OROMO QUESTION NEVER RETIRES WITHOUT RESPONSE

So, the question what happened to this generation, by Nafxanyaa system hopefuls calling themselves forces of unity emanates from this? They therefore blame the victims rather than try to understand them and correct wrong doings of their predecessors. They still take Oromo land and labor as God given to Nafxanyaa descendants. They were as well brainwashed though to give continuity to Nafxanyaa colonial system. At present there is a constitution providing a federal system common to all nations and nationalities. Oromo groups take that seriously and working on how best it could be realized by all peoples equally and fairly. On the other hand, the “forces of unity” are working to get rid of it and form a highly centralized unitary system. That means they are not on the same page in their political thought. Therefore, Oromo politicians should not waste time thinking they are on the same ground. They have to make their question clear and say to them take it or leave it. That is what would awaken them to reality. They have to be made stop taking Oromo actors for granted and try guiding them like water in irrigation furrow. The effort at this point of history should have been building trust among nations and nationalities of the region not trying to add salt to old wounds.

The colonized are getting back their lost personality by their own struggle. Descendants of the colonizer must realize that they are engaged in a futile scheme and try to create new relations and understanding with them. Oromo liberation fighters have come a long distance and placed everything on negotiation table except the right of nations and nationalities to national self-determination up to and including independence. That is an assurance against any people in the union that may be tempted to dominate the others by force or cunning. Nafxanyaa system of old Ethiopia has to leave way for new democratic union of equals. Until then Oromo question will continue vigorously without tire. Any ebb will not despair the nation but will surge forward when time allows. At the base of Oromo question is economy of Oromia which includes land and resources under and above land. For realization of control over own economy requires power to politically manage it. Therefore, sovereignty over Oromia is at the core of Oromo question. Externally, representation in federal government in proportion to their population and contributions among other rights is mandatory.

All discourses and performances on Ethiopian stages boil down on how to control Oromo nationalism and maintain power relations as they were for the over past hundred years. Those stages are mostly monopolized by said Nafxanyaa descendants. All the commotions and cacophonies and make-believe rages that flare high on insignificant issues have misinformation on background history as underlying cause. The Habashaa people have never chosen their rulers. All came to power by sheer force and maintained it claiming divine power. They were those rulers that have crossed borders and occupied others lands. They are descendants of followers of those rulers that now cause instability and misunderstanding in the region. It has nothing to do with the common people they hailed from though those might have some pride in achievements of their compatriots. In all the forums those descendants discuss how to disorganize Oromia and those that were their colonies, not how to organize their own country. In disorganized Oromia they seem to view organized Abyssinia. They need rethinking. If not, it is said, “Dogs bark, but the caravans move on”

Because of empty pride of who they were once up on a time, they fail to see their own follies before they start accusing others. For instance, a girl called Bilisummaa on celebration of Women’s day, appealed to her young compatriot to marry only Oromo girls instead of Nafxanyaa girls. Marrying into alien societies have come down being opposed by all human groups from time immemorial, though being a private matter society could not control however they wished. This is what Dabtaraas were trying when they warned their fellow nationals that sleeping with persons from some nations and nationalities of the empire as being equivalent to sleeping with animals in one of their prayer books (Tamira Mariam printed by Zabhere Bulgaa?).

Gadaa system never went that low as Gadaam system; it only demanded acceptance of its laws and ethos from whoever joined it. Was not all that fury when the young Oromo girl expressed what is in her mind without demeaning others to level of animals hypocrisy? The girl, is not a law giver, she was only exercising her right of self-expression, to take it is up to the other girls’ personal decision. So, they can try their luck rather than losing hope missing Oromo girls if that is what enraged them. It is that simple. But the matter may not be within what is said. That only served as a pretext to attack Oromo nationalism. Oromo political Organizations in Finfinnee have sworn to be unconditionally Ethiopians and taken line for the coming election. But they are not taken as trusted partners by Ethiopians who think Oromo nationalism to be bone deep in all Oromo. They are going to lose on both sides. Oromo nationalism is an anti-colonial, anti-autocracy, anti-racist, pro-peace, pro-freedom and has democratic outlook. It will not be away until the Nafxanyaa colonial system is totally defeated.

There is continuous campaign by same group against Oromo establishments like, OLF, OMN, Oromo Orthodox Christians secretariat, Qeerroo etc. Each of these words will trigger commotion in their camp. Thanks to them, Bilisummaa is now a heroine for all democratic thinking minds for publicly expressing her nationalistic feelings. OMN and OFC were also blamed for an Oromo person prophesying Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity expressing his opinion on OFC rally. Neither OMN or OFC has the right to curb his freedom of expression, he alone is responsible for what he said. To blame others for what their own member said is only ridiculous. If they think it was blasphemous, they ought to take him to the law. The phasing out of Ethiopian empire is giving rise to Amharic speaking interest groups that has nostalgia for past Nafxanyaa stem. These are blinded by chauvinism and never satiated greed that they are prone to

create rather than resolving conflicts through common understanding with descendants of their ancestor’s serfs.

Many have taken their religion but are refusing to take their language and culture with it. Where is their Christian brotherhood/sisterhood of respecting others feelings? Are brothers/sisters preparing their flocks for spiritual excellence or worldly treasure? Why do they want to make Orthodox religion synonymous with one nation or kingdom? Do they realize why many “cut their strings” and crossed borders? That is because they did not want to be them but Christians. However, some of the “Aramanee”, to use their customary terms, has refused to run away and taken Orthodox Christianity as their own and need no interpreters; they are determined to communicate with their God directly in their own languages! That is what is called freedom of religion or thought. That may end the use of religion against Oromo nationalism. Let us advise all nations and nationalities in the empire to make efforts disentangling themselves from forces of habit and think about a region without old Ethiopia’s out of date political concept and domination. The past has gone never to return, so why not think of making the best out of the new for mutual benefit?

Peoples’ force has never rested since it overthrew the emperor. Periodically it had come being hijacked with promises of returning power to the peoples. But when they were tempted to maintain it like their predecessors that power still gets rid of them. People’s struggle is what brought the present government into power. It has already started to claim that it is the one that make everything possible. It should have realized that it is there not because it was better than its creator, which was dishonorably discharged but because of accidental considerations. Its mandate was to return power to the people not becoming people itself like the Darg after creating its Workers Party. Everyone knows groups that joined hands to create PP and their cronies from old Nafxanyaa system have grudge against the people. This is so because all were lieutenants in the war conducted against the peoples by the corrupt EPRDF and those remnants of the feudal colonial Nafxanyaa system. If there is any grain of respect for the peoples left in them, they have to facilitate passing of power to the federated nations and nationalities according to the present constitution and bow out honorably. Otherwise peoples did not support them to load copy of TPLF/EPRDF over them. PP is EPRDF minus TPLF. It is only in formation they are not in that Oromo question may get proper response. Oromian haa jiraattu!

Honor and glory for the fallen heroines and heroes; liberty equality and freedom for the living and nagaa and araaraa for the Ayyaanaa of our fore parents!

Ibsaa Guutama

March 2020