The Addis Ababa Master Plan that was carefully crafted and developed to systematically displaced Oromo farmers from their land and divide Oromia into two (East and West Oromia) has inflicted a lot of pain and damage on the Oromo people and resulted in the losses of over 150 lives.
Oromo started the New Year with unrest, turmoil, grievance, lose of loved one, beating and mass arrest. I am optimistic that this year will be the year of victory, hopes, freedom, liberation, equality and revival of Oromumma
After “I am Oromos first” movement, the infamous Addis Ababa Master plan was the first in its kind to unite and bring together all Oromos from all walks of lives. The fruits of “I am Oromo first” movements, i.e. the formation and launch of OMN, has played a pivotal role in disseminating the struggle and fight of Oromo people going on in Western Oromo to the Oromos in central, eastern and southern Oromia and vice Versa.
Special credit should go to all Oromos (youth, musicians, university, high and elementary school students, farmers, teachers, medical professionals, scholars, religious and community leaders, mums and dads, urban and rural dwellers for being bold and determined in participating in #OromoProtest, supporting, feeding, treating, harboring and sheltering protestors.
Oromo musicians have played significant roles through their music not only in entertaining their people in this difficult and challenging times but also in creating awareness, motivating, encouraging and building Oromumma based unity and identity without being intimidated by the threat TPLF imposed on them.
Oromo Protest were a complete bombshell to TPLF. TPLF never expected Oromo protest and mass uprising in these scales and magnitudes. TPLF’s biggest fear and concern were OLF and Ginbot 7 Abrbegnoch. They never expected the protest will sustain for that long under such disciplined and determined manner. The Oromo people proved them wrong and showed them their mighty forces.
The kneejerk reactions of the regime to Oromo protest were counterproductive. The regime tried to play every political game and tricks known to them to quell the protest. They tried to incite violence, induced fear and intimidate people. They gave one press release after the other to intimidate Oromo protesters. All of them didn’t work.
To the surprise and shock of TPLF, some bold and determined OPDO members Oromo nationals secretly joined Oromo protest continue exposing and fighting TPLF from within by leaking TPLF closed door meeting audios and party secret.
In the last two months, we noticed the inability of TPLF regime handle and solve legitimate peoples’ questions in civilized ways. We also noted fundamental difference and fallout between OPDO and TPLF in responding and handling Oromo protesters’ questions. The difference between OPDO and TPLF were wider, deeper and bigger than what we imagine. While OPDO leaders recognize and accept the questions as legitimate and constitutional, TPLF leaders and the mouthpiece of their media outlets like Zami FM 90.7 Radio, Walta information, Reporter, and the likes reduced the legitimacy of Oromo people questions to the questions of a few anti-development and terrorist group and foreign mercenaries. This clearly shows the depth of the problems and difference between TPLF and OPDO on one hand and the problems Oromo people have with both on the other.
When TPLF regime took over Oromia and deployed regular army and anti-terrorist killing squad and set up command and control center in Oromia to quell Oromo protest and the Agazi army and security forces continue killing innocent Oromos (children, pregnant woman, mother with her children, teacher in front of his students, father in front of his wife and children, elderly/senior citizen, university and high school students), in broad daylight, wounded hundred, arrested close to ten thousand, shamelessly OPDO remain silent and couldn’t take any meaningful action.
TPLF continue killing, beating and incarcerating Oromo people in Oromia, OPDO remains silent. OPDO let down the Oromo people. This put OPDO in limbo and moral dilemma. OPDO is now between rocks and a hard place. It lost the trusts of its master and the acceptance of the people it represents.
It is evident that OPDO has no moral and courage to face and stand up in front of Oromo people. Hence, TPLF can’t use OPDO govern and plunder Oromia again. TPLF can’t manipulate OPDO for its proxy governance.
The damage TPLF inflicted on the Oromo people and the fallout between OPDO and TPLF, OPDO and the Oromo People is far beyond repair. OPDO exposed and humiliated TPLF. In its retaliation, TPLF shot killed and buried its trajo house. TPLF can’t use OPDO to govern Oromia and its people without undergoing a radical transformation, structural or political adjustment. So what is the way forward to TPLF to govern Oromia again? If Oromo Protest
succeeds in rejecting OPDO and EPRD, what will the implication be for other EPRDF member parties like ANDM and SEPDM? TPLF led regime is serious crises. TPLF will take serious structural and political readjustments and will soon dismiss, demote or jail most of its rank and files officers.
Although OPDO was powerless, killed and buried by its own creator (TPLF), a few of its outspoken members have openly expressed their grievances, frustrations and dissatisfaction on TPLF officials actions, the way the mouthpiece of TLF media outlets portrayed them, protesters, Oromo peoples’ and their leaders and party (OPDO).
The leaked OPDO meeting audio we heard on ESAT (http://ethsat.com/video/?s=OPDO) revealed the resentment of some OPDO members on the inability of their organization and leaders in handling the problems, the way TPLF leaders responded to Oromo protest OPDO leaders refer/call peaceful and legitimate. They also criticized the way TPLF leaders treated our people and the crime Agaize army committed against our people. Some OPDO members went on to rebuke TPLF leaders and asked for an apology and suggested charging the perpetrators. The recent OPDO central committee decision to abandon the Addis Ababa Master Plan, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mlbJFRE2i0), however, was nothing more than praising the killers and appealing for the mercy of their masters.
Sadly, OPDO central committee couldn’t raise some of the issues it discussed in its closed- door meeting and never addressed or tried to address core #OromoProtest questions such as removing all TPLF army from Oromia, bringing perpetrators (those who insulted our people, ordered the army to kill and those who killed and committed crime in Oromia) to court and compensating the family that lost their loved one.
OPDO is dead, incriminated and buried, it is too weak even to defend itself let alone to protect the Oromo people. Oromo people do not have any representation in TPLF led government. It also proved time and again that OPDO has been, is and will remain TPLF stooge facilitator of the plunder of Oromia. The Oromo people never expect freedom and liberation from OPDO. Instead, it will be the Oromo people that will liberate OPDO from the shackle and slavery of TPLF.
OPDO is at a cross road. It has been in limbo for a while. It has two chances, joining their people and making history or be history. It is clear that TPLF leaders have been deeply offended, disappointed and dissatisfied by their performances. TPLF patience and silence towards OPDO won’t last long. By now they have worked out and completed identifying and
separating outspoken and relatively independent OPDO officers. Very soon TPLF will conduct “gimgema” to dismiss, convict and arrest them under trump up corruption, lack of good governance and anti-terrorism charges. So OPDO has two options, to abandon and denounce TPLF before they get them and join their people (the #OromoProtest) and making history or waiting for TPLF to kick their asses and through them to jail and be history.
