Gara:
Professor Ezqi’eal Gabissa
Kettering University
Jawaar Mohamed
Direktara OMN
Akeeka Xalayaa
Xalayaa tana gama keessaan akka barreessinu kan nu kakaase Yaa’ii Hoogganoota
Oromoo Atlanta Waggaa 1ffaa Mormii Oromiyaa sababeeffachuun godhamu yaaddoo
waan nutti dhagahame ibsachuufi. Yaa’ii kana qopheessuuf tattaaffiin isin gootaniif
bakka guddaa qabna. Yaada Yaa’iin Hoogannotaa saba keenyaaf mul’ata fuula duraa
maddisiisa jedhu nutis isin waliin qoodanna.
Yaadni kun kan hawwii guddaan guutamee fi Projektii sabaa bakka guddaa fi fagoo
dhaqqabu waan ta’eef jalqaba isaa qajeeluu qaba. Haa tahu malee gama keenyaan
akkaataa fi adeemsi yaa’iin kun itti karoofame yaaddoo nutti uumee jira.
Nuti kanneen xalayaa kana mallatteessine Yaa’iin guddaa kana karoorsuu fi akkaataa
itti gaggeeffamu irrattis mariin gahaan hin godhame yaaddoo jedhu qaba.
Akkaataan yaa’iin guddaan kun itti gaggeeffamu, namootaa fi yaada bal’aaf carraa
uumuu fi adeemsi Yaa’ii amanamaa tahuun qabsoo Oromoo keessatti bakka ol’aanaa
qabaata. Keeyyatoota itti aanan keessatti yaaddoo qabnuu fi yaaddoollee nutti
mul’ateef furmaata waan jennus akeekuu yaalla.
Yaaddoo Adeemsa Irratti Qabnu:
Yeroo waan sabaa hangana ulfaataa tahe irratti bobbaanu amanamummaan adeemsa
(akkaataa yaadni kun itti jalqabamee fi hojiitti hiikuuf yaalame) akkuma itti bahaa
bakka guddaa qabaachuu qaba. Adeemsi kun namoota hunda keessummeessuun,
mariin godhamuu fi qaamota dhimmi ilaalu (stake holders) hundi yaada bu’uraa
maddisiisuu fi karoorsuu keessatti yoo qooda fudhatan itti baani isaa bu’aa qabeessa
taha, adeemsi mariin hin taane, nama hunda hin hirmaachifnee fi itti gaafatama
(accountability) hin qabne gufatuu danda’a.
Akka nuti hubannutti qaamotni Oromoo dhimmi kun isaan ilaaluu fi hawaasni Oromoo
bal’aan yaada kana burqisiisuu fi karoorsu irratti qooda gahaa hin fudhanne. Haalli
barruun Yaada Rimee(Concept Note) itti qophaa’e qulqullinaa (transparency) fi sirna
dimokraataawaa tahe kan hordofee gaaffii jedhu nutti bulche.
Haala addaa tahe keessatti waan hedduu obsa nama fixachiisuu fi adeemsa
dimkraataawaa xaxaa tahe hordofuu dhiisuun furmaata ariifachiisaa argamsiisuuf
yaaluun waanuma nama kajeelchisu. Haa tahu malee murtii Siyaasaa olaanaa fuul-
duree ummata keenyaaf murteessaa tahe, akaakuu (content), safuu fi aadaa sirna
jaarmayaa ummata keenya taligu karaa qaxxaamuraan bira gahuun hin danda’amu.
Mariin fuul-duree ummata keenyaa irratti godhamu bakka ol’aanaa kan qabu waan
taheef akkaataan itti ilaalamus salphaa tahuu hin qabu. Haala biyyaa ariitiin jijjiiramaa
jira waliin of-jijjiiruuf fedhii jiru sirritti hubanna. Haa ta’u malee dokumentii qophaa’e
irratti kanneen dhimmi ilaalu akka yeroo gahaa argatanii qayyabatii fi sadarkaa gad-
aanu (grass root) irraa kaasee mariif yeroo gahaan akka jiraatu mirkaneessuu qabna.
Ariitiin waan maddisiisuuf jecha adeemsa fi tartiiba hojiin kun gaafatu hordofuu
dhabuun adeemsa kana fudhatama dhabsiisa, fedhii (dantaa) ummata keenya hundaa
gaaga’uu danda’a.
Projaktiin (Yaa’ii Hooggannota oromoo) osoo hin jalqabamin kan namni harkatti wal-
qabu ykn irratti wal-dura dhaabbatu yoo ta’e, bu’aa isaa irra gaaga’ama inni
dhaqqabsiisutu heddummaata. Haalli kun tokkummaa fi gurmaa’umsa ummata
keenyaa gaaga’a; amanta ummatni adeemsa irratti qabu sharafa, hoogganoota isaa akka
hin abdanne taasisa.
Akka hubannetti qaamni Oromoo biraa Gumii Hawaasota Oromoo utubuuf tattaaffii
irra jira. Rakkoo tokkoof furmaata barbaaduuf yeroma tokkotti Yaa’ii lama
gaggeessuun qabsoo amma gadhamaa jirtuu fi Itoophiyaa kufatii ADWUI booda
argamtu hoogganuuf dandeettii ummatni Oromoo qabu irratti mallattoo (signal) hin
taane firootaa fi diinota keenyattis erga. Haalli akkanaa adeemsaa fi itti bah’iinsa
hawamus gaaga’a. Warra Gumii qopheessaa jiran waliin wal-hubannoo uumuuf waan
danda’amu hunda gootan jedhanii amanuun nama rakkisa.
Yaaddoo Qabiyyee Irratti Qabnu:
Qabiyyee barruu Yaada Rimee (Concept Note) keessaa jiru ilaalchisee Oromoo keessa
yaadni bal’aan (adda addaa) akka jiru hubannoo keessa galchuun barbaachisaa dha.
Yaadni bal’aan hawaasa keenya keessatti mul’atu bakka bu’oota qaamota ummata
keenya keessaa dhufaniin murteeffamuu qaba jennee amanna. Jechootni Dokumantii
keessatti calaqqisanis hariiroo ummatoota adda addaa waliin qabnuu fi hafuura waliif
tumsuu ummatattota gidduu jiru kan booressu tahuu hin qabu. Irra jireessi ummata
Itoophiyaa fi alagootni Itoophiyaa deeggaran waan Oromoon hojjatu dhiheenyaan
hordofu. Kanaaf yeroo hunda namoota nu dhageeffatan ilaalcha keessa galfachuu fi
waan nuti hojjannu irraa wal-hubannota dhabuu uumamuu malus tilmaamuun
barbaachisaa dha. Chartara fuul-duree keenya irratti bakka guddaa qabaatu kana
bal’inaa fi bilchinaan ilaaluuf torbaan afur gahaa miti yaaddoo jedhu qabna.
Sababoota olitti tuqaman irratti hundaa’uudhaan Projaktiin kun karaa hundaanuu
qajeelaa fi fudhatama qaba jennee bira dhaabbachuun nu dhiba.
Yaada Furmaataa
Yaa’iin Atlaantaa keessa deebi’uun itti yaaduu fi karoorsuuf sababa guddaatu jira.
Jalqaba yaadni bal’aan Yaada Rime (Concept Note) irratti kaahame irraa akka
hubannetti fi itti bahiinsi tilmaamame walgahii tokko irratti waan dhumatuu miti.
Kanaaf Yaa’iin lama akka tahu akka yaada furmaataatti dhiheessina. Innis Yaa’ii
Atlaantaa (Atlanta Convention) fi Yaa’ii Oromoo Guddaa (The Grand Oromoo
Convention) taha.
a. Yaa’ii Atlantaa: akkuma yaadametti tahee garuu waan ariifachiisaa tahan qofaa fi
Yaa’ii Guddaa (Grnada Oromoo Convention) aanjessuu irratti kan xiyyaafatu
taha.
• Humnaa fi Qabeenya Oromo Mataa Walitti Qabuu, Gargaarsa
Namoomaa fi Yaadanno. Yeroo ammaa kana rakkoon gargaarsa
namoomaa fi fayyaa (medical needs) hedduu barbaachisaa tahee mul’ata.
Yaa’iin Atlaantaa Hamilee guddaa ummatni keenya agarsiisaa jiru kana
rakkina afachiisaa yeroo hin kennineef furmaata barbaaduu fi haala biyya
keessatti ariitiin jijjiiramu waliin deemu akka danda’amuuf of qopheessuu
irratti akka xiyyaafatu gochuun barbaachisaa dha. Yaa’iin waggaa
tokkoffaa Fincila dhaloota (generation) keessatti al tokko qofa tahu sababa
godhachuun gaggeeffamu wareegama ummatni keenya baase kabajuu fi
yaadachuu irratti xiyyeeffachuun mala. Xiyyeeffannoon qabeenya
(resources) maddisiisuu fi gargaarsa namoomaa ummata keenya
dhaqqabsiisuu irratti taasisfamu, qabeenya barbaachisu walitti fiduu fi
ummanti Oromoo biyya alaa jiru ummata biyya keessatti yeroo ammaa
rakkoo addaa keessa jiru akka dhaqqaban karaa bana.
• Tokkummaa Dhugaa Jaarmayota Oromoo Giddutti argamsiisuu.
Hafuura nagayaa fi tokkummaa jaarmayota Oromoo giddutti
argamsiisuun akkaan barbaachisa. Haala akkanaa uumuun hamilee
ummata keenya biyya keessa jiruu akka malee ol kaasa. Dubbiin kun
haala xiyyeeffanna guddaa barbaaduu fi hatattamaa akka tahetti
ilaalamuu qaba jennee amanna. Yaa’iin Atlaantaatti godhamu
Jaarmayoota Oromoo irratti dhiibbaa guddaa gochuuf waltajjii gaarii taha.
• Akeeka, Guyyaa fi bakka Yaa’ii Oromoo Guddaa (The Grand Oromo
Convention) Murteessuu: Harka duubatiin hojii hedduu hojjatuu fi marii
hedduu gaggeessuu feesisa. Yaadota dhihaatan irra deebi’anii
wayyeessuu fi ummata gahanii bal’inaan akkasumas bifa xaliilomina
gahaa qabuun bu’ootatiin ummataa akka irratti mari’atu taasifamuu qaba.
Yaadni kun akka milkaa’u Yaa’iin Atlaantaa Koree Yaa’ii Oromoo
Guddichaa taligu fi qabxiilee irratti xiyyeeffannoon barbaachisu
maddisiisuu uuma. Yaa’iin Atlaantaa barbaachisummaa Gummii
Hawaasota Oromoo fi yaadotta adda addaa wal-dorgoman hunda
ilaala.Namoota Dokumantii barreessan akeeka, yeroo hojii isaaniis
murteessa. Akka yaada keenyaatti waan armaa olitti tuqaman goonee
argamuun ummata keenya fi firoota keenya irraa deeggarsa guddaa
argamsiisa. Walitti bu’iinsa yaadota hanqisee fi adeemsa keenya seera
qabeessaa fi dimokraatawaa akka tahu gargaara.
• Cunfatti Yaa’iin Atlaantatti tahu akka gaariitti yoo gaggeeffame qabsoo
Saba Oromoo fuula dura tarkaanfachiisuu irratti qooda guddaa qabaata:
Hoogganoota, Activistootaa fi hayyoota keenya gidduutti tokkummaa
argamsiisuuf karaa bana, akka ogummaan, dandeettii fi qabeenya walitti
kuufamuu fi bakka barbaachisu irra oolu karaa saaqa.
B. Yaa’ii Oromoo Guddicha (Grand Oromo Convention): Yaa’iin guddaan yaadota
bal’aa Yaada Rimee “Concept Note” jalatti tarrifamanii, keessattuu yaadota gurguddaa
lameen fi dirqama Yaa’ii Atlaantaa irra maddaniif furmaata barbaada. Kun ta’ee
argamuun nu fi qaamotni dubbiin ilaalu hundi hiree Dokumantii kana bal’inaan
qayyabachuu fi Itoophiyaa ADWUI booda dhalachuu maltuuf mul’ata fedhii hundaa
calqqisu akka maxxanfannu nu gargaara. Yaa’iin kun akka milkaa’u, irra deebinee
yaada burqisiisuu, adeemsa roga qabsiisuu fi Yaa’iin kun akka milkaa’u qooda keenya
gumaachuu akka dandeennu hireen yoo jiraate hedduu itti gammadna. Ammas irra
deebinee yaada Yaa’ii Hoogganoota Oromoo qopheessuu keessaniif galatooma jechuu
barbaadna. Yaaddoo nuti dhiheessinee fi yaadota akka furmaataa nuti lafa keenne
ilaalcha keessa galchuun qabxiilee Yaada Rimee “Concept Note” keessatti tuqaman
akkasumas caasaa fi ijaarsa Yaa’ii akka wayyeessitan abdii guddaa qabna. Adeemsi
qulqulluu fi dimokraatawaa tahe, wal-marii qaamota dubbiin ilaaltuu irratti hundaa’ee
yoo taasifame rakkoo hunda irra aanuu ni danda’ama amantii jedhu qabna.
Xumura.
Xalayaa kana akka laayyootti hin mallatteessine, haalli addaa ummatni keenya keessa
jirutu nu dirqe.
Mallatteessitoota
1. Awol Kassim Alo
2. Dr. Ayela Galan
3. Leta Bayissa
4. Geresu Tufa
5. Mohammed Ademo
6. Girma Kenea
7. Edao Dawano
8. Hallelujah Lulie
9. Fatuma Badhasso
10. Dhaqqabaa Hawaas
11. Hashim Adam
Professor Ezekeil Gebissa
Kettering University
Mr. Jawar Mohammed
Executive Director of OMN
15 October 2016
Statement of purpose
We write to express our concern about your recent announcement regarding the
“Oromo Leadership Summit” due to take place in Atlanta, Georgia on the
occasion of the First Anniversary of the Oromo Protests. We appreciate and
value your endeavors to convene this Summit. We share your view that this
Summit will set out a vision for the future of the Oromo nation.
This is an ambitious and far-reaching national project and we believe that we
need to ‘get it right’. In that regard, we are particularly concerned about the
procedural issues in planning to convene the Atlanta Convention. The signatories
to this letter have come to learn that enough consultation has not taken place in
initiating and planning to convene such a vital Summit.
The ways in which a Summit of this significance is convened, the integrity of its
process and its potential to be adequately representative are of critical
importance to the Oromo struggle and the future of Oromo people. In what
follows, we will set out our concerns in detail and suggest possible steps that can
be taken to address them.
Concerns about the process
When dealing with a vital national agenda such as this, the integrity of the
process matters as much as the outcome. A representative, consultative, and
inclusive process that allows key stakeholders to participate in defining and
developing the agenda can bolster the outcome whereas a process that is not
adequately consultative, representative, and accountable would certainly
undermine it.
To our knowledge, many stakeholders and the wider Oromo Community around
the world have not been consulted as stakeholders in the planning of this
enormous national undertaking. This raises questions regarding the extent to
which the process followed in preparing the ‘concept note’ is democratic and
transparent. We believe a democratic and transparent approach is befitting of a
major national project.
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We are in highly unusual and uncharted terrains and we understand the
temptations for expediency and to dispense with what would surely be a
painfully frustrating and complex democratic exercise. However, there cannot be
a short-cut when it comes to major political decisions that will influence, even
determine, the form and content of norms, institutions and values that will
govern our future.
This is an enormous undertaking. It needs to be treated with the seriousness it
deserves. We recognize the desire to keep up with fast-changing events on the
ground. But we must ensure that at least key stakeholders have enough time to
weigh in on the proposed documents and that there are sufficient consultations
at the grassroots level. Expediency at the expense of procedural integrity will
undercut the legitimacy of the project; when it seems foreseeably effective, it
carries the germs of new, perhaps even more ominous threats to the collective
interests of our people.
We are concerned that a project that is so contested at this early stage in the
process will likely do more harm than good. We are worried that it will cause
tremendous damage to the unity and cohesion of our communities and will
further erode public trust and confidence in its leaders.
We also note with great concern that another group of Oromos are already
planning to organize their own independent summit. Staging two competing
summits to consider, discuss and settle the same problem sends the wrong signal
to our friends and foes about the Oromo people’s ability to lead the current
struggle and the post-EPRDF Ethiopia. Indeed, this will represent a mortal threat
to the process and the outcome. There are no reasonable grounds to believe that
you — as the sponsors of the Summit— have done all you can to exhaust every
available opportunity to reach an amicable settlement with the latter group.
Concerns about the substance of the document:
We recognize that there are diverse views within the Oromo people as far as the
substance of the document is concerned. We believe that this is an issue that
needs to be decided by a representative convention. However, we feel that some
of the language in the document should be reformulated to avoid alienating key
allies and endangering the uncommon expressions of solidarity with the various
nations and nationalities. It goes without saying that many Ethiopians and
Ethiopia’s foreign backers are looking closely at what Oromos do. It is important
that we are always mindful of our audience and anticipate the potential for
misunderstanding.
We are concerned that four weeks are not enough to craft potentially
consequential documents such as the charter envisaged in your release with the
seriousness and thoughtfulness it so deserves.
3
For all the above reasons, we find the proposed project morally and politically
indefensible. We find it very difficult to get behind this project in its current
form.
Our suggestion for the way forward
There are compelling reasons to rethink and reframe the Georgia convention. To
begin with, the broad issues raised and outcomes listed in the ‘concept note’ are
unlikely to be addressed in just one gathering. For this reason, we propose two
separate conventions: The Georgia Convention and “the Grand Oromo
Convention.”
a) The Georgia convention: as planned but confined to the urgent needs of
the hour and the Grand Oromo Convention:
§ Resource mobilization, humanitarian response and commemoration.
There are pressing humanitarian and medical needs. Hence, it is
extremely important to anchor the motivation for the convention
on the necessity to tackle the challenges of NOW and on ways to
build capacity to keep pace with the fast changing events in
Oromia. It’s befitting of an event held on the first year anniversary
of a once in a generation protest movement to be devoted to
honoring the memories and sacrifices of our martyrs. A focus on
resource mobilization and humanitarian response will help identify
available resources — material and otherwise — and allow the
diaspora communities to reach out to our people at a time of their
greatest need.
§ Forge a genuine alliance among Oromo political organizations. Harmony
and unity among Oromo Political organizations is desperately
needed. It will provide a tremendous morale boost to the
movement in Oromia. We believe this matter should be treated
with a sense of urgency. The Georgia convention provides a great
opportunity to apply maximum pressure on all Oromo political
organizations.
§ Set the goals, date, venue and the agenda for a follow-up Grand Oromo
Convention. A great deal of background work and deliberation is
needed. Ideas need to be formulated, circulated, and thoroughly
discussed in a consultative, transparent, representative, and
accountable process. Toward this end, the Georgia convention will
elect steering committees responsible for overseeing the overall
delivery of the Grand Oromo Convention and set priorities and
sequence activities necessary to achieve the objective. It will
consider the need for the proposed Gumii Council and all other
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competing proposals. It will identify individuals who will draft the
necessary documents and set their terms of reference.
We believe this will ensure public ownership of the process and a
broad-based support both within the Oromo communities and our
allies. We believe this will help democratize the process, avoid the
risk of competing events, and confer legitimacy on the outcome.
• In summary, the Georgia Convention, if managed well, will have a
transformative impact on the struggle of the Oromo People. It will
create opportunities for Oromo leaders, academics and activists to
come together and set out guiding principles and an organizational
infrastructure through which resources – material, expertise,
financial, personnel, and etc. – are mobilized and channeled to
specific targets in a coordinated manner.
b) The Grand Oromo Convention: This will tackle the broader issues
outlined in the concept note, specifically the two foundational
documents envisaged in your “concept note” and other activities
mandated by the Georgia Convention.
This will allow us and other stakeholders an opportunity to weigh in
on these foundational documents and forge an all-inclusive Oromo
vision for post-EPRDF Ethiopia. We would appreciate the opportunity
to help rethink and reframe the approach and possible outcomes of
this convention.
Once again we would like to express our appreciation for your conception of this
timely “Oromo Leadership Convention” and your endeavor to organize the
event. We sincerely hope that you take our concerns and suggestions seriously
and make appropriate modifications to the contents of the Concept Note, as well
as the structure of the convention and the process of its organization. We believe
a democratic and transparent process based on consultations of stakeholders will
withstand the test of time.
Conclusion
We do not sign this letter lightly but we feel we are in an extraordinary situation.
Signatories:
1. Awol Kassim Allo
2. Dr. Ayala Gelan
3. Leta Bayissa
5
4. Geresu Tufa
5. Mohammed Ademo
6. Girma Kenea
7. Siinqee Waasho
8. Edao Dawano
9. Hallelujah Lulie
10. Fatuma Badhasso
11. Dhaqaba Hawas
12. Hashim Adem
