Oromia Today

Independent Voice of Oromia

TPLF’s genocidal policies and practices to reduce the Oromo nation to a minority

17. April 2018 Administrator History (0)
By Leenjiso Horo
April 15, 2018
The 19th-century Russian historian Vasily Klyuchevsky famously wrote: “History doesn’t teach anything, but greatly punishes one for not learning its lessons.” This quotation reminds us, our failure to learn lessons of our tragic history of a century ago, the tragic history that made Oromo people the victim of Abyssinia, ending in the conquest of Oromiyaa and putting the nation in disgrace and humiliation in which we found ourselves today. This article highlights lessons of past and present the tragic history of genocide to be learned and indicates a way forward. [More]

U.S. House of Representatives passes a far-reaching resolution: Will the TPLF regime care to listen?

13. April 2018 Administrator news (0)
Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-resolution/128/text
H. Res. 128
In the House of Representatives, U.S., April 10, 2018

Whereas the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has been an important partner of the United States and a regional leader in promoting economic growth, global health, and peace and security;

Whereas Ethiopia has helped advance the national interests of the United States and regional partners, including through contributions to international peacekeeping, combating radical Islamist extremism and other forms of terrorism, and regional cooperation through the African Union;

Whereas Ethiopia has made great strides in addressing significant challenges in global health, child survival, and food security;

Whereas Ethiopia’s transition from authoritarian rule to participatory democracy has not kept pace with other reforms;

Whereas the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) claimed to win 99.6 percent of the vote in elections that were deemed neither free nor fair in 2010 and all 546 parliamentary seats in 2015, thereby further consolidating the EPRDF’s single-party rule;

Whereas the Charities and Societies Proclamation and Anti- Terrorism Proclamation, both enacted in 2009, have accelerated the contraction of democratic space, severely limited the practice of fundamental human rights, enabled abuses by security forces, and impeded efforts to promote accountability for such abuses in Ethiopia;

Whereas government forces launched a violent crackdown on protests by ethnic Oromo and Amhara over their perceived marginalization in 2015, resulting in hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests;

Whereas the Government of Ethiopia has recently released hundreds of political prisoners, but has continued to periodically detain government critics and opposition figures;

Whereas the Government of Ethiopia has periodically imposed a state of emergency that even further restricts freedoms of assembly, association, and expression, including through blockage of mobile internet access and social media communication;

Whereas the 2017 Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Ethiopia cited serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, killings, and torture committed by security forces, restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of association, politically motivated trials, harassment, and intimidation of opposition members and journalists; and

Whereas these persistent human right abuses, including state-sponsored violence against civilians in the Oromia, Amhara, and Somali regions of Ethiopia, as well as the abuse of laws to stifle journalistic freedoms, stand in direct contrast to democratic principles, violate the Constitution of Ethiopia, and undermine Ethiopia’s position as a regional leader for economic growth, peace, and security: Now, therefore, be it [More]

'Freedom!': the mysterious movement that brought Ethiopia to a standstill

31. March 2018 Administrator (0)
'Freedom!': the mysterious movement that brought Ethiopia to a standstill By Tom Gardner in Adama

March 13, 2018

In traditional Oromo culture the term denotes a young bachelor. But today it has broader connotations, symbolising both the Oromo movement – a struggle for more political freedom and for greater ethnic representation in federal structures – and an entire generation of newly assertive Ethiopian youth. [More]

On the Election of Dr. Abiy Ahmed as EPRDF Chairman

30. March 2018 Administrator (0)
30 March 2018 
By Caala Ibsa Oromo
For now, the big question is: what does Abiy’s election mean for the current political crisis in Ethiopia, and particularly for the Oromo, who have spearheaded the protests to the TPLF rule? Individuals and groups have already started speculating on different outcomes--positive or negative—depending on their political positions. Some activists spent no time to send congratulatory messages to Dr. Abiy and, shamefully, started addressing him with honorific ‘you’, although he is much younger than themselves. This could be typical political opportunism than genuine respect for the presumptive premier. Others have started setting the agenda for him as well. On the other hand, other individuals and opposition groups are already dismissing the election as irrelevant because there are still many structural issues that impede Abiy’s ability to reform the repressive and corrupt system. Given the TPLF’s lukewarm or hostile attitude towards his appointment as a prime minister, the skeptics could be right; he may not have enough strength to overcome the entrenched TPLF security and military establishments to be an effective prime minister. [More]

The State of Emergency is Illegitimate, but what would the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) do?

27. February 2018 Administrator (0)
By Caala Ibsa Oromo
27th February 2018
 
Unable to address the grievances of the people and unable to control the Qeerroo movement, on February 16, 2018, the Ethiopian government has declared another state of emergency for six months. The latest state of emergency is the second since the one imposed after the Irreechaa Massacre of October 2, 2016, which lasted for ten months. Although provided in the EPRDF constitution of 1995 (Art. 93), declaring state of emergency is supposed to be very rare action, to be considered only when extraordinary circumstances such as foreign invasion, natural and environmental crises happened. But for the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) regime, declaring a state of emergency has become a routine administrative action to avoid addressing serious political issues. Repressive and undemocratic, wildered by mass protests and lacking neither the competence nor the fortitude to carry out reforms, the regime has opted for a state of emergency to prolong its stay in power. [More]

Oromiyaa: Moving Towards the Ultimate Victory

23. February 2018 Administrator (0)
By Itana Gammada
23rd February 2018
 
Had it not been for the collaborator's support, the TPLF would not have survived one month in that country. Oromo youth and patriotic nationalists are now part and parcel of the ongoing bitter freedom struggle. It is now obvious that the OPDO, who placed themselves at the service of the fascist TPLF, are currently facing scrutiny and an agonizing dilemma: they are situated between two antagonistic forces, that of the venomous dying tyrants, TPLF, trying to strike, and that of the Oromo masses who have an inalienable right to fight for their freedom. And to the OPDO, who shouldn't have to be servile for the TPLF in their own country, it's time for them to join the masses and stand firm for the Oromo cause instead of attempting to save the genocide regime - any attempt to subvert the people's revolution or to preserve the dying TPLF fascist regime (EPDRF/TPLF) is doomed to fail. [More]

The Oromo struggle versus OPDO’s blindness toward Oromo history

28. January 2018 Administrator community (0)
 
By Leenjiso Horo
January 28, 2018

The fact is like all OPDO’s presidents before him, Lamma Magarsa too was appointed to be the president of OPDO by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) aka Woyane. Hence, he is president of OPDO, ​not the Oromo people. TPLF is an alien occupying force in Oromiyaa and it is a creator and a mentor of the OPDO. OPDO is a puppet organization and its goals and aims are one and the same with that of the TPLF. It has proven this to be true for the last twenty-seven years. Its president, Lamma Magarsa being appointed by the alien occupying force does not have the mandate from the Oromo people to speak on their behalf. [More]

The TPLF/EPRDF illegitimacy in Oromiyaa and the Oromo struggle

5. January 2018 Administrator (1)
By Leenjiso Horo
January 4, 2018

The Tigrean regime of TPLF/EPRDF has no right to be in Oromiyaa. The reason is simple. It has no consent of the Oromo people. It is an occupying illegal force. Being an occupying force, it does not possess political legitimacy in Oromiyaa. And for this the Oromo people do not owe it respect, obligation and loyalty. Since it does not possess political legitimacy, it does not have legitimate authority to govern. [More]

Oromo protesters have time and hope on their side, the TPLF face gloom and doom

2. January 2018 Administrator (0)
1 January 2018

By Caala Ibsa Oromo

The current political situation in Ethiopia and statements issued by government officials and ruling party leaders are bewildering. Witnessing the widespread anti-government protests and the emboldened posture of the Oromo youth (Qeerroo) movement, many observers believe that the downfall of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) government, dominated by the Tigrayan People Liberation Front (TPLF), is imminent. Although the timing and the nature of the actual collapse of this regime is still uncertain, the balance of power has been shifting significantly over the last three years. It is now abundantly clear that the protesters have gained the momentum and the ruling party is hanging on a tight rope. [More]

Deciphering Lemma Megersa’s Speech in Bahr Dar

16. November 2017 Administrator community (0)
15 November 2017

By Caala Ibsa Oromo

In the middle of mass protests and deepening crisis in Oromia, Lemma Megersa, president of the Oromia regional state, traveled to Bahr Dar, on November 4, 2017, with elders and Oromo People Democratic Organization (OPDO) leadership team to deliver a reconciliatory speech on the relationship between the Amhara and the Oromo, the two largest national groups in Ethiopia. He was appointed president late last year to manage the protests in Oromia, when his predecessor, Muktar Kedir, was unable to control the situation. Muktar was blamed on both sides—by the TPLF leaders and the Oromo people—for his feebleness and unwavering loyalty to the brutal regime, respectively. As his replacement, Lemma was expected to be a strong leader who could stabilize the situation either with a firm hand or soft speeches. Shortly after assuming power, he made some speeches in which he criticized the excesses of the TPLF and provided some hope for the protesting Oromo youth. Some of his public speeches, indeed, suggested that he has the fortitude to stand up to his bosses. Lately, even some activists in the Diaspora have started to believe in Lemma’s rhetoric and advocated for giving him some space to deliver on his promises. But many Oromos remained skeptical. So far, the speech that Lemma Megersa delivered in Bahr Dar on November 4 tends to prove that the skeptics are right. [More]

Rule by Indaraasee for how long?

4. November 2017 Administrator History (0)
By Ibsaa Guutama

4 November 2017

Oromiyaa has been ruled by colonial agents sent from Finfinnee since its occupation. The Oromo people had been struggling to end this situation for over a century. An agent of the colonizer called OPDO was created in 1991 with Oromo label to counter the only political organization Oromo had, the OLF. Its main mission was to camouflage and let the new colonizer, Wayyaanee penetrate Oromiyaa bypassing the OLF. Now after twenty five years, at a time Oromo protest movement has reached the climax, OPDO is coming out with another camouflaging technique to continue control of Oromiyaa for advantage of the TPLF/EPRDF. Such sinister move should always be noted. Its nemesis OLF will always be there physically or in spirit haunting it. It is incumbent on nationalists to notify the people about an impending danger, when situations present reasonable doubt of affecting Oromo struggle. Oromo members of OPDO cannot shape the organization that shaped them to fit to Oromo cause. Whatever they say otherwise is but a lie. Get off the way, let independent people shape their destiny. [More]

Let the Oromo Protests Continue

26. October 2017 Administrator community (0)
October 15, 2017

By Caala Ibsa Oromo

http://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/people-protest-against-the-ethiopian-government-during-news-photo/856254358#people-protest-against-the-ethiopian-government-during-irreecha-the-picture-id856254358

Despite the various attempts, the TPLF tactics had miserably failed. Instead of weakening the spirit of the protest and intimidating the protesters, the state of emergency and mass detentions created opportunities for participants to take a much-needed respite to recuperate from protest fatigue, heal from their wounds, and to regroup and reassess their tactics. The detainees used the time and the space for networking and rededication. Those who were released from detention camps came out with greater commitment and better organizational skills to continue the protests. The utter failure of the EPRDF/TPLF repressive tactic is on full display immediately after and the end of the state of emergency in August. At the first anniversary of the Irrecha massacre, on October 1, 2017, the Oromo youth returned with more vigor and determination to protest the TPLF rule. While celebrating the Irreecha festival, they danced and sang protest songs with full display of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) flag, the symbol of their resistance. They continued the same protests a week later at the Malka Atete Irreecha celebration in Burayu, in the suburb of Finfinee (Addis Ababa). Beginning on October 11, 2017, the protests have now spread to other cities throughout Oromia. On October 11, 12 and 13, thousands of protesters have marched in Ambo, Borana, Dembi Dolo, Gedo, Gimbi, Guder, Hararge, Jimma, Naqamte, Robe, Shashamane, and Waliso. Obviously, the Oromo protests are back with renewed intensity. Unfortunately, TPLF violent approach is also alive. Although the protesters were peaceful, government forces have killed at least fifteen and wounded over thirty protesters within two days. Yet a violent response is unlikely to calm down the resistance. [More]

Moving Beyond the Trauma of October 2, 2016 Irreecha Massacre - Part III

29. September 2017 Administrator History (2)
A Pledge to Struggle for Oromo National Sovereignty
By Mekuria Bulcha, PhD, Professor
30 September 2017

In Part II of this article I have described the trauma and anger caused by the October 2, 2016 massacre and discussed the manner with which the Oromo society has responded to the situation. In this third part of the article, I will explore the role which the Irreecha massacre has played in Oromo mobilization for national sovereignty, and resistance against the TPLF regime. In addition, I will provide a brief discussion of the consequences of the State of Emergency declared by the TPLF regime on October 9, 2016 and the role of the so-called Somali Liyu Police (Special Force) as agents of state terrorism against the Oromo.[1] [More]

Moving Beyond the Trauma of October 2, 2016 Irreecha Massacre - Part II

28. September 2017 Administrator History (0)
28 September 2017

The Oromo Resolve to Fight the Trauma of State Terrorism

By Mekuria Bulcha, PhD, Professor

Although the Oromo have been exposed to series of violent acts perpetrated against them by the Ethiopian security during the past twenty-six years, the Irreecha massacre of October 2, 2016 stands out as one of the most traumatic events. It was an act that had affected the largest number of Oromos in one place and day. The incident shocked and infuriated millions of Oromos irrespective where they were at that moment. Reports from those who participated in the festival through FaceBook and video footages which were transmitted on the occasion show that the 2016 Irreecha parade started with the mood of festivity that characterized the event as in the past. The mood, however, suddenly turned ugly when the regime used the festival for its political agenda and provoked the participants to protest. The subsequent onslaught by security forces transformed the festive mood of millions of men, women, and children into terror and helplessness (four million, according to the regime itself). As one journalist and survivor put it, “The scene was horrific and unbearable. Many who saw the belongings of their loved ones being scattered on the field were crying and running towards the ditch.” As blankets of teargas cloud covered parts of the festival grounds, participants ran in different directions and thousands of them were pushed into the bush where, hidden from their sight a netherworld, which like the Biblical Hades[1] had opened its mouth wide, was waiting to swallow them. The journalist mentioned above wrote, “By the time I reached at the ditches, hundreds have already lost their lives and many more were still trapped in the ditches, covered up by the soil.” All of a sudden the sacred thanksgiving site around Lake Arsadee was transformed into a valley of death. [More]

Moving Beyond the Trauma of October 2, 2016 Irreecha Massacre - Part I

25. September 2017 Administrator History (0)
25 September 2017


October 2 Will Signify State Terrorism Against the Oromo in Ethiopia 

By Mekuria Bulcha, Professor

In Oromo history 2016 was one of the darkest years. Sequences of traumatic events followed each other from day to day, week to week and month to month as the Oromo uprising which had started in Ginchi in November 2015 spread across Oromia like wildfire and persisted vigorously as the number of participants in the numerous demonstrations swelled into millions. Although the protests were mostly peaceful, the first eight months of 2016 witnessed the massacre of hundreds of Oromo youth. Parents witnessed as their children were gunned down by the special forces of the regime called the Agazi, in their homes. Pregnant mothers and elderly Oromos above the age 70 and children under the age of 10 were among the victims. The impunity with which the Ethiopian regime is [was] treating the Oromo people was made clear by the brutal crackdown when hundreds of the Oromos were killed at the Irreecha festival on October 2, 2016, near Bishoftu. [More]

The ‘Nine Lives’ of Oromo Literacy - Qubee and the Birth of a Generation - Part II

18. September 2017 Administrator History (0)
Defying a Tradition that Demonizes Our Identity, Our Language and Alphabet

18 September 2017 

By Mekuria Bulcha, Professor

In this second part of the article, I will briefly describe the resurrection of Oromo literacy in Oromia in the early 1990s and the opposition and skepticism with which the Latin alphabet, qubee, used in Oromo literacy, was met from the Orthodox clergy and the Habesha elite. After briefly introducing the radical changes brought about by the Oromo adoption of the qubee alphabet and the implementation of the use of Afaan Oromo, I will explore the anti-qubee and Afaan Oromoo feelings which were reactivated after the Oromo uprising in November 2015. It is important to note that, although the use the qubee alphabet in Oromo literacy was adopted by the Oromo people in 1991, there are groups who still today, in 2017, are opposing the Oromo right to write their language in an alphabet of their choice. Most Oromos dismiss the opposition of these groups as nonsensical and unworthy of attention.[1] However, ignoring it is not an option. There are a couple of reasons which, in my view, make countering the anti-qubee discourse a necessity. To begin with, any discourse that downplays a people’s right to develop and use their language violates human rights, and should be countered. Secondly, a discourse that distorts and demonizes the adoption of the qubee alphabet as a reflection of Oromo hate against the Ge’ez alphabet or fidel and Amhara culture, as many of the opponents’ comments are saying, is a sinister distortion intended to plant mistrust between the Oromo people and their neighbors. Such a discourse should be exposed and countered before it would cause serious conflicts and damages. It is said ‘Tell your story, otherwise someone else will tell it differently.’ Taking that advice into account, I will try, in this and a forthcoming third part of this article, to answer the questions, “Why are they opposing the qubee after more than two decades of silence? Why are the Oromo singled out for an attack while there are many other Cushitic-speaking peoples who have also adopted the Latin alphabet? Who are the authors of the articles and commentaries that oppose the qubee alphabet? In addition, the article will examine the ideology that underpins the opposition against the Oromo language in general, and use of the qubee in particular. Before proceeding to that, a brief overview of the spontaneous reception of the qubee alphabet by the Oromo nation and the opposition and skepticism of the Abyssinian clergy elite in the early 1990s is in order. [More]