A Tigrean Oldie, who seems to have misunderstood the trend of history, was heard bellowing from somewhere in Hawaasaa an anti-Oromo stance as if the Oromo were still those of yester years that Yohaanis had cut their tongues to impose his will. Since the colonization of Oromiyaa, Oromo movements towards liberation had come being sabotaged by those who originated from her bosom and registered to serve the enemy knowingly or unknowingly. Oromo, by nature, are effective and efficient in all fields of engagement. As fighters, they were known for bravery that thousands could not subdue. Believing that, the colonizer gave priority to hiring them in fields that required guts and open mindedness. For internal and external conflicts, including against the Oromo, it used to deploy mostly such hirelings. Those forget even the ethical and cultural obligations of their ancestors once their bellies are full. In their cultural setting, they used to brag by their father’s name, as galtuu to brag by the master’s name become their source of pride.
Many non-Oromo anti-colonial activists take the Oromo as a force of reaction – merely from the number of galtuu (runaways) mobilized against them. These days, those ashamed of serving the enemy are increasing. Gone are the days the Oromo join the colonial camp en masse – hired to strengthen colonial forces. The trend is joining the liberation force to empower the subjugated nations. The objective of the Oromo national liberation movement, that was set by the vanguard OLF, is not only to liberate the land, but also includes the liberation of the enslaved minds. As long as there are those brainwashed, Oromiyaa will remain a forest from where everybody cuts shafts for their spears. For this reason, whenever we talk about organizations that are formed in the name of Oromo, this should not be forgotten. To leave behind one’s nationals behind will be pilling up shame for the nation. They have to be told daily that the enemy’s organization is not compatible with their identity. Stripping them or adding curse to humiliation they are already suffering in hands of the enemy is of no use for the nation. That should be the way progressives think. Progressivism is not a monopoly of a class or a party; it is the determination of individuals or groups from all walks of life – who/that stand for change to betterment of the society. Negotiations are possible, but the nation’s kaayyoo is not negotiable.
The Tigreans are occupying Oromiyaa by changing their ancestors’ tactics – keeping the major strategy constant. They had contacts with Oromo activists when both were in the struggle for liberation, but failed to enroll them for their major mission. However, it was then that they were exposed to strong and weak points of the Oromo struggle. That helped them to devise ahead the means by which to thwart the Oromo struggle. Though the basic objective is to lure and recruit from among the Oromo, it was not as glaring recruitment for servitude as their forebears. But they created a pseudo organization for Oromummaa seemingly with an equal status as theirs. The tither attached to it was not as discreet as they thought, but was visible to the naked eye. In that way, a fake organization, OPDO – was molded for POW galtuu. They formed a similar “PDO” for the Amaaraa and others, and created EPRDF under the leadership of TPLF that is now reigning. OPDO means the Tigrean ruling Oromiyaa – with the mask of Oromummaa on. Thus TPLF, that came pretending to be a progressive force, was exposed as the most reactionary batch of all past autocratic rulers of the empire.
Those who are now called members of the OPDO are mere servants like olden times galtuu and never represent Oromiyaa. Some Oromo persons had their doubts to call openly OPDO is a mere servant. But others have given it an adjective “Maxxannee” (appendage). To assure its continued loyalty periodically, OPDO was called for“gimgamaa” (assessment) meetings chaired by the masters. With this “gimgamaa”, members of OPDO were subjected to insults, reprimands, threats and harassment, being chased out, disappearances and imprisonments up to this day. This time, knowingly or unknowingly, sour relations between the colonizer and OPDO was leaked from a meeting hall. A Tigray oldie – who gathered his “Maxxannee” leaders in an Hawaasaa meeting hall – was heard swearing and reprimanding them. Unless he was drunk, he would not have dared provoke a swarm of bees.
He trod over the sovereignty of Oromiyaa – which was claimed to have been recognized by their Constitution. The fire was not limited to OPDO alone, but jumped to the people they originated from. His reprimand to his “Maxxannee” was not surprising, but what made the Oromo rise together in furry was his demand from the servants to hogtie and hand over the Oromo people to him. Even those in the meeting roared with laughter at his bellow, it seems. The Oromo national liberation movement had its own pre-drawn program on how to handle the enemy’s machination. Rumbling of the person seemed new because of foot-dragging of the Oromo revolution. His doings brought forth the true nature of EPRDF to the open and excited Oromo who were giving it benefit of the doubt; otherwise, it did not surprise those who knew its nature. The oldie verified the truth for those who had doubts of OPDO being an Addeet-forged arm of TPLF – not of the Oromo.
Though those threatened are runaways, it was because of theirOromummaa that they were sworn at. It was looking down onOromummaa in the open market that provoked nationalists’ anger. Many Oromo and ordinary members of OPDO might have never thought that those leaders of the organization would be censured like small kids. It was told that OPDO was an equal partner of the organization that rule the empire, but that was like the saying “Hoodwinking the hen they entangled her with cable to put her down.” Now their defective relations are made very public, and to quietly overlook it is shame. Oromo says, “shame is worse than death.”
Modern technology enables one to hear what is whispered in a room in Hawaasaa from Shaashamannee. The Wayyaanee oldie forgot, or from contempt he has for the people, he pushed theMaxxannee into a corner and bellowed on them. He told them to give up their nation’s land, or he will show them their size. The choice is, since death is inevitable, to die honorably or to kiss their feet and continue in shame. That equality of member organizations in EPRDF is false – has been officially heard from the true ruler of Oromiyaa. Everybody knew that the relation between OPDO and EPRDF was not what is in writing, but that between master and servant. If relation that had existed for the last twenty five years could accidentally leak and make all nationals to rise in fury, there is no reason for it to cool off. That could guard from being kicked around by the minority forever. For that reason, instead of being caught by surprise and reacting to provocation of the enemy year in year out, it is high time that one firmly sticks to own program. For the time being, let us sing with artist Gaaddisaa “Qeerroon mataa tuutaa hin jarjartu suuta” (The hairy head youth moves without haste). But, for how long should we drag our feet?
The Habashaa government has come down kicking and suppressing Oromo and other nations with help of Oromo runaways as instruments since the last decades of 19th century. The Oromo can never be free from the alien contempt until those who are Oromo stop serving as an arm of the enemy. The Habashaa who used to shun mentioning the name Oromo, now when time got harsh on them started to claim the equal participation of Oromo in their administration – citing services of individual runaways and POW as if the Oromo nation has ever made a pact with them to participate in their governance. All past world empires had recruited great armies from their colonies for own purposes. For example, when the British defeated the Italians and reinstituted Hayila Sillaasee to his throne, except for few officers, all it deployed to war fronts were persons from colonies of their own and other European countries’. From among them, those from the Sudan, Congo and Asia can be mentioned. The Italians also used fighters from Eritrea, Somalia and Libya when they forced the emperor to flee his empire. Those participated not representing their countries but as individuals. Whether it is for bad or good, their countries are not responsible. To say they ruled Britain and Italy together will be laughable. What is attributed as the part played by Oromo individuals in the Ethiopian administration was not different from those.
OPDO and its present day members are different in nature. TPLF built OPDO, and filled its rank and file with demoralized prisoners of war in its captivity and those supplied to it by EPLF. Those captives looked upon it with fear as their God, and lived kowtowing for it for sparing them after butchering most of their comrades. Most captives survived to this day after losing stamina, and lots had been purged. Now only few are left at the top. They were those who rebuke of the oldie thundered on these days. It seems the need for them is waning, and they may even be considering to be replaced by a better group. Because they have gained knowledge of the country and the language they might have felt no more need for a surrogate. Most OPDO members are recent recruits and are younger. They did not receive the hardship that their seniors experienced. For this reason, the type of brainwashing they are subjected to is different. Unlike their elders, it is not only with their belly, but if they want, there could be a bit of grey matters remaining in their heads to think with. That there are those who comply with orders by luring or forcing, and those who refuse to comply can be deduced from words of the oldie. He yelled at those he took as not conforming to his silly orders.
Most OPDO members are blamed for being opportunists. Opportunism can be viewed in two ways. One is those who went into it en masse not to miss the chance of filling their bellies. The others are those who believed it could be a shortcut to find solutions for problems of their people. Freedom has no shortcut, one has to sweat, bleed and be maimed to reach it. But they may get experience to realize their naiveté from the road they started to travel. That might give them the experience to realize their naiveté. They may also realize that the objective of the guest is not only to plunder resources and dishonor of the nation, but also to erase its identity. If that could not propel them to a patriotic move, nothing could. With steel-strong discipline, revolutionary commitment for the national cause and determination to achieve the principal goal ofOromummaa, let alone Wayyaanee, the mountain will not dare stand in their way. There is nothing valuable than one’s life. But no one can avoid death. For this reason, it will be honorable to die cultivating priceless freedom than to live in perpetual humiliation. Even those who salivate for Ethiopianism will be respected, if only they could first become themselves and stand on their feet. Then only they will be listened to respectfully. The oldie and friends who came wiping nits that struggle of liberation infested them with got not only chubby chicks and bulging belly, but were also listened to and respected by the world because they had among others strong dependable rear.
It is expected from the wronged to be ever prepared rather than spontaneously boiling by periodical provocations of the enemy. Belching of the oldie after overeating should not be a point of irritation. What does “We shall reduce them to their size” mean? Does it mean turning them to dust and level them with the ground? What is the unit of measure of the said size? Could it mean massacring and reducing the size of the population to their own? So far, they have never spared them; could it be possible that they got new more efficient weapons this time? Could it be that the oldie accepted Master Isaayyaas Afawarqii’s advice and would erase Article 39 of their Constitution? There was nothing they did not do to tighten their domination on the Oromo. However, the Oromo youth had assured them that they cannot move back the Oromo revolution one finger. Africa belongs to the future generation; the role of those who are in their last phase should have been reviewing and evaluating their past rather than making distortions they created transcend their time and create obstacles to bright future and understanding of coming generation. Lamenting about the archaic Ethiopian empire is a backward idea. Without distinction, Africans need to review colonial chronic. Not leaders who see country, people and themselves as entities independent of each other, but the African peoples should come forward and impose their will in reconstructing their continent. Groups that fought their ways to freedom should know how to maintain it, not itching to control and enslave others in their turn. Abusing gains registered by sacrifices of thousands is dishonoring, not only the nation that suffered much for it, but also to the memory of those patriots. They should have the courage to regret for past misdeeds, and stop endless killings or herding citizens to prisons. By doing so, whom are they serving, for what end? This will only send their names down to the garbage bin of history with Quisling, Mussolini and Hitler. Failing to heed, they know what peoples’ storm could bring. Bellowing of the oldie did not add anything different to the existing conflict, but it is possible for it to leave a stigma to relations of future generations of the region.
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!
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