Introduction
Shimelis Abdissa, the President of Oromia, has introduced a new term—possibly a novel entry into the Afan Oromo lexicon—magaalomsuu, derived from magaalaa, meaning town. The term magaalomsuu is intended to mean “to urbanize,” and it resonates deeply in the context of Oromia’s rural-urban divide with strong socio-political connotations.
He further stated, “Waan sadii magaalomuu qabu“—“Three things must be urbanized. These are the Oromo people, the Oromo land, and the Oromo government.” In a seemingly self-deprecating manner, he humorously included himself in this transformation, presenting himself as a rural boy needing urbanization.
[Link to Shimelis Abdissa’s Caffee video]
This is an ambitious vision, noting the significance urban versus rural divide has held in the Oromo history and psyche. In this extended answer of the Oromia Caffee (Assembly) Q&A session, Shimelis Abdissa candidly revealed a crucial aspect of this divide, as if a Fruidian slip, by stating,
The towns so far have been the enemies of our people.
He elaborated:
Towns are where our people have been imprisoned.
Towns are where our people’s rights have been taken away.
Towns are where our people’s subjugators have been living.
That is why we want to build towns that are suited to our people. That is why we want our people urbanized.
His statement raises fundamental questions: What does magaalomsuu truly mean? Is it a vision for equitable development or another political scheme? To explore this, let us delve into the state of rural communities in Oromia.
The Rural Oromo: A Neglected Majority
According to Shimelis Abdissa’s own statistics, 78% of Oromia’s population remains rural, down from the often-cited 85%. These rural communities have, for generations, been treated as second-class citizens in their own land. Basic services such as running water, electricity, healthcare, and road infrastructure remain non-existent to very scarce, highlighting the stark neglect they have endured.
Yet, this same regime:
- Boasts about surplus electricity sales to neighboring countries while millions of rural Oromos live in darkness.
- Forces farmers to sell their wheat at prices below market value under the pretense of a fabricated Abiy Ahmed’s wheat export agenda.
- Deploys corrupt administrators and militia to impose arbitrary taxes, confiscate assets, and imprison dissenters.
- Continues the forced displacement of farmers, particularly in the central Oromia still evicting the Tuulama Oromos, in the name of development.
- Persecutes rural Oromos with accusations of supporting the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), leading to extrajudicial killings and property destruction.
- Oversees systemic violence against rural communities, as widely documented and attributed to state-sponsored Koree Nageenyaa death squads.
Under the current Prosperity Party (PP) regime, the rural communities’ suffering has only worsened. They remain economically exploited, politically marginalized, and socially disregarded. In contrast to the developed world, where farming communities are supported through subsidies and infrastructure, rural Oromos are left to fend for themselves while their produce sustains urban life in effect playing the reverse role of subsidising those who live in the town.
Remember, towns were originally established to subjugate the rural Oromos, a reality that persists to this day. This very fact was echoed by Shimelis Abdissa, as cited above. The only reason rural communities are considered necessary—if one could even say so—is their role in supplying the farm produce that the urban population desperately needs. The rural population functions as little more than a robotic system, servicing the urban centers at virtually no cost to the regime, with no access to human necessities or social services. The pervasive rural poverty unequivocally reaffirms this reality.
Rethinking Magaalomsuu: Sustainable Development Over Forced Urbanization
If the goal is genuinely to uplift the rural population, the approach should not be about moving people to towns but about bringing urban benefits to rural areas. Here are concrete steps for a fair and sustainable transformation.
1. Invest in Services, Not Displacement!
In short, develop locally to preserve ancestral lands; and improve rural infrastructure, instead of forcing urban migration.
Magaalomsuu should not be about displacing people from their ancestral lands. Instead, it should focus on integrating urban infrastructure, expanding economic opportunities, and providing high-quality social services within rural communities. This approach offers numerous environmental benefits while ensuring that rural life remains undisturbed.
It is true that communities can be carefully clustered together with minimal disruption to optimize infrastructure and enhance access to essential facilities. However, the cost of such integration is minimal compared to the massive expenses associated with large-scale urban planning. Importantly, no farmlands would be lost in the process.
This approach aligns with the deep-rooted traditions of the Oromo people, whose way of life is anchored in their ancestral lands. Their connection to rural traditions plays a central role in environmental preservation, ensuring both cultural continuity and sustainable living.
2. Reverse the Historical Subsidy
For over a century, rural productivity has subsidized urban development. To correct this imbalance:
- Establish a compensation fund financed by special taxation of beneficiaries of pillaged Oromia, including real estate companies, big businesses, and other beneficiaries in urban centers.
- Identify and support victims of economic displacement particularly those evicted with insufficient compensation, through reparations programmes.
This may not be full justice but a good start in reversing a century-old township subsidy by the rural economy as well as addressing the unjust evictions of recent decades.
3. Prioritize Rural Infrastructure Investment
Rather than expanding towns at the expense of farmland, focus on:
- Roads & Transportation: Improve rural road networks to connect farmers to markets and reduce costs.
- Electrification & Internet Access: Deploy decentralized renewable energy and internet services to boost rural productivity.
- Water & Irrigation: Invest in sustainable water access and climate-adaptive agricultural practices.
4. Strengthen Rural Value Addition
Urbanization should not mean losing agricultural independence. Instead, enhance rural economies by:
- Encouraging local processing industries (e.g., coffee roasting, dairy processing, flour mills, bakeries) to retain more value within rural communities.
- Supporting direct market access through digital platforms and cooperative bargaining.
- Promoting agricultural diversification into high-value crops such as organic produce.
5. Establish Fair Market Structures
To protect rural producers:
- Eliminate exploitative middlemen by setting fair price floors for essential agricultural products.
- Enhance market transparency through mobile-based real-time price updates.
- Promote cooperative farming for stronger bargaining power.
6. Expand Financial Empowerment
- Provide microfinance & low-interest loans to help farmers invest in better seeds and technology.
- Expand mobile banking services to rural communities.
- Introduce agricultural insurance to protect farmers from climate shocks.
7. Ensure Equitable Representation & Policy Reforms
- Decentralized governance to give rural populations greater control over development decisions.
- Fair taxation policies that reinvest agricultural revenue into rural infrastructure.
8. Invest in Rural Education & Skills Development
- Vocational training in agro-processing, entrepreneurship, and technology.
- Educational Extension services for modern farming techniques and digital literacy.
Conclusion
The historical exploitation of Oromia’s rural communities is not just an economic failure but a century-old systemic injustice requiring immediate corrective action. Magaalomsuu should not mean displacing people from their ancestral lands but rather integrating urban infrastructure, economic opportunities, and quality social services into rural life.
If Shimelis Abdissa is serious about magaalomsuu, his administration must prioritize:
- Shift the Focus from Urban Expansion to Rural Integration – Rather than pursuing traditional urban planning that displaces communities, prioritize strategies that bring essential services and modern infrastructure directly to rural areas, ensuring accessibility without disrupting ancestral lands.
- Economic justice through reparations and equitable market structures.
- Infrastructure investment to uplift rural communities.
- Policy reforms ensuring fair representation and taxation.
- Value addition industries to empower farmers beyond raw commodity produce so as to retain the wealth created in the rural communities.
- Skills training in entrepreneurship, modern farming techniques, digital literacy.
This article does not claim to have all the answers. It aims to ignite a much-needed conversation on sustainable, just, and environmentally responsible rural development. Rather than repeating historical patterns of exploitation under a new name, Oromia must chart a future where its rural communities thrive in place, rather than being forced into urban dependency.
Your insights and contributions to this discussion are most welcome.
Related Video:
Caffeen Oromiyaa Yaa’ii Idilee 8ffaa Waggaa 4ffaa Bara Hojii 6ffaa Taa’uu Eegale, Streamed live on 9 Feb 2025, Courtesy of Oromia Broadcasting News (OBN) , Direct URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp64HPVj0RU&t=8372s
