By Dawud Ibsa
The
fact that the Oromo fell under occupation 130 years ago should be clear
to all Oromos by now. The power holders of the Ethiopian state that
succeeded to build this empire and hold on power used massive foreign
assistance and control of human and economic resource from subject
nations under the Ethiopian state. In this long history of oppressed and
oppressor relationship between the Oromo and the Ethiopian ruling
elites, the military and civilian bureaucracy was monopolized until
today by these ruling elites. The Oromo have served the state as an
individual professional in these state structures and most of the time
excelling their masters in profession and performance.
It
is only in the last 40 years that Oromos started to be organized under
politico-military or political organization as a nation in quest for
their aspiration for emancipation and to decide on their own destiny. No
one can deny that 40 years is no short time to achieve some promising
progress at minimum.
In
these 40 years, we have also seen other people reverse similar
situations that Oromos faced in the last 130 years. It will be important
to remind oneself how RPF (Rwanda), EPLF (Eritrea), SPLM (South Sudan),
TPLF (Ethiopia) and others asserted themselves on their adversaries. It
has no other formula; it is simply by investing blood and sweat for
their liberation. Other external forces that assisted them came after
they asserted themselves as organized force. For this, a nation has to
mobilize itself under a formidable organization be that a
politico-military or political organization.
Oromos
have to learn from the history of these forces and others – and learn
the discipline of working under an organization and prepare to pay all
that the struggle demands. In a tyrant state with long history such as
Ethiopia, there is no other alternative. OLF’s attempt in 1992 to go
through a smooth road did not work. Short cut attempts to snatch or
share power, by aspiring foreign assistance only, appendaging one-selves
to other forces (OPDO with TPLF, OPC and OFDM to Qinjit and Medrek)
will remain a dream unfulfilled.
The
empty notion that the big number of Oromos will bring change by itself
is a false hope fed to Oromos either by naivety or deliberately soothing
Oromos not to prepare themselves for the hard work and sacrifice. Big
number by itself did not save China from Japanese occupation, India form
British Colonial Occupation, and many others.
Thus
Oromo have to learn the nature of the state they are struggling
against, the brutal nature of political situation in Ethiopia and the
Horn, the various political actors that work against the Oromo
aspiration and the type of organization they need to overcome all these
hurdles. It will be only through consolidating the gains and the
sacrifices in these aspects that one can come closer to its goals. The
current situation is promising for Oromos if they play the game properly
in this direction.
*Dawud Ibsa is Chairman of the Oromo Liberation Front (ShG).
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