc regions as they had power? Were they not encroaching onto the native home of other indigenous plants? To keep the garden beautiful and ensure the invading plants will not continue their raids, the keeper of garden should do everything possible so that all plants are limited only to their own allowed living areas. I think the garden called Horn of Africa can only be beautiful if Amhara and Tigrean elites can be restricted to their respective areas and live in harmony with their neighbor nations.

[OPFist]

However, if they want to continue claiming the areas originally occupied by the Oromo and other nations, no question they are the most destructive invading plants with whom we have to deal accordingly. Until now, they left their own ground and invaded the ground of neighboring plants. Today it is high time that these destructive elements needto be controlled with chemicals that would restrict them to their own space and inhibit them from invading neighboring plants. At the moment, Biltsiginna is the worst form of destructive plant that invaded areas of beautiful and indigenous plants like the Oromo and other Oromo neighbors. The Oromo liberation movement is nothing other than an attempt to limit the invading plants and compel them to stay in their own territories, where they are known to be indigenous.

[OPFist]

Looking at the empire as an animal body, rather than as a garden, the invading Habesha elites are same as cancer cells that multiplies to invade and destroy other tissues and organs of the body. What the elites of two Abyssinians hitherto did to the Oromo and other nations in the region is such a cancerous invasion. It might be true that the Oromo is biological stem of Amhara and Tigreans, just like all our organs came from only one stem cell. But after it is differentiated through a natural process of growth, each organ has its own specialized cells and tissues with peculiar colors, functions, structures and is limited to only one specific part of the body. Brain cells are very different from liver and heart cells, and are limited to have a form and function which is required in a brain. If we find brain cells in a liver or a heart, it could be pathological and lethal.

[OPFist]

The above scenario works when we find the non-integrated and authoritative Habesha elites like the used to be ruling TPLF elites in Oromia. They just destroy the social fabric of the Oromo. For instance, language is the main parameter that determines identity of a nation. Habesha elites who didn’t learn how to speak Afan Oromo after living in Oromia for a long period of time are like invading cancer cells. In due time, they either will be integrated by learning Afan Oromo or they will be ejected as a foreign body or they will kill the host (Oromo language and Oromo culture slowly). This is the law of both nature and culture. Here we need to differentiate the malignant destructive cancer cells like the invading authoritative and oppressive elites from the benign harmless cells, i.e. ordinary individuals who left their homeland seeking better opportunities and freedom else where. That is why the normal, simple Amhara and Tigrean folks living in Oromia, who are integrated and respecting culture, language and other rights of the Oromo including political right to self-determination, should not be considered as cancer cells to be rejected and removed.

[OPFist]

In conclusion, I think the healthiest and recommendable solution is to have trees with different forms and flowers beside one another (tree of Amharas, tree of Oromos, tree of Tigreans, etc) with their own distinct living areas, without being allowed to invade others’ territories like the invading plants do. The empire in which Habesha elites invaded other nations and tried to destroy their culture still hinders the realization of nations’ right to self-determination. This Empire must be transformed to a Union, in which all nations with different cultures live independently and interdependently like those well placed and managed plants in a beautiful garden. That is what I mean by a union of free peoples.

[OPFist]

Union of free Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, Ogaden, Afar, etc; possibly including even independent countries like Eritrea, Somaliland, Djibouti, Puntland and Somalia with self-determination of each nation as the optimal vision, we all should strive to achieve. Without respect of the right of nations to self-determination, there is no power under the sun which can hinder peoples from striving to get rid off the invading plants or from trying to be free from the cancer cells. If the highly wished homgenious unity must exist, then it must be in form of democratic Ethiopia as described above. Surely, the fact on the ground is that democratic Ethiopia shall be de facto Oropia. No question, that is almost equal to double Oromia, thus no Wonder that the OLF nowadays opted for democratic Ethiopia than republic Oromia!