The Molla Asgedom Phenomenon: a surprise or a trend? by Jawar Mohammed

The return of the Tigrean rebels to TPLF camp might be shocking to those who have been counting on them to serve as reliable ally. However for those who has followed recent development carefully, this event could hardly be surprising. In the last few years, particularly since Meles' death, we have been witnessing re(unification) of Tigrean forces and Molla Asgedom's decision to abandon opposition politics and rejoin the mothership is part of this trend.

1) Those who were purged during the the 2001 have either officially rejoined ( eg. Bitew Belay), or become active supporters of the regime ( Generals Tsadkan G/Tensai & Abebe Teklehaymanot) or have muted their criticism ( Seeye Abreha who has quit politics and took up a UN job. Even Gebreu Asrat has reduced his opposition to infrequent soft criticism).

2) Those intellectuals and media personnels who were once fierce critiques are slowly returning to the mothership. Here we can mention Prof Tekola Hagos who few years ago was writing weekly attacking the regime. The same is true for Dawit Kebede who was incarcerated and exiled for opposing the regime, yet suddenly gave up his asylum and have now become active defender of the regime. Dr Aregawi Berhe, TPLF's founding commander, who few years ago was a leading critic has been conspicuously silent.

Hence, Molla Asgedom is not the only Tigrean opposition figure who has realigned himself. Almost everyone is. The cause of his defection cannot be reduced to power greed as G7 people would like us to believe or ‘realization of Shabia’s evil intent’ as the regime wanted to frame it. Its rather part of the ongoing regrouping of Tigrean politico-military and economic elite that we have been observing in recent years.

What is causing this regrouping?

When an elite drawn from small minority ascends to power, the process of consolidation brings about two developments that are complementary and conflicting at the same time. On one hand, as they try to consolidate power by fending off potential rivals, they develop an exclusionist policy that leads them to accumulate disproportionately high wealth and power. On the other, such exclusionist policy leads to developments of resentment among excluded groups which would be expressed through generalized hostility towards the privileged group as whole. These two developments enable the regime to increase internal cohesion. The control of huge resource among the minority elites allows them to spread it around hence reducing internal competition and conflict. More importantly the ever increasing hostility of elites of the ‘other’ towards the privileged group in general creates sense of collective insecurity and solidarity making 'sticking together' an inevitable reaction.

This is basically what has been happening in Ethiopian politics in the last two and half decades. Tigreans who make up no more than 6% of the population have come to monopolize the meager wealth and power that country has. The TPLF regime has control over national resource that can be spread around the Tigrean elite reducing competition and conflict among them. The repression and exclusion of the rest has led to ever intensification of vocal hostility towards Tigreans. In such situation, even those Tigreans who might not support the regime policy and are not attracted to wealth and power would have to join the mothership due to shared sense of existential threat to the collective.

In addition to this inevitable outcomes of minority domination, TPLF has adopted quite a clever strategy when it comes to dealing with Tigrean dissidents. Whenever there is fallout they avoid measures that could cause irreparable wound. Eg. following the 2001 breakup, although leaders of the losing faction were jailed, they were not subjected to the usual cruel treatment other opposition figures were put through. Siye & co were never tortured. Their family were not made destitute ( they remain in government housing and were financially compensated). Even when we look at how the regime dealt with Molla Asgedom’s group, we can observe that despite being the most heavily armed group, it was never declared as terrorist group and the state media avoided the defamation campaign it conducts against other rebels. Such softer approach has made it easy to achieve the reconciliation project launched after Meles’ death.

Oromo Community in North America Urges Mr. Obama Not to Meet Ethiopian Govt Officials Outside of AU Headquarters to Avoid Misuse of His Visit for Domestic Propaganda by the Undemocratic, Tyrannical Ethiopian Govt

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
www.WhiteHouse.gov
Tel: (202) 395-2020
Subject: Your plan to Visit Ethiopia in July, 2015

Dear President Obama,

On behalf of the Oromo Communities in the United States, we, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Oromo Communities’ Association in North America (OCA-NA), are writing this urgent letter regarding your plan to visit Ethiopia in July 2015. OCA-NA is an umbrella organization of the Oromo communities, and represents thousands of citizen and legal residents of Oromo origin in the United States. It is organized to advocate for the human rights of the Oromo in Diaspora and those at home, in the Horn of Africa.

Like the majority of U.S. citizens and the global community, we were excited when you were elected as the president of the United States in 2008 and expected huge progress for all freedom loving people in the world. Your statement in Ghana, during your first visit to Africa in 2009, in which you promised your administration’s commitment to support “strong and sustainable democratic governments” in Africa and to deny assistance to corrupt and dictatorial regimes confirmed our hopes and widened our imaginations. Despite moments of frustration, over the last seven years, we have continued to hope for your strong support for democracy and freedom in Ethiopia. On several occasions, the Oromo communities have appealed to your administration and to you personally, regarding the repressive acts of the Ethiopian regime. Incidentally, the Oromo residents of Washington, DC Metropolitan Area and representatives of communities from many states were holding a peaceful rally in front of the White House when they learned the announcement of your planned visit to Ethiopia.

It is with shock and profound sadness that we received this message. We are afraid that your visit sends the wrong messages to both the government of Ethiopia and the people suffering from government’s repressive policies. First, your visit emboldens the dictatorial EPRDF regime and encourages it to implement even more destructive and undemocratic policies. Portraying your visit as an endorsement of its misguided actions, the regime intensifies the violence against innocent people, continues violation of human rights, further suppresses dissidents, stifles legitimate grievances of citizens, and displaces farmers, the youth and intellectuals. Your meeting and photo ops with Ethiopian government officials will be exploited to the maximum by the regime to subdue the people claiming that your administration fully supports its dictatorial practices and the unbelievable 100 percent victory in its sham elections. Second, the Oromo in particular, and the Ethiopian people in general, would lose hope. They would feel the most powerful nation and its president, whose speeches and actions they passionately follow and expect highly from his administration, have ignored their plight. Your meeting in Addis Ababa with Ethiopian officials, who torment innocent people daily, will deepen the people’s disillusionment and frustrations. Third, the Oromo communities in U.S. are extremely concerned that your visit will have negative implications for the policy objectives of your administration and the long term interests of United States in the region.

The Ethiopian government distorts facts, manipulates the reality, and represents itself as democratic. But human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Survival International, and the annual human rights reports of the State Department have attested to the massive human rights violations of the EPRDF regime. The well documented long list of imprisoned students, journalists, bloggers, and members of opposition political parties fully confirm the undemocratic nature of this regime. In a country like Ethiopia, with complicated and highly contested political issues, the recent 100 percent victory in the national elections is totally unbelievable, and leaves no doubt about EPRDF regime’s dictatorial rule. Finally, the Ethiopian government also exploits global and regional security issues. Declaring its support for the war on global terrorism and posing as an ally of the United States, the government uses resources it receives from big powers for suppressing dissent, terrorizing innocent people, and for subverting democratic processes. It should be clear that a regime that terrorizes its citizens cannot be a reliable ally to fight extremism.

Mr. President,

For these reasons, we are puzzled by your decision to visit Ethiopia and meet government officials who contradict your convictions and the principles of American democracy. First, we are strongly appealing to you to reconsider your planned trip to Ethiopia. Second, if your visit to the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa is absolutely necessary, we are strongly urging you not to meet Ethiopian government officials in public and not offer them the opportunity to use your visit for their domestic propaganda. Third, we also request you to make it clear to the people in public that the Ethiopian regime’s undemocratic practices are unacceptable. We believe the United States will not ignore the atrocities perpetrated against the 95 million people in favor of the oppressive regime in the name of alliance against global terrorism.

OLF Statement on President Obama’s Planned Visit to Ethiopia

Obama’s Planned Visit to Ethiopia is Incompatible with Claims of Democratic Principles of the U.S. Government

Statement from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)

OLF Statement 

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) strongly opposes the planned visit to Ethiopia of the U.S. President Barack Obama on the end of July 2015. As Ethiopia is one of the most brutal regimes of the world, OLF believes that such a visit will result in strengthening the dictatorial minority regime, will boost the regime’s confidence to strengthen its ruthless human rights violations, will give a green light to the regime to continue its repression, economic exploitation, and marginalization of various nations and nationalities of the country under its usual pretense of democracy. OLF also believes that a lasting national and security interest of the U.S. is better protected not by blessing and supporting such a well-known ruthless regime, but by being on the side of the people, supporting the struggle of the peoples of the country for freedom, democracy and justice by using its leverage through exerting the necessary pressure on the regime on power.

In 1991, when the dictatorial military regime of Mengistu Hailemariam was overthrown by the combined struggle of the oppressed peoples of Ethiopia and a Transitional Government was about to be established, a commitment given from the U.S. government to the Ethiopian people was an assurance of “no democracy, no cooperation.” It was the then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Herman Cohen, who gave such assurance in public. However, the TPLF/EPRDF group, which took over the government not only by using the military upper hand it had, but also using the blessing of the U.S. official Herman Cohen, demonstrated its anti-democratic nature in practice in a matter of less than one year. Several organizations which struggle for the right of their people, including the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), opposed the tyrannical and authoritarian practices of the TPLF/EPRDF party as the dominant force and left the then Transitional Government of Ethiopia.

Today, 24 years have passed under the totalitarian TPLF/EPRDF regime erected and protected by the West, mainly the United States of America. It is impossible to enumerate the widespread political repression, economic exploitation, and monopoly of a minority regime in all sectors political, economic and social life. Among many other reports, the repeated reports of human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa, and including the Country Report U.S. State Department all shed light to the atrocities of the current Ethiopian regime committed on the peoples of the country, mainly on the Oromo people. Nonetheless, it has to be noted that all these and many other reports show only a small fraction of the repression and brutalities perpetrated by the regime. Most of the political killings, barbaric acts of torture, politically charged arrests, abductions and disappearances carried out by the regime are hidden and remain unreported. The OLF has ample evidence that most acts of ruthlessness committed on the Oromo nationals in several parts of Oromia are not reported at all.

Overall, although some knowingly or unknowingly deny or diminish the repressive nature of the current Ethiopian regime, the truth is that the basic democratic and human rights and freedom of peoples of the country is denied in Ethiopia. While Ethiopia has never seen democratic election in its history, the undemocratic and fake nature of so called “election” carried by the current regime has no parallel even in the Ethiopian standard. Over the last 24 years, the Ethiopian people have been forced to “elect” the TPLF/EPRDF party under the barrel of the gun. The 2015 so called “election” is a clear evidence that, for the people of the country, let alone electing whoever they want, any suspicion about electing the opposition parties the government conveniently put in the election drama has been a crime subjecting citizens to severe punishment. While the so called election drama and its result in which the TPLF/EPRDF declared 100% victory are officially over, as we speak, thousands of Oromo and other nationals are being hunted down and thrown into jail for suspicion of “electing” the few opposition who didn’t even win a single seat in the parliament.

The Story of an Oromo Born in Addis Ababa in 1970’s with Typical Oromo Name Rhyming with ‘-ssaa’ – Why I Am Oromo First and from Oromia

Aboma

Over the last couple of years, I have come to realize that asserting ‘being Oromo first’ and ‘being from Oromia’ are parts of the “Oromo cause.” My story is a typical story of an Oromo born after the 1974 Revolution in Finfinne, the hotbed of Habeshanism, in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. My story does follow the trajectory of an Oromo from urban Oromia to reclaiming his or herOromummaa.

Here is my story …

I was born to Oromo parents, whom, I suspect now, might have been activists in the Oromo struggle, in Addis Ababa in the late 1970’s. I suspect my parents might have been Oromo activists since the subject of Oromummaa had never been brought up in our daily conversations during my boyhood. As it’s common in any family during those revolutionary days, my family also kept many kilometers away from any politics, and from anything that resembled politics, as the saying goes, “politics and electricity are to be enjoyed from afar.” If not activists, then they were conscious of Oromoness.

My African Oromo Name

As most of the Oromo kids, born to Oromo-conscious family of Finfinne from that era, I, too, had an Oromo name. Yes, it ends with “-ssaa.” Both of my siblings were also given Oromo names at birth.

Since my parents could afford it – with both of them earning decent salaries at that time, my siblings and myself were sent to one of the best private schools in Addis Ababa. There, at the school, we also would find other kids with Oromo names. Sometimes, the high number of Oromo students at that private school felt as if the Oromo parents in town had agreed to send their children to certain schools where our Oromoness was not used as a target for bullies – a subject which I would explain below.

As I grew up, the first thing I felt about my Oromoness was my name sounded strange to those in Addis Ababa. As a young boy, I couldn’t understand why my name became such a controversial part of who I was. The following were some of the questions and comments my name garnered, and still garners in some corners.

The first was a question – a weird question for a young boy to deal with:

“Are your parents from Wollega? How/why did your parents give you an Oromo name while you’re born in Addis Ababa?”

For the record, my parents are not from Wollega. And, I had asked my parents why I was asked this question many times by strangers. I was told by another relative that it’s because Oromos from Wollega always maintained their Oromoness even after being urbanized; so the other Addis Ababan residents equated any Oromo with pride in Oromoness to being from Wollega.

Another one was a comment:

“Oh, your name reminds me of the story about a certain Minister from the Janhoy time. His name was Yilma Deressa; he was the Minister of Finance, I think. He used to hire anyone with the name ending with ‘-ssaa.’ All he used to do during the interview was ask your name. If you say, ‘I’m Abdissaa’ – he used to say, ‘you’re hired.’ ‘I’m Qananissaa’ – he said, ‘you’re hired.’ Then, a Gurage said, ‘Enessaa?’ (in Amharic, what about me?), and since the ‘Enessaa’ word ended with ‘-ssaa,’ Minister Yilma said, ‘you’re hired, too.'” (and laugh …)

Another was the overzealous question about the meaning of my ‘strange’ name. I have had friends with names from the Bible or the Koran, such as Daniel, Aster, Hassan, and so on. I have never seen them being questioned about the meanings of their names; and I bet you they do not know the Hebrew or Arabic meanings of their names, except that they’re names from the Bible or the Koran. But, here I am – an Oromo with an African Oromo name, being challenged about the meaning of my name. Don’t get me wrong; I have no issue with the question, but with its implication. It always came with the sound that ‘I was the other,’ like “is this name from Ethiopia? is this name not from India?” The question pissed me off because it attempted to write me off from my African Oromo roots altogether. And, the fact that my friends with Amharic or Tigrigna names, such as Abiyot, Bereket, etc. were not asked this question, showed me there were at least two worlds out there.

And, yet another jab at my Oromo name came in the form of deliberately mispronouncing it. This group of jabbers added a letter or two to make my name sound Amharic or Tigrigna. I was even ‘told’ many times (and so were my parents), in order to get jobs in the future, it was better for my name (and the names of my siblings) be changed to something that sounded Amharic or Tigrigna by adding a letter or two. My parents always brushed off this question/demand with a smile. However, even at the early age, I asked ‘why?’ ‘Why would I have to add a letter or two to change my name?’ and ‘Why would I not get a job with my original Oromo name?’

The Prison Visits

My parents, from time to time, used to visit their friends imprisoned at Karchelle, the biggest prison in Addis Ababa, where ‘political prisoners’ were locked away during the Derg period (1980’s). I was very much puzzled by those people imprisoned at Karchelle; the secrecy surrounding my parents’ visits to the prison also puzzled my small brain as a young boy. Years later, I would find out the secrecy was to make sure their prison visits were not politicized as sympathizers. My parents would announce to no one that they would visit their friends in prison; however, as special food was being prepared to be taken to the prisoners, we, the children, would hear about it. The visits always happened on Sundays, the day the prison would open to the general public for visits. Early in the morning, my mother would pack the food in a bag and leave with my father for Karchelle. A couple of times, they were stopped on the way because there was a meeting at the Kebelle (a neighborhood association) that everyone must attend, and the security guards would surround the neighborhood and allowed no one to leave the perimeter until after the meeting was over – by that time, the prison would be closed for visits.

I had not met any of the prisoners, but some of their names were famously known in the Oromo parents’ circle. I had asked my parents many times why their friends were in prison; they would simply tell me it’s for the ‘Oromo cause.’ At that age, the word ’cause’ was a very hard concept to comprehend for a boy. But, the repeated use of the word had seared into my mind and consciousness. And, the way they would say the phrase, “Oromo cause,” in low voice (as if even the walls could also hear them) and while watching over their back (even while being inside our house) made it a special phrase for me. It would take me several years to connect the dots about the Addis Ababan Habesha’s obsession with my Oromo name with the Oromo political prisoners as well as the “Oromo cause.” Years later, when I read Nelson Mandela’s autobiographical book, I would picture the Robben Island as the Karchelle of Addis Ababa.

“I Am Oromo First” and the Question of Land Ownership

Some three decades after my 1980’s boyhood, my Oromoness would confront me again. In the 1990’s, my Addis Ababan Habesha friends (and sometimes, these Habesha friends are those Oromo fully assimilated into the Addis Ababan Amhara) had fully accepted and respected my Oromoness. With the introduction of the Afan Oromo TV and increased awareness of national oppression in Ethiopia in the 1990’s, my Habeshafriends would even casually address me as “Obboo X” (where the Obboo designates their acceptance of my Oromo identity). I separated with some of them in the mid-2000’s since, I, too, had to join the growing Oromo Diaspora population, partly due to my involvement in the Macha-Tulama movement when the capital of Oromia moved away from Finfinne.

Since the latter half of 2000’s, however, my Habesha friends suddenly became suspicious of my pride in Oromoness; one of them would even assert that my parents were “tribalist” (and “racist”) to give me an Oromo name. Though my Oromoness had been a target of jab in the 1980’s, it had never come to the point it has been since the latter half of 2000’s. I tolerated my Habesha friends’ change of mind for a long while; they even said, “Woyane is the one who has brought all this talk about tribalism.” When I tell them I had been an Oromo before the 1990’s rise to power of Woyaneand about those imprisoned friends of my parents during the Derg period – whom were locked up for the “Oromo cause” at Karchelle, they would prefer to ignore those facts. For some reason, they would only focus on Woyane’s rise to power in 1991 and try to associate my identification as an Oromo to the 1991 change of regime. I repeatedly told them that the 1990’s was actually the time when I began to no longer feel being the “other” in Ethiopia. Seeing the changes with the introduction of the Afan Oromo TV; the transitional government being a composition of all national groups in Ethiopia – though, short-lived; the realization of Oromia as a region; the use of Afan Oromo as a working language in the region of Oromia – all these were policies that had made me, and many others, believe in the possibility of changes in Ethiopia. However, here I am in the Diaspora with oldHabesha friends who continue to believe these pro-Oromo policies are “tribalist” and “racist.” A few years ago, I made my own decision that the struggle, the “Oromo cause,” ought to continue for the sake of freedom for the Oromo.

It was under this conflict that we heard the “I Am Oromo First” interview with a young Oromo named Jawar Mohammed on the worldwide television called Al Jazeera. It was a new chapter for me as a person and also for the Oromo as a people. We no longer have a room to accommodate ignorance and arrogance meant to undermine our national identity. We must assert our national identity and celebrate it.

Immediately after that also came the plan of Woyane to displace millions of Oromo farmers from their land. This signaled to me that the “Oromo cause” was not only about identity, but also about ownership of one’s own land (country). First, I have to share with you the story of my grandfather and grandmother (my father’s parents) in rural Oromia.

My grandparents have lived in rural Oromia all of their lives. Generations before them had lived in the same homestead (Qa’ee) for several centuries; they were physically and psychologically attached to the Qa’ee. During the Italian invasion, the Italians built roads passing through their farms. After the Italians had left, the new Habesha rulers came to the region, and divided the farmland amongst themselves and forced my grandparents and their entire clan to become “gabbar” (tenants), i.e. someone who would till the land and give the produce to the new Habesha landowner. For my grandparents and their clan, it would take the 1974 Revolution to regain possession of their farmland as well as their freedom as free-producers (though the Derg regime still maintained some level of state ownership of both the land and the produce – sometimes, the Derg used to force them to sell at lower prices for the ‘national call’ of the ‘motherland.’)

OLF Statement: The Ethiopian sham election serves only the dictatorial government

The Ethiopian sham election serves only the dictatorial government

The Tigray dictatorial ruling class was built on excessive military power. The regime indulged the country into extreme poverty. The corruption of the ruling class was one of the main machinery that put the country into the highest level of economic inequalities where the few members of the ruling class became the richest and the majority of the citizens are unable to even earn their daily bread. This high level of inequality resulted into absolute poverty, migration and loss of lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Today hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian people are living in hunger and insecurity in their own country. Some are cherished in Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea while they were trying to escape from unfair and abusive government.

For the last 24 years, since the Tigray ruling class came to power, the corruption, displacement of people and human rights abuses have increased with the tremendous speed. This misery darken the political space and eradicated people’s hope for democracy. The Ethiopian people have been denied political freedom and rights of expression of their opinions. In this current regime, it is a crime to have different political opinion rather than supporting the Tigray ruling class’s party. The Ethiopian regime recorded highest level of Human rights abuses, killings, and intimidations not only in African continent but also in the world.

The Tigray ruling class came to power with military force; it has built its dictatorial regime on military power and will continue to do so. One party dictatorship rule was the vision they had from the very beginning. They proved their vision within the last 24 years. In the future, they want to rule Ethiopia under one party dictatorship rule. The Tigray ruling class never listened to the Ethiopian people, nor willing to listen in the future. The responses to peoples’ questions were imprisonments, tortures and killings.

The main priority for the Tigray ruling class is to stay on power. One of the strategy they designed to stay on power is to carry out fake election every five years. The last four elections proved that the ruling class is the most dictatorial regime on the planet. This 5th election that will take place on May 24, 2015 is not different from the previous elections. This election will not make any change to the political system and democracy in the country but it is only to renew the power of the ruling class for the next 5 years. This election is not democratic and not expected to fulfil the interest of the Ethiopian people. The election board is established by the current ruling class; the so called participating political parties are not treated fairly; the members of the opposition parties are arrested, harassed and beaten; the election process do not follow the democratic principle. Therefore, one can easily to judge the outcome of such unfair and sham election.

The Ethiopian people was struggling for peace and democracy for several years. Among the people struggling for their rights the Oromo people was on the forefront. The Oromo people was struggling for many years and made huge sacrifices to regain their freedom and democracy. The Oromo people is not struggling to gain nominal seats in dictatorial government system but to become free from a century long political, economic and social domination. This objective cannot be achieved through participating in the election organised by the dictatorial ruling class.

Particularly to the Oromo youngsters and students, you have made significant sacrifices to move the Oromo struggle forward. In order to make your sacrifices yield a fruit, you must continue your struggle for freedom and democracy. Participating in this fake election means that you forget the sacrifices your brothers and sisters made. Participating in this election means that you’re building the power of your perpetrators. From many years’ experience, the OLF knows the plan and behaviour the Tigray ruling class. The OLF knows that this regime is not prepared to leave its position even if they lose the election, which is unlikely within the current election process.

Therefore, the OLF wants to inform the Ethiopian people in general and the Oromo people in particular, that this election stands only to serve the Tigray ruling class and to keep them in power for the next 5 years. This election does not fulfils the interest the Ethiopian people and do not lead to peace, stability and economic development of the country. The OLF wants to remind the Oromo and other people in Ethiopia that it should not mislead by this sham election.

Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo Haala Gaanfa Aafrikaa Ammaa Keessatti: Akkamitti Rakkoolee Nu Muudatan Jalaa Ba’uu Dandeenya?

(OromoPress) – Ummata Oromoo bal’aa, HD ABO Jaal Daawud Ibsaa, Jaal Dhugaasaa Bakakkoo, Jaallan dirree lolaa jirtan, Qeerroo bilisummaa akkasumas firoottaniif deeggaroonni ummata Oromoo, dursee baga Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo kan 2015tiin sin gahen jedha. Guyyoota Oromoon ayyaaneeffatu/yaadatu keessa guuyyaan GGOn guyyaa guyyaawwan caaluuufi guyyaa kabaja olaaana qabu. Ummanni of kabajuufi mirga ofii barbaadu kamuu gootota isaas kabajee kaayyoo isaan eegalan galmaan ga’uun dirqama Oromummaati. Guuyyaa kana guyyaa olaanaafi kabajamaa kan godhe wareegama isa dhumaa, wareegama lubbuu kaffaluu gootota Oromooti. Lubbuu ofii caalaa keenaan olaanaafi kabjamaan namini nuufi ummata keenyaaf kennuu danda’u addunyaa kanarra hinjiru. Kanaaf gootota keenya niyaadanna; nimararfanna.

Otoon baay’ee hinturin matadureen irratti dubbadhu keessa galuun barbaada. Obsaan na dhaggeeffadhaa. Akkuma matadureen koo eeru, waa’ee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo Ammaantanaa Haala Gaanfa Afrikaa Ammaantanaa wajjin wal qabsiiseen irratti dubbadha. Haasaan kiyya gaaffilee armaan gadii tarraa’aniif deebilee amma danda’amu laachuu yaala.

• Oromoon yeroo amma maal keessa jira?
• Rakkoolee naannoo, idil-addunyaafi rakkoolee keessa isaa jiran keessaa umna jabaa ta’ee ba’uuf Oromoon maalfaa gochuu qabaata?
• Goonni Oromoo jaarraa 19ffaa gara duraa Madaqoon waa’ee ijaaramuufi kutannoon falmmachuu maal nu barsiisa?
• Haqa/dhugaa otoo qabinuu maaliif himachuu dhadhabine?
• Sababii gargaraan, walqooduu baalleessuun tokkummaa akkamitti cimsanna?
Yeroo amma kana ummanni Oromoo rakkoo guddaan inni keessa jiru rakkoo gabrummaa jireenya isaa gaaffii keessa galchee jiru keessa. Lafinni qotee bulaa Oromoo heekitaara miliyoonotaan umna qaweetiin irra fudhatame maqaaa invatmentiitiin abbootii qabeenyaa Habashaafi kan biyya alaatiif kennama jira. Qoteebulaan Oromoo, miliyoonotaan lakkaa’amu Oromiyaa mararratti qee’ee isaarraa maatiif waatii isaa wajjin buqqa’aa jira; barattoonni karaa nagaa seeran ala umnaan babal’acuu Finfinneetiin bara 2014 waggaa har’aa mormaa turan kumaatamaan har’ayuu hiidhaa keessa jiru, dhibbatamaan ajjeefamni, dhibbatamaan dararamaa jiru. Umnoonni loltuufi tikaa Agazii kan tarkaanfii suukaneessaa barattoota, qoteebulaa, hojjettoota fayyaa, daldaltootafi hojjettoota biroorratti fudhate ammas seeratti otoo hindhiyaatiin dhiigini nama keenya bilaashumatti dhangal’aa jira. Caalmatti, mirga sabaa keenyaaf kan dubbataaa jiru numa. Biloogaroonni fi gaazexeessitoonni Habashaa Zone9 warra jedhamaniif State Department dabalatee jarmiyaa addunyaa baay’etu falmaafi jira.
Garuu, dhibbatamaan ajjeefamnii kumaatamaan barattoota Oromoo hidhamaniif namoonni dhuunfaaf jaarmiyaaleen alaa dubbachaa jira yartuudha. Kuni kan nutti agarsiisu, tarii hojiin diplomaasiifi ijaarsi/gurmuun Oromoo laafaa ta’uusarra darbee waldhabbileen, walwaraansifi cichitummaan shorkessitoota gaanfa Afrikaatti waan baay’achaa jiruuf, mootummoonni Amerikaafi Awuroppaa waayyanee akka umna jeequmsaatti otoo hintaane akka umna nagaa eegidotaatti haal doggoraadhaan laalaa jiraachuudha. Yeroo amma jeequmsi gaanfa Afrikkaa biyyoota akka Summaaliyaa, Suudaan Kibbaafi Itoophiyummallee dabalatee deemaa jira. Jiddu-gala baa’aa keessas leelistummaan baay’achuun, biyyoonni baay’een biyya (state)diigamaa jiran ta’aa jiru. Tarsiimoon biyya alaa Ameerikaas ta’e kan, Awuroppaa, nagaa, dimokiraasfi kabajamuu mirga dhala namaa dura kan dhimmaniif tasggabbiin naannoo akka jiraatu. Biyyoonni lixaa haala kana keessatti, mootummaa Itoophiyaa akka qabsoo karaa nagaas ta’e hindhannoo akka hinkufine barbaadu.
Nuyi amma umna jabaa Lixaan filatamuu danda’u taanee hinargaminetti, Lixini warra umna qaban wajjin akkuma barame itti fufu. Haala jeeqama gurguddaa jiddugalessa ba’aa kan akka Siiriyaa, Yeeman, Ayiisis faana walbira qabamee yoo laalamu rakkoo Oromoo akk rakkoo xiqqaa xiyyafannoon hinbarbaachisneetti namoonni yaadan alarra nijuru. Rakkoon keenya guddaa ta’uu isaa umna taanee isaan kan amansiifachuu qabu nuyi. Abbaan iyyatu ollaan namaa birmata. Hatiyyuu ilma dhadhabaa hinjaallattu. Gaaffii guddaan warri biyya Lixaa qaban: “Oromoon umna yoo ta’ee as bahe, fedhii keenya nuu guutaa?” kan jedhu. Kaanf, deebii qubsaa kennuun afaaniin qofa otoo hintaane umnaanis gurmaa’uuni. Umna gudda jiru yoo moote yookiin dhadhabsiiste, sun fedhii siin firoomuu biyyoota Lixaa olkaasa.
Jaarmiyaalee addunyaafi naannoo (regional and international) kan akka Gamataa Aafrikaa (AU), Igaad, Mootumoota Walta’an (UN), mootumaa DC irree dabalatee Tigroonni malaan lixanii, seenanii fehdii ofii eegisuun gaaffiifi rakkoon Oromoo akka ukkamsamu taasisa jiru. Waa’ee Oromoo soba addunyaatti himuun Oromoon umna gadhee akka ta’e hololu. Kuni, immoo tarsiimoo adda addaafi akka itti alagaan waa’ee keenya yaadu garadabarsa. Kaayoon isaanii Oromoo addunyaarraa kutuun waa’een isaa akka hindhaga’mine gochuudha. Mootummaa ABT loobii ykn fedhii isaaf warra dubbatan doolaara miliyoona heedduu itti herreegee (baajaa baasee) kennee akka mootummaa dimokiraatawaa, misoomaafi mootummaa mirga dhala namaa eegutti bulchitoota Ameerikaa hanga Kongiresiitti sobee sobsifachaa jira. Fakkeenyaaf, dhiyoo kana Weendii Sheermaan, Isteet Dipartmentiitti Barreessituu Jalaa Dhimmoota Politikaa kan taate, Itoophiyaa deemuun filannoo Itoophiyaa bara kana ta’uuf deemu deeggarte, faarsitee dubbattee jirti. Odeeffannoon isheen argatte hundumtuu Mummucha Minsteera Aajaa Alaa Tweedroos Adnaahoomirraa dhufe. Weediin akkas jette:
• Kaayyoowwan misoomaa hudumtuu galma ga’anii jiru.
• Diingideen Itoophiyaa kan biyya Aafrikaa kamuu caalaa shaffisaan guddachaa jira.
• Itoophiyaan biyya sirna dimokiraasii hordoftuufi filannoo geggeessuuf fuulduratti deemaa jirtu.
Mootummaa Abbaairree mirgadhala namaa baay’eee dhiitaa jiru kana Weendii Sheermaan akkasitti faarsuun ishee doggora ta’uu isaa Jarmiyaaleen mirga dhala namaa muraasini Freedom House waliin walta’uun mormanii ibsa baasanii ture.
Gama biraan, dhabbileen Oromoo akka ijaaramanii akka barbaadan mirga Oromoof hinsochoone biyya keessatti uggurri seeraa: Labsii Farra Shorkeessummaa, Seera Dhabbilee Miti-Mootummaa, seera odeeffanno 2005 boodde ba’aniin sakkallamaa jiru. Ummanni Oromoo qabeenya akka hinhoranneefi diinagideen dhadhabaa akka ta’u, ABT halkanii guyyaa irratti hojjechaa as ga’e waggaa 24 darabaniif. Kanaaf, rakkoon diinagidee nuti qabinu rakkoo cimaa dabalataati.
Rakkoo ibsuurra baay’ee hinturu. Hundumti keenyayyuu rakkoo keenya nibeekina. Rakkoo furuurra rakkoo nutti himuu hojii godhatanii kana jiran jaarmiyaaleefi namtokkeeleen Oromoos heedduudha. Kuni dhabbachuu qaba. Oromoon furmaata barbaadu qaba. Rakkooleen jiran nan hinillaalatu jedhanii haaluun qabsoorraa baqachuun saba gudda miihda: haadhaafi obboleetti kee miidha, obbolessa keefi abbaa kee midha; firootafi matii kee midha; biyya miidha; Oromoiyaa miidha.
UMMANNI OROMOO AKKAMITTI UMANA TA’UU DANDA’A? Furmaatota 6.
I. Diinagideen ijaaramuu: Galii buusii buusisuurraa argachuu qofti gahaa miti. Ijaarsi daldalaa dhaabaafi qabsoof horii uumuu danda’au too’annaa dhabaa jalatti bakka baay’eetti ijaaramuun daldalarratti hojjechuu
a. Oromoon biyya ambaa jiru taaksii ykn qaraxa lammummaa kaffaluuf dirqama ofirra kaa’uu qaba akkuma ummanni bilisummaaf lolan kuun baay’een godhan.
b. Horii walitti buusuun investametii gara garaa keessa seenuun hojjechuu.
c. Jaarmiyaalee diinagidee kan akka Oromo Chamber of Commerce MNtti dhaabbatee sana akka fakkeenyatti fudhatanii aadaa diingideen of danda’uu babal’isuu.
d. Amma achi geenyutti gummachi akkuma duriitti itti fufuu qaba.
e. Namini iddoo qabatee jiru, Oromoo hojidhabeeyyii hojii barabaade harkisuu/arguufi qaba.
II. Jaarmiyaalee Hawaasaa (CSOs): akka haawaasa, akka dhabbilee mirgadhala namatti, akka falmitoota mirga Oromootti ijaaramuu. Wanti nama jajjabeessu karaa kana nijira: Hawaasa Oromoo USA, Haawaasa Oromoo Aawustraaliyaa. Gandummaa, naanummaa, amantummaafi ayyaanllallatummaan wantoota nu balleessan waan ta’aniif Oromummaa qofaan walitti haafiroominu/haaijaarminu. Murni tokko asii waa’ee Oromoo yoo mari’achuuf walga’u murni biraa immoo ykn foon waadduu (BBQ) ykn alatti nyaata bilchiissuun waldhadhabsiisuun aadaa gadheedha. Oromoon wantoota xixiqqoo darbaniif badan kan akka guyyaa dhaloota kabajuufaa akka kaayyoo jireenya isaanii godhanii jiraatan jiru. Kanarra ol goddachuu qabina.
III. Dippilomaasii / Hojiin Sabaahimaalee Afaan Oromoo, Ingilizii fii kaniin jaabatee itti fufu qaba.
• Horii loobii (lobby fund) baasuun mirga Oromoof falmuu.
• Waa’ee siran cunqursaa ABT warra odeeffannoo doggoraa dabarsanirraati yaada sirreessu katabuun ibsa baasuu, oduu hojjechuu, saaxiluufi xalayaa barreessuu.
• Beekitonni Oromoo kan barreessuufi dubbachuu danda’an, barreessuu isaanii kitaabafi waraqaarratti daanga’uu hinqabu. Teekinoolojiin jijjiramee jira; marsaa ykn sararratti katabuu; Sabaahimalee biyya keessa jiraniirraatti ilaalcha barreessuuf gumaachuu. Waan Oromoo caalmaatti akka hubatamaa deemu godha. Lolli karaa odeeffannoo nuyi goonus lola karaa umnaa bilisummaaf godhamu cimisee deeggara.
IV. Kaayyoo Tokko Oromiyaa Takka: Moo’uu yoo barbaade ummanni Oromoo kaayyoo murnaa miliyoonota qabatee ka’ee waldiigurra, kaayyoo Oromiyaa bilisoomisuu jedhu tokko jala ta’ee hiriiree loluun, Oromoo umna lamuu hinmoo’atamine godha.
• Walitti bu’iinis dhuunfaa hoggantoota muraasa jidduutti gaafa uumamu furuxanii (mufatanii) ba’uun waldiigurra keessuma taa’anii aadaa rakkoo furuu qabaachuu/horachuu. Namoonni lama dhuunfaan yoo waliigaluu dadhaban, wal-lola isaanii gandaafii amantiitti babal’isuun deeggartoota (tiifoozoo) barbaaduun qaaneessaadha; Oromummaa miidha. Hoggantoonnis yeroodhaa gara yerootti haala dhaaba xinxalanii, gilgaalanii, qaaccessanii rakkoon otoo hindhooyin dura rakkoo hambisuuf haala ragaan (data) deeggarameen hojii hojjechuu.
V. Odeeffannoon Umna: Odeeffannoo ummataa (banaa), odeeffannoo iccitii ta’e kkf namoota guuranii xiinxalan addatti dirqama itti kennuun hojjechiisuun murtee odeeffannoorratti hundaa’e akka dabarsinu nu taasisa. Yeroo hundumaa Oromoon odeeffannoon dursee argamuu qaba.
VI. Araara Sobaa: Mootummoonnifi hayyoonni Habashaa Oromoo waliin araara dhugaa hinbarbaadani; araarri yeroo ka’u, gooyyomisanii nama keenya umna dhabee hidhannoo akka hiikatu taasisuufi. Duuba deebinee galmee seenaa yoo laalle fakkeenyi akkasii baay’eedha. Otoo omaa ofharkaa hinqabaatin, kolnooffetaan karaa nagaa aangoo, horiifi maqaa gaarii namaa kennu lafa kanarratti argamee hinbeeku. Warri balleessaa kaleerraa baruu dadhaban ammas ibbidda jaraatin deebi’anii of gubuufi ummata Oromoo gubuuf gugguufaa jiru; Mammaakisa, “ Kana abiddatu na gube, kana oo? Abiddumatu na gube. Isa duraa agartee lammaffaa maaf of gubide jedhu” ergaa isaa hinhubatani.
Daawwannaan koo kanan armaan olitti tarreesse Oromoo umna gochuurratti gahee guddaa qabu jedheen amana.
Habashaan gootummaadha moo beekumsaan Oromoo caalteet nu koloneeffattee nu fixaa jirti?
Habashaan jaarraa 16ffaarraa hanga jaarraa 19ffaatti Minilikiin koloneeffatamuu Oromootti, Oromoon umna gaanfa Aafrikaa guddaa ture. Naannoo sana too’atee bulchaa akka ture seenaan nihima. Garuu, Oromoon kan cabe deeggarsa qawweefi raasasaa baay’ee mootonni Habashaa biyyoota Awurooppaarraa argataniin ture. Oromoon farda, gaachanaafi eeboon lolu, umna akka isaa otoo hintaane umna meesha waraan gurguddaa akka maaskeet, reemingtan, maachilaak jedhamiin walitti dhufe. Meeshaalee fagootti ajjeesuu dandeessisan. Lola aadaa Oromoo akka cabsuu hindadeenye waan beekaniif erga waraana Amhmed Giraanyirraa jalqabee, mootummaan Poorchuugaal irraa maaqaa kiristaanummaatiin mootota Habashaaf qawwee kenna turan. Amma immoo maqaa shororkeessummaan qawwee, taankii, ilaaltuu halkanii, saataliytii, drioonii, xiyyaara waraana, konkolaattota waraana, leenjii loltummaa kkf biyya akka Amerikaarraa fudhachaa jiru. Meeshaa nu caalaafi nudursanii argachuun isaa umni akka walgatu taasisee mootummoota Habashaa nurraatti rorrisiise jaarraa heedduuf. Furmaanni umana ta’uu inni guddaan meeshaaleee lolaa ammayyaa walitti qabachuurratti jara caluun hojjechuu qabina. Soodattonni Habashaa kumatti lakkaa’aman walitti ida’amee gootummaan isaanii kan walakkaa goota Oromoo tokkoo hinta’u. Sodaattonni kuni qaawee duuba taa’uun/dhokachuun gootota keenya meeshalee aadaa gadaanoon lolan baay’ee nu jalaa ajjeesani.
GOOTUMMAA MADAQOOFI WARAANA ISAARRAA MAAL BARANNA?
Sin keessa eenyutu waa’ee goota Oromoo Madaqoo beeka?
Madqaoon Goota Oromoo gootummaa addaa qabu ta’uu barreessaan Ingilizii Wiiliyaam Kornaweelis Haariis (1846) boqonaalee kitaabaa torba irratti barreessee nutti hima. Madaqoon bara 1840s keessa jiddugaleessa Oromiyaa keessa goota jiraate. Madaqoon 1840s keessaa ummata isaa akka sirna lolaa Sirna Gadaatti gurmeessuun hooggansa laacuufiin, waraana Abisiniyaa kan akaakayyuu Minilik Sahila Sillaseen hogganamu marroo baay’ee injifannoo cululuqaa galmeessuun goota Sahila Silasee qofti sodaatu otoo hintaane goota biyya Amaara marti sodaatu ture. Maqaan isaa yoo dhahamu qileetti dammaqanii badu ture, nidhokatu ykn qawwee fudhatan. Madaqoon iddoo lolaa Aangoololaa jedhamurratti loltoota mootii Sahila Sillasee wajjin falmaa walqabee (waraana banee) injifannoo gootummaa dangaa hinqabineen diina barbadeessaa akka ture Haariis bal’isee kataba. Madaqoon fincilaa ture (Madako the Rebel); madaqoon hogganaa cimaa ture; Madaqoon ummata isaatiin jaallatamaafi kabajamaa ture. Dubartoota gootota ta’anillee waraana keessatti hirmaachisee ture. Goota yeroo saa dura dhalatee yeroo saa dura darbe. Ilma isaa Carraa wajjin jaala waraana/qabsoo turan; waliin lolani; waliin du’ani.
“Madoko and his gallant sons were everywhere in the thickest of the fight. His shout, rising high over the storm, animated the faint-hearted, and his presence roused to new life and exertion the successful partisan … Madoko performed the most incredible act of valor …” (Harris p. 162).
Waraanni Sahila Silaasee gootumma jagna Oromoo kanaan shorokaa’ee dhokachaafi baqachaa ture kan dandamate gargaarsa qawwee maachlookifi maaskeet Inglizii Giiftii Viktooriyaarra argaachaa tureeni. Habashoonni, maadaafafi qaawwee kennameefillee akkatti dhokaasan hinbeekani Oromoo marsee isaan fixaa ture, garuu shaklaa dheeraa booddee qawwee dhukaasuu barani. Madaqoon akkmitti kufe?: shira aararaa buusantiin gooyyomisame, meeshaa ammayyaan lola baay’ee erga moo’atee booda kufuu danda’e.Gootummaa qofti hinga’u; meeshaa lolaa ammayyaa qabachuunifi irratti leenji’uun gootonni ittuu/caalatti akka milkaa’an taasia. Erga Madaqoon wareegamee booda, soodattonni mootii Sahila Silaasee duula haaloo ba’uu 86 ol ta’u Oromorratti wagga soddomaaf deemisani qaawweetti dhimmi ba’uuni ture. Duguuggaa sanyii qoomolee Oromoo Finfinnii, Ekkaa, Sirxee urfua Garmaama Tulluu Cuqqaalaa, Furiifi Inxoxxoo (Tuulluu Dalatti) gidduu jiran hunduma lafarraa fixani, ijoollee mukarra dhokatte in jjeesani, dubartootafi ijoollee garbrummatti qabatanii deemani, beeyladoota Oromoo kumatama hooffatani hatan, qee’eefi manneen, midhaan faca’ee ture nigubani. Eegaa motumoonni Habashaa hundumtuu Oromorratti tarsiimoon/sagantaan qaban kan Saahila Silaseefi kan Minilik wajjin walfakkaat, tokkuma. Mallas Zeeanwwinis isaan caala Oromoo yoo ficcisiise malee isanii gadii miti.

U.S. Department of State’s endorsing of upcoming elections – denial and disrespect, human rights organization says

HRLHA Statement

The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) strongly opposes to the position that the U.S. State Department has taken in regards to the upcoming Ethiopian election and the overall democratization process in the country in the past twenty-four years, and describes the comments by the Under-Secretary of State as a sign of disrespect for ordinary people in Ethiopia and disregard for the human miseries that hundreds of thousands of people have gone through under the EPRDF/TPLF-led government.

The HRLHA has no doubt at all that the U.S. Government in general, and U.S. Department of State in particular, with the biggest and highly staffed of all Western embassies in Ethiopia, are very well aware of the political realities that have been prevailing in the country over the past two decades. An excellent proof is the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices that is issued annually by the U.S. Department of State itself. Suppression and denials of fundamental human rights in Ethiopia under the EPRDF/TPLF Government were being reported on by various human rights and humanitarian as well as government and diplomatic agencies; and, based on the facts revealed in such reports, the Ethiopian Government has repeatedly been ranked as the worst both at the regional and global levels.

In a country that has witnessed the highest number of political incarceration in its history, where unarmed students and other civilians were gunned down in hundreds simply because they attempted to exercise some of their fundamental rights, in “one of the ten most censored countries” where the existence of independent media has become impossible and, as a result, press freedom has been curtailed completely, where all sorts of socio-economic rights have been tied to political sympathy and supports, it would be an insult and disrespect to its ordinary citizens, and a disregard for the precious lives of innocent people that have been taken away by brutal hands to say that such a country is a democracy, and that the upcoming elections would be free and fair while intimidation and harassment of opposition candidates, as well as potential voters, were taking place out in the field even while the Under-Secretary of State was making the comments. While encouraging the most repressive government and governing party towards becoming more dictatorial, the Under-Secretary of State’s comments discourage and undermine the sacrifices that the peoples in Ethiopia have paid and are still paying to realize their century-old dream of building free and democratic country.

The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) requests that the Under-Secretary of State retract the wrong comments and apologize to the peoples in Ethiopia. It also urges the U.S. State Department to recognize and acknowledge the realities in Ethiopia and use the close ties that exists between the two governments to put pressure on the ruling EPRDF/TPLF party so that it allows the implementation of a genuine democracy.