By Bariisoo
The Oromo people (nation) as a nation existed as subjects and exist as subjects but will not exist as subjects until forever. The factors that forced us to be subjects are: physical enemies and abstract enemies.
The abstract enemy that fought us and continued to fight us is poverty, ignorance, disease, identity crisis, ill-bred compartments, cowardness, corrosion and corruption at societal and leadership level. Abstract enemy is the derivative of physical enemy and natural calamities.
The physical enemy represented by the Habeshan colonizers and their ally. The Habeshan colonizers are represented by their colonial elites. Habeshan colonial elite are represented by their colonial system. The system of dominating the colonized nations: politically, economically, militarily, socially and technologically. In all spheres the colonialists planted their own supremacy. Those Habeshan groups who lost their share of dominancy still try to push voice loudly. Those Habesha groups who are in power try to maintain their supremacy at the cost of colonized nations sons and daughters sacrifice. Knowingly or unknowingly the colonized people internal enemy emerged as pretending to defend as the rights of the colonized. There is no ready-made formula in society to solve social problems.
The historical experience of world nations to overcome their social evils give us hints which way or directions to go forward based on your own national social problems reality on the ground. The Oromo nation courageous men and leaders try to challenge their own way to face the colonizers. The resistance to defend ones land with backward instruments of war, the civil disobedience not to pay taxes, the braveness to practice one’s own national cultural practice under strict control, the boldness to organize oneself to help each other and promote social welfare are some of the historical the evidences to mention. Historical observations lead us to write the Habesha colonial system supported and advised by the western colonial masters from early days. The Habesha colonial system is the indirect subjugation of Oromo and other nation and nationalities in Ethiopian Empire. Indirect imposition of black men (Habesha) on Oromo and nation and nationalities is another form of colonization.
The classical colonizers like Great Britain, France and others. Their indirect influence in Anglophone and Francophone states is the secret in the sunshine. The external hidden hands in the name of holy alliance in the past replace by the common security interest smashed the natural rights and liberty of subjected people. The conscious elements of the subjected people fall under the trap of the border less direct and in direct colonizers. Our struggle to liberate our people vacillates from left to right from right to left without diminishing. It seems we are at the stage of consciously plan our strategy and tactics to promote Oromo national movement to well defined agenda. The conscious Oromo element that confronts the Habesha brutal colonial system is very few segments of Oromo society. As it is known the mass of Oromo population is peasantry. The majority of the peasant is trapped by WEYANES (TPLF) colonial propaganda system that blinded them to revolt in mass. Since the urban dwellers majority are the segments of Habesha society, their willingness to revolt against their Habesha elites dictators is very limited. The major Habesha power rivals and their followers are the causes of Oromo phobia. The cause of Oromo phobia is a fear to lose their political, economical and social supremacy.
The second cause is ignorance and incivility to live or to coexist peacefully and in happiness. The Habeshas who are trouble makers in the horn of Africa are 1) Amhara 2) Tigrians 3) Eritereans. The Amharas from their long experience of ruling crafts longing for the lost glory and prestige. Therefore shouts and make noises to replace hunger driven Weyanes to power 20 years ago. The hunger driven Weyanes who controlled the political, economical, the military, security, financial resources and media power of Ethiopian Empire will not willingly open their door to peace, rule of law, justice and liberty. The Eritereans as the winners of their freedom with confidence developed an ambition to influence the Horn of Africa militarily to safeguard their own national economic interest. The dangerous policy of Haile Selase that encouraged the combined alliance of these three groups was foiled at the cost of their rebelliousness and chauvinism.
The threatening danger that was sensed by the alliance of EPLF and TPLF was foiled by their own strategic mistakes and national interest conflict. With the huge military capability, there may be possibility of collaboration between EPLF and TPLF is a disastrous scenario to nations and nationalities in Ethiopia. If the rotten system in both Habesha countries fail, nobody can exactly tell what will happen. There may be possible scenario of EPLF and TPLF alliance may push to historical enemy alliance, which time will decide. The chauvinistic character of Amharas and historical enmity of Oromos will not allow the quick ready-made combination to confront the EPLF and TPLF scenario. The religions as power base in Ethiopia a disastrous scenario too. The win of Isalm in Ethiopia is the loss of christianity and the win of christianity is the loss of Islam in Ethiopia. Leave alone Islamization of Ethiopia democratization is the dream, the two social systems are the direct part of decolonization of Ethiopian Empire. They fear democratization and tolerance of faiths. Because of their fear they killed innocent defenseless peasants and worshipers in the rural towns of Oromia and other places. The Habeshas fear democracy, justice, truth. Those who fear enclose the brutality and beastness. That is why they treat innocent Oromo citizens with brutality and pitiless hands.
The fragmentation or factionalism of Oromo political forces within and without confusing and disturbing, what is going to be in the next historical turning point. We Oromos lost the good opportunities offered by historical turning points. 1) at the end of the second world war 2) during 1974 Ethiopian revolution 3) during 1991/1992. The fertile conditions which were offered by historical events betrayed us. The miscalculation of Western Oromian elites to ask Great Britain trustship was lost because of the loss of modern political wisdom. How dare they managed to ask good wishes from their enemy’s friends. They forget that the bird in their hand was better than the bird in the desert. If they were wise enough to contact their brother in arm Garesu Duki in Shewa who commanded 10,000 well qualified rebel army at that time was the end of the story of Haile Selase.
The second turning point lost, young Oromo intellectuals and students who took part in 1974 revolution miscalculated to work with Habeshan military elites that overthrow the Emperor. Their attempt to organize agitate, and arm their people gradually working within the military junta cost them unnecessary sacrifice in the hands of beast military junta.
The third turning point1991/1992 was also another miscalculated move. They (OLF) leaders and their followers depended on the promise of the Western power and the hunger driven Weyanes. History repeated itself, the educated and experienced grandsons of Wetern Oromia as forerunners of 1991/1992 Oromo_Habesha alliance. The Habeshas are mischievous and betrayers. They have at their back foreigners at their face innocent, kind, and captive forceless Oromo individuals who do not think about tomorrow except temporary victory. Experience is intelligence and not learning from once experience and mistake is not better than ignorance.
What would be the next turning point for OROMOS?
The cloud of confusion, the darkness of ignorance, the sufferance of Oromo people, the fragmentation of Oromo political organizations, the Habeshas competition to replace one another and in mobilizing their resources worry us and to think again and again.
As usual the current Habesha movements have double fold:
1) To overthrow Weyane and replace Weyane
2) To block Oromo movements from its objective
The Oromo militants who seem or pretend to have new vision for Ethiopia should look back and past history and their own life experience not to abuse the next turning point at the door. Any practice of “my way the high way” is the threatening our national interest and incapability not to remedy the miscalculated action towards decisive historical turning points.
Is there an enemy within Oromo struggle camp? Is there hidden agenda within Oromo camp? Is there misunderstanding among Oromo leaders and intellectuals and the Oromo mass? Is there education gap between Borena Oromo and Barentu Oromo? Is there remote controlled enemy hand in our struggle? Is religious factor affecting our success? Are we the enemy of ourselves? Well it seems difficult to answer, but one thing is true our success as a nation retarded and stagnated.
It is difficult to accept enemy within the Oromo camp. If there was an enemy within Oromo camp it is difficult to gain evolutionary victories for Oromos under strict control of Habeshan. The leaders and members discipline and violation of laws and rules established by themselves and fail of victory, unnecessary sacrifice and suffering in the hands of the enemy and lack of immediate response to correct the damage collectively arose the sense of enmity within. Transparent and comradeship understanding of each other canceled from the vocabulary of OLF. Humiliating and despising each other was / is the rule of the day in OLF: emerged/emerging factious groups as mushrooms in the Oromian forest. OLF became the faction factory.
The genuine comradeship and brotherhood do not complicate to categorize as antagonistic relationship. There is no class or social enmity between Oromos, except their own weakness and negligence to solve it on time.
As far as Oromia is our concern there is no hidden agenda among Oromos .The national interest of Oromo is our concern. The existence of Oromia as the home land of Oromo and those who peacefully live within it, is our concern then where is our enmity?
When there is no ear to listen to each other, when there is no eye to see each other, where there are no hearts to attract each other, when there is no respect for each other, yes there is misunderstanding between the leaders and the followers. Where there is despise and backbiting, yes there is misunderstanding and a wide gap between the intellectuals and leadership. When one attempts to confuse rather convincing then it is misunderstanding.
Due to historical opportunities, there was generation education gap between Boran OROMO and the Barentu Oromo. The Boran Oromo educated elites partially failed to succeed to close the gap. Now the time is over. More or less there is a balance to go forward hand in hand together as equals not as senior and junior. The merging Barentu educated elites and the Boran seasoned elites should sit down to draft the road map for Oromo and Oromia before trying to deal with Habeshas.
The seriousness of knowing one’s enemy and common enemy help someone to be victorious in the struggle to decolonize OROMIA.
Unity is strength, Oromia, Oromumma, Oromo our inseparable trio to go forward.
