The following are bilingual Facebook posts of Obboo Ibsaa Guutama, the veteran Oromo political leader and author of “Prison of Conscience,” a book that narrates the politician’s decade-long life behind the Ethiopian maximum-security prison known as Maikelawi in the 1980’s as a Prisoner of Conscience. The posts speak about the elections of Jaal Galaasaa Dilboo and Jaal Mulugeetaa Moosisaa as leaders of the “true OLF” (using Obboo Ibsaa’s term to denote the OLF led by Jaal Galaasaa Dilboo). Obboo Ibsaa also shunned criticisms targeting the ages of the leaders.
Ramaddii yeroon fedhu: Yeroon rakkoo jabaa warraaqxota jajjaboo feesisa. Maqaa jaalbiyyoota lamaanii, Galaasaa Dilboo fi Mulugeetaa Moosisaa hogganoota ABO isa dhugaa tahanii filamuu dhagahuun aaga guddaa dha. Goototi qabsichaa kun, irbuu ummataa fi jaallewwan saanii kufaniif galan utuu hin ganinii; utuu gara hin gaggalinii fi qabsoo Oromoo irraa hin dheessiin hamma hardhaatt jiraatan. Jaallan, kabajaan “Ishoo!” isiniin jedhaa, bara hamtuu baraarammi sabichaa danqama keessa jirtu kana akka milkiin hulluuqxanin hawwaa. Qabsoo keenya akka jalqabnett injifannoon xumurra! Oromiyaan ni bilisoomti!
Jarmoti sochii bilisummaa bulcha Gadaa irraa addaa. Gadaan bulcha dhaabbataa fi tasgabaawaan jiraachuu heda. Jaarmoti bilisummaa dhaabota fedhaan hiriiraniiti. Isa jalqabaa keessatt angoon kan qabaatamuu namoota dhaloota tokkoonii. Isa lammaffaaf miseensoti hanga biyya ofiif aarsaa baasuuf fedhaanitt dhaloota kam irraayyuu galmaawuu dandahu. Tahus jarri kunis eegalee demokraasii akka seeraan bulmaataa, walqixxummaa miseensotaa, kennata hoggansaa, yeroon aangoo irra turamu murtaawuu, keessaanlaalummaa fi shakala demokraasii keessaa ulfeessuu qabu. Waggaa dhalootaa kan fedhaan itt seenanii murteessuun rakkisaa dha. Bobbaan kan tolfamu miseensota fedhaan galmaawan qofaan waan taheef filmaati hedduun hin jiru.
Timely assignment: Hard times require hardened revolutionaries. It is great to hear two names of Oromo patriots Galaasaa Dilboo and Mulugeetaa Moosisaa elected to lead the true OLF once again. These heroes of the struggle had never gone back on their promises for the nation and their fallen comrades, nor neither flip-flopped nor quit the Oromo struggle for so long. I salute you comrades and wish you all the best during this hard time when survival of the nation is in jeopardy. The Struggle we started we shall take to the finish victoriously! Oromiyaa shall bee free!
Shortcomings of liberation movements: Liberation movement organizations are different from Gadaa government. Gadaa Government assumes established stable administration run by same generation. Liberation organizations are formed by volunteers registered from all ages to sacrifice for freedom of their country. But, even these must adopt some elements of the Gadaa, like rule of law, equality of members, leadership by election, and limited terms of office, transparency, and internal democratic practices. As to age of actors no limit can be put on volunteers joining it. Because operations are done only by registered volunteers there is no much choice.
