If the close of a century causes anxiety among the calendar-conscious Oromos, the transition to a new millennium1 amplifies this feeling of insecurity. Against this backdrop of uncertainty, most members of the Oromo-Net seam to be engaged about talking where they are now, where they want be and how they will reach there.
Some of the promising directions in this regard are the possibly the discussion on the conference of the Oromiya Study Association (OSA) saga and probably the establishment of Oromiya Liberation Council (OLC), just to mention two. In sharp contrast to such positive developments in the Oromo national struggle for independence, the current flirtation with federation with Habashaas by certain individuals is a concern that can't be ignored.
As many of you may be aware, the public and private discussions of the Oromos, particularly on the O-net have been dominated by the issues of federation and self-determination. Certain individuals, especially outside of the OLC, faced with temporary setbacks and difficulties, are beginning to toy with the idea of federation. Using “globalization” and “new world order” as a pretext, they are attempting to recommend their new prescription pills – “federation with Habashaas”. Federation - for whose benefit? Clearly the unexpressed goal is to save the Ethiopian empire from disintegration. What those people did not realize was that the intent of globalization was never meant to keep the colonized peoples like Oromos under servitude. If we may use the words of the late Sekou Toure, he said “we prefer poverty in independence than wealth in slavery@.
From our experience based on our long history of exploitation, deceit and betrayal, I am sure that the Ethiopian regime is not amenable to negotiation. We must view any federation or suggestions of achieving independence by discussion with the Ethiopian regime as prejudicial to the present state our national struggle reached, and, at best, an attempt to seek a neo-colonial solution that will create even more acute problem for our people. Although few individuals have clearly indicated that they favor federation with the Habashaas rather than the independence of Oromiya, I believe more individuals as well as organizations are still hiding behind the camouflage of self-determination. Majority of Oromos believe that our struggle is for the independence of Oromiya from the Abyssinian colonial yoke. There can't be compromise on the independence or on the armed struggle to achieve this objective when all peaceful means have failed. Therefore, I believe that no Oromo blood needs to be split for the purpose of engaging in federation arrangement with the Habashaas so as to advance the positions of certain groups or individuals within that context. In light of this, we must challenge all Oromo organizations to clearly state their stand on self-determination and independence of Oromiya.
Oromiya shall be free!