| Resolution Semi-Annual Council Meeting |
| Date: |
May 11, 2004 |
| Source: |
Gumii Bilisummaa Oromiyaa | |
The Oromiyaa Liberation Council (OLC) held a two-day semi-annual council meeting on April 10 and 11, 2004. The council conducted a thorough deliberation on organizational matters and a range of other agenda items that included the TPLF latest bill on the status of Finfinne (Addis Ababa), the present onslaught of the TPLF-led government of Ethiopia on Oromo students and various sectors of the Oromo society, the state of the Oromo national liberation struggle, the genocide that the TPLF recently committed on Anuak people, the soaring TPLF dictatorship and the escalating political, economic, and social crisis in Ethiopia, and the reaction of the international community on the crime that the TPLF perpetrates on its subjects.
After thorough discussion on all agenda items presented to the meeting, the council has adopted the following resolutions:
A. ON THE TPLF BILL ON THE STATUS OF FINFINNE
Assessing the bill that the TPLF introduced, the bill that is in essence crafted for the eviction of Caffee Oromiyaa (The Oromiyaa Parliament), and other Oromo political, economic and social institutions from Finfinne;
Understanding that this eviction bill has far-reaching implications not limited to just sweeping Oromo institutions out of Finfinne; and it is framed and enacted to:
- Dispossesses the Oromo people a capital city of their choice by scrapping even the “Chartered City Status of Finfinne” that the TPLF in its own Ethiopian constitution guarantees the Oromo people – that is, a full use of the city and every benefit derived from it;
- Undermine the territorial integrity of Oromiyaa through attrition by giving a chartered city status to major urban centers in Oromiyaa and then incorporating them in other jurisdictions;
- Deprive the Oromo nationals the economic opportunities and social services that a major urban center like Finfinne offers;
The council condemns every intent of this TPLF bill that the Ethiopian Parliament rubber-stamped and the haste with which it is being implemented despite mounting opposition from every sector of the Oromo society. The council reminds the Wayane regime of Ethiopia that Finfinne has been built with the Oromo labour, blood, and resource, and no colonial ploy can negate this fact; and as such Finfinne remains the heartland of Oromiya and the capital city of the Oromo nation's choice. The council calls upon the Oromo people to continue on struggling for the rightful place and status of Finfinne.
B. ON THE RECENT TPLF CAMPAIGN OF ONSLAUGHT ON OROMO STUDENTS
Studying events that led to the incident of January 8, 2004 that erupted at the Addis Ababa University campus between Oromo students and political lackeys of the Wayane regime and the subsequent campaigns of terror and crackdown that the regime has launched on university, college, and elementary and high school students of Oromo nationals;
Realizing that the Wayane regime of Ethiopian and its lackeys set up pretexts and incriminated the Oromo students simply because the students refused to subscribe to the political line of its proxy organization- OPDO;
Aware of the fact that on the ground of fabricated allegations, the TPLF regime in collaboration with the administration of Addis Ababa University expelled 23 Oromo students and suspended 450 of them for one year without any due process;
Cognizant of the fact that students who held demonstrations across Oromiyaa and demanded justice for wrongly dismissed and suspended students from Addis Ababa University suffered mental and physical torture, and many of them were thrown into jails two were reportedly extra-judicially murdered In Tikur Inchine in the hands of special police force and cadres of the regime of Meles Zenawi;
Realizing that Wayane has made normal operation of some schools in Oromiyaa very difficult and it has created a very tense academic atmosphere especially for Oromo students in mainly higher learning institutions as it has put them under its security agent's constant surveillance;
Convinced that the regime of Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia has a grand plan of depriving Oromiyaa educated citizens and facts that attest to this plan are that:
- It is constantly targeting and persecuting Oromo elites (politically blackmailing, harassing, intimidating, imprisoning, assassinating in the hands of its death squads);
- It is forcing educated and professional Oromos to exile;
- It is systematically denying educational opportunities mainly those Oromos with differing political persuasion;
- It is deliberately leaving educational facilities in schools and higher learning institutions in Oromiyaa at substandard level;
- It imposes budgetary constraint and makes running schools in Oromiyaa utterly difficult.
- In Oromiyaa, it has created school curriculum that is in line with its education policy that is geared to producing semi-educated Oromos.
The council strongly condemns the university administration and the TPLF regime for taking the draconian measures against Oromo students of Addis Ababa University, and demands the unconditional return of the expelled and suspended students to the university.
The council also condemns the TPLF regime for its recent onslaught on Oromo students across Oromiya and demands that perpetrates of crimes committed against the students be brought to justice.
The council calls upon Oromos to be fully aware and prepared to thwart the policy and actions of the Wayane regime that is weeding out educated minds from Oromo society. It also calls upon all oppressed nations and nationalities in the Ethiopian empire to be vigilant and stand against such a sinister plan of Wayane that provides its constituency (mainly people of Tigrean origin) ample educational opportunities and a conducive learning environment and deprives non-Tigreans.
C. ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE OROMO NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLE
Aware of the fact that the political consciousness of the Oromo people is steadily rising with the increasing intensity of oppression they experience under Wayane rule;
Understanding that the Oromo people have demonstrated a growing resolve to stand against the outlaw Wayane regime;
Fully realizing that there is a growing debate on how to fully and effectively harness the evolving political potential within the Oromo society and transform it into a highly unified and organized revolutionary Oromo national movement that attains its goal expeditiously;
Strongly believing that the United Liberation Forces of Oromiyaa (ULFO) is up to the challenge of unifying and coordinating the Oromo national liberation struggle and it is making a stride in the right direction despite myriads of obstacles;
Understanding that the effectiveness of ULFO as an umbrella organization rests on degree of commitments and active participations of member organizations and the Oromo public at large on the enhancement of the issue of unity and a well organized and coordinated struggle to achieve bilisummaa;
The council once again calls upon all Oromo political and civil organizations and the Oromo people at large to rally behind ULFO and make it a viable institution- an institution that can deliver on all its promises.
D. ON THE ESCALATION OF THE TPLF FASCISM AND THE MASSACRE OF THE ANUAK PEOPLE IN GAMBELLA REGION
Aware of numerous reports that since December of 2003 the regime of Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia has massacred hundreds Anuak people of Gambella Region and tortured, illegally arrested and detained and caused displacement and forced exile of tens of thousands of Anuaks;
Outraged by the level of crimes against humanity the TPLF has committed and continue on committing against the Anuak people;
The council condemns this TPLF-led Ethiopian Government act of genocide against the Anuak people and calls upon the Oromo people and all oppressed nations and nationalities in the Ethiopian empire to stand with the Anuak people and fight against this fascist regime.
E. ON THE REACTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AGAINST THE TPLF CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY
Realizing that international community is beginning to notice the heinous crime that the TPLF-led regime of Ethiopia perpetrates against Oromos and other oppressed peoples;
Cognizant of the fact that the reaction of international community against the notorious human rights abusing regime of Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia is not vigorous enough to hold it accountable for all crimes it has committed fairly and quickly;
The council calls upon the international community to judge the TPLF-regime of Ethiopia by its merits and put pressure on this outlaw regime to live up to the expectations of the civilized world.
F. On the past resolutions adopted by Oromiyaa Liberation Council
The Council meeting reaffirmed the correctness of all adopted resolutions in the past by the council meeting and the general assembly of Oromiyaa Liberation Council.
Unity is Strength!!
Oromia Shall Be Free!!
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The Oromo Liberation Council (OLC) ::
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