The past three Abyssinian regimes, namely Menelik, Haile Selassie, and the military junta, came from the Amharic-speaking Abyssinian elites who protected and promoted the dominance of anything and everything Abyssinian – from cultural, linguistic, economic to political power. These Amharic-speaking rulers enforced and promoted their barbaric and backward laws and culture using garrison towns that had been established on hilltops across Oromia and the South.
The other common traits of the three Amharic-speaking Abyssinian rulers were deploying a blend of both the French and the British colonial systems; the former being assimilative, where the political structure in the colonies were established on a highly centralized administrative system based on their national tradition of extreme administrative centralism. The French colonial ideology explicitly claimed that they were on a “civilising mission” to lift the unenlightened natives out of backwardness to the new status of civilised French Africans. To achieve this, the French used the policy of assimilation, whereby, through cultural change, education and the fulfillment of some formal conditions, some natives would become evolved and civilized French citizens. In practice, due to the stringent conditions set for citizenship, it was virtually impossible for most colonial subjects to become French citizens. This was exactly what the Amharic-speaking Abyssinian colonial rulers in Oromia and the South followed and practiced. In order to become an “Ethiopian” citizen, one has to dress the Abyssinian national clothing made of cotton, speak the Amharic language, practice Orthodox Christianity, and even be forced to marry an Abyssinian, so that his/her offspring would lose their father’s or mother’s identity and grow up as an Abyssinian or “Ethiopian.”
On the other hand, the British colonial system was an ideology based on an indirect rule, where the newly acquired colonies were organized at the central, provincial, regional and district levels. There was a Governor or Governor–General in the colonial capital – who would govern along with an appointed executive council and a legislative council of appointed and selected local and foreign members. The Governor was responsible to the colonial office and the colonial secretary back in London, from whom laws, policies, and directives were received and implemented by provincial, regional and district officials. Laws and policies on taxation, public works, forced labour, mining, agricultural production and other matters were made in London, and then they were passed down to the lower administrative levels for enforcement.
The current TPLF colonial regime is following and implementing a carbon-copy of the British indirect colonial rule in Oromia and the South – a system by which TPLF officials decide who will serve them best in the new colonies of Oromia and the South. For the last 23 years of TPLF rule in Oromia and the South, and to some degree in the Amhara region, all regional, sub-regional and local level officials have been appointed by TPLF (of course, there are fake periodic elections, where the outcomes of the election are predetermined by the TPLF officials, including the administrators). On top of that, at regional, sub-regional and local levels, a Tigrayan is assigned to each local official office across the colonies to enforce laws and directives that are designed by the TPLF junta – both from Mekele and the Menelik palace – which are the command centres of the TPLF rulers.
Both the Amharic-speaking colonial rulers and the current TPLF regime in the Ethiopian Empire have something in common, particularly in theirforeign relations to the outside world. All of them have projected a false image of an empire at peace within itself by promiscuously adopting the dominant world ideology of the day to cover up, from the outside world, their abuses and ill-treatments of the Oromo and the Southern peoples. Not only that they have managed to cover up the heinous crimes they perpetrate in Oromia and the South, but they have also persuaded either the West or the East block to receive billions of dollars in aid money and military hardware, which they have used on innocent Oromo and other colonial subjects without any regard to human lives. The genocide committed by Menelik; the use of warplanes and cluster bombs on the Bale Oromo Uprising by the Haile Selassie regime; the extrajudicial killings the TPLF junta of the last twenty odd years; and the recent and ongoing killings of peaceful Oromo students are few glaring examples of cruel, barbaric nature of all Abyssinian regimes. The killings, imprisonments, resource exploitation and the abuses on the Oromo and the South by Abyssinian colonialist regimes can only be stopped by a war of an anti-colonial struggle by the Oromo and the Southern Nations.
The TPLF colonial rule must be the last Abyssinian regime in Oromia and the South
There are still many who think that TPLF can be reformed to implement a genuine federal system prescribed on its Constitution so that the empire could be saved from collapse. Those who entertain this dead and buried philosophy must have either not read or not seen the progress of human history and the formation of Nation States, or at best, they are stuck in a state of denial, and at worst, they are delusional in their grasp and knowledge of how empires are formed and disintegrated when the subject peoples rise and liberate themselves. We have witnessed the collapse of the British, Spanish, Portuguese, and French Empires in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America. The fate of Ethiopian Empire must be the same as other Empires in human history because Ethiopian Empire has been built on and sustained by degrading its subject peoples, as well as, by abusing and plundering their resources.
There are still many who think that TPLF can be reformed to implement a genuine federal system prescribed on its Constitution so that the empire could be saved from collapse. Those who entertain this dead and buried philosophy must have either not read or not seen the progress of human history and the formation of Nation States, or at best, they are stuck in a state of denial, and at worst, they are delusional in their grasp and knowledge of how empires are formed and disintegrated when the subject peoples rise and liberate themselves. We have witnessed the collapse of the British, Spanish, Portuguese, and French Empires in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America. The fate of Ethiopian Empire must be the same as other Empires in human history because Ethiopian Empire has been built on and sustained by degrading its subject peoples, as well as, by abusing and plundering their resources.
The following factors aided the minority Tigrayan colonialist regime to replace the century-old Amhara-led colonialist regimes in the empire:
- the decadence of the imperial system due to corruption;
- the coup d’état by the imperial army of the 1960s;
- the Students Uprising of the 1974 that ultimately brought down the the imperial regime;
- the military junta’s determination to hang on to power by wiping out all of its opponents who wanted to bring genuine changes in the empire;
- the 1980′s famine in Tigray country – which had brought lots of aid money and resources that had been later capitalised on by the much weaker TPLF movement; and
- the last, but not least, the brutal war campaigns of the military empire in Eritrea – which consumed unprecedented human lives and resources …
All these had contributed for the TPLF movement to liberate Tigrayan areas from the Amhara rule, as they claimed it. However, after observing the disarray in the military junta’s armed forces, and with the help and encouragement of the Eritrean liberation leaders, TPLF changed course and managed to fulfill Atse Yohanes’ dream of replacing the Amhara hegemony over the empire by the Tigrayan hegemony. For their new ambitions, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF), not only had directly participated in TPLF’s march towards Finfinne, but had also advised the new TPLF elites to form satellite organizations for the Oromos and the Amharas from the Derg soldiers they had captured as prisoners of wars (POW’s).
The war with Eritrea and TPLF’s false attempt to mix and claim both Tigrayan Nationalism and Ethiopian Nationalism
The Badme war of the years 1998-2000 between the TPLF and the EPLF regimes was not the result of a mere accident, but a calculated move on the part of TPLF rulers to gain the trust of the Amharas who had been bitter after their loss of power, and who had accused and labeled TPLF as a proxy organization to dismantle the Ethiopian empire supported by the EPLF. The other factor in going into the war using Badme as a pretext was that to give in to the demands of the hardcore ultra-orthodox TPLF leaders who resented the inclusion of the Assab Port to the new Eritrean state because the loss of the Port of Assab would make a future Tigrayan republic a landlocked that could not sustain itself with its limited human and natural resources. But, the dream of reclaiming the Port of Assab by the ultra-orthodox TPLF leaders was dashed when the pro-Eritrean group headed by Meles won the internal battle and defeated the other group, which was then purged from the party.
The Badme war of the years 1998-2000 between the TPLF and the EPLF regimes was not the result of a mere accident, but a calculated move on the part of TPLF rulers to gain the trust of the Amharas who had been bitter after their loss of power, and who had accused and labeled TPLF as a proxy organization to dismantle the Ethiopian empire supported by the EPLF. The other factor in going into the war using Badme as a pretext was that to give in to the demands of the hardcore ultra-orthodox TPLF leaders who resented the inclusion of the Assab Port to the new Eritrean state because the loss of the Port of Assab would make a future Tigrayan republic a landlocked that could not sustain itself with its limited human and natural resources. But, the dream of reclaiming the Port of Assab by the ultra-orthodox TPLF leaders was dashed when the pro-Eritrean group headed by Meles won the internal battle and defeated the other group, which was then purged from the party.
History and the truth are on our side, but they can only be means to an end if, and only if, exercised with determination and carefully prosecuted
Over the last several weeks, we have witnessed how the giant Oromo people have risen in unison to uproot the century-old Abyssinian colonization over Oromia and the South once and for all. Also, over the last several weeks, we, the current generations of Oromo and the Southern Nations, have witnessed the barbaric, inhuman and violent culture of the Abyssinian colonialism like our forefathers before us – who suffered and were humiliated in the hands of Atse Menelik’s Abyssinian militia that committed genocide that was on the same scale of that committed by Hitler’s Nazi on the Jewish population in Europe during the Second World War. The physical genocide committed by the then Menelik’s Abyssinian militia on the Oromo and the Southern Nations, particularly on the Nations of Walayta and Sidama, was followed by the cultural, historical, economic, political, social, environmental and linguistic genocides that have lasted over the past one hundred years, and have continued under successive Abyssinian regimes, including the current brutal, fascist and minority TPLF regime.
Over the last several weeks, we have witnessed how the giant Oromo people have risen in unison to uproot the century-old Abyssinian colonization over Oromia and the South once and for all. Also, over the last several weeks, we, the current generations of Oromo and the Southern Nations, have witnessed the barbaric, inhuman and violent culture of the Abyssinian colonialism like our forefathers before us – who suffered and were humiliated in the hands of Atse Menelik’s Abyssinian militia that committed genocide that was on the same scale of that committed by Hitler’s Nazi on the Jewish population in Europe during the Second World War. The physical genocide committed by the then Menelik’s Abyssinian militia on the Oromo and the Southern Nations, particularly on the Nations of Walayta and Sidama, was followed by the cultural, historical, economic, political, social, environmental and linguistic genocides that have lasted over the past one hundred years, and have continued under successive Abyssinian regimes, including the current brutal, fascist and minority TPLF regime.
The past several weeks have also shown us that the enemy, whom we have faced, is as brutal and determined to hold onto the empire by killing as many Oromos as they can. On the other hand, these inhuman and brutal tactics of our enemy have taught all Oromos around the globe to close their ranks and rally in support of their compatriots who are standing up to the enemy’s firepower. This is a massive and bold phenomenon that has shaken the TPLF regime to its core. TPLF has clearly understood that its regime has rotten and is on its last leg in Oromia and the South, but there are already signs that TPLF is trying a last attempt to give in to the demands of some groups organized under the banner of “Ethiopian unity,” but when unmasked Amhara nationalist parties, to survive few years so that it can plunder Oromo resources for the development of the future Greater Tigray Republic.
The confrontation between the Oromo university students across Oromia and the TPLF regime, and its Janjaweed militia called the Agazi army, has sent shock-waves among the Tigrayan and some Amhara organizations (which are determined to see Oromia under their Abyssinian rule) to make an urgent call to cooperate in the name of defending the territorial integrity of the empire. To prove this, some Amhara websites, social media and chat-rooms have loudly congratulated the TPLF Agazi Janjaweed militia’s indiscriminate killings of Oromo children. This solidarity of the Abyssinians clearly shows the long standing principles of the two that they are interested in exploiting Oromia’s resources at any cost and keep their marginalisation of Oromos from the economic and political aspects in their country. There is also a sign among the TPLF supporters that they should get rid off the current fake federal structure and Article-39 of the Constitution, as demanded by the Amahara elites.
So far, I have made an attempt to show the nature of our enemy and the colonial rule they have employed over the past one hundred years, and their grip over Oromia’s struggle for liberation and independence.
All past and current experiences tell us one and only one thing, that is, rulers of Empires will never ever give up and free their subjects without a fight. For example, in the Algerian war of independence, the French colonial army killed millions of Algerians, but that event had not stopped the Algerians to defeat the French. At the same time, even when the Algerian independence army had liberated nearly ninety percent of Algeria, there had been a few Algerians who sided and fought against their compatriots with the French colonial army until the French had been defeated. This example above shows us that the cooperation of the few criminal OPDO leaders in the killings, arrests and harassment of our people back home.
Defeating TPLF abroad and in Oromia
The TPLF inhuman and barbaric rule over Oromia and the South has managed to survive due to the following factors:
The TPLF inhuman and barbaric rule over Oromia and the South has managed to survive due to the following factors:
- our lack or failure to rise up as one, and the waste of energy and resources on our minor and avoidable differences, which the enemy has exploited to the maximum;
- the global events of the last decade (2001-2010) and their ramifications on genuine liberation struggles across the world, and the maximum exploitation of these events by TPLF to its own advantage to crash the Oromo liberation struggle for freedom;
- the diplomatic and military support, and the billions of aid money TPLF has managed to garner from the West.
All these three major factors indicated above, and may be more, have cemented TPLF’s grip on Oromia by killing innocent Oromos at will and plundering Oromia’s resources with no challenge. Our differences in tactics and strategies of the struggle should not have been greater than our nation Oromia as the nation is mightier than the collections of its citizens. Oromia is so big – let alone its citizens, it has also been feeding and supporting aliens and the Ethiopian empire-state for over one hundred years. There are plenty of more rooms, not only for Oromos, but for others to live in Oromia in peace with independence and with a democratic system based on our Gadaa System. As one famous Oromo revolutionary singer puts it, peace and tranquility will reign in a free Oromia, and Oromos will gather under the Odaa to formulate laws and bylaws that will govern everything on the land, including their differences like our forefathers had done in the past.
As I have indicated above in this article, TPLF can be defeated abroad by the Diaspora community by lobbying MP’s, Congressmen/women and Senators, and by continuous solidarity rallies and social actions in Western capitals. In order for the global campaign against the TPLF regime to bear fruit, the Oromo Diaspora must coordinate to prepare and present the glaring human rights violations by the current TPLF regime in Oromia to their respective governments and people, including international institutions, such as the UN, the European Union and the World Bank. Those countries and institutions, which back the current Ethiopian regime, may not be aware that their taxpayers’ money is being used in abusing, displacing and dispossessing the indigenous populations in Ethiopia. They only believe the concocted development statistics by the regime, and the few new high-rise buildings and some roads that the regime shows to them. Some of these countries may have decided to look the other way because we have not been able to present the glaring facts in a united, coordinated and sustained front. We have to change this course, and make a planned, coordinated and sustained campaign in the capital cities of these countries and institutions. The recent victory by the Minnesotan Oromo Diaspora at the State level is a good example of what a coordinated and sustained lobbying and campaign can achieve. TPLF spends millions of aid dollars on lobbyists in Washington, London and other European cities. We have to take the fight to TPLF in these cities and stop the taxpayers’ money that flow into TPLF coffers to abuse and dispossess our compatriots at home. These actions must be financed and coordinated by the global Oromo Diaspora. Each and every one of us around the globe in the Diaspora is a representative or a diplomat for our people back home.
In conclusion, our road ahead will be up and down, and full of obstacles, but if we persevere and stand firm with our people back home, the victory is ours and is in sight because history and the truth are on our side. If we fail to stand up to TPLF and confront it now, TPLF is determined to slice and sell Oromia and make us a minority in our own backyard like what the Chinese have done to the Tibetans and the Uighurs by settling the Han Chinese in Tibetan and Uighur land. It is an urgent call and duty of each and every Oromo to close ranks and to be counted on to save Oromia now, or accept defeat and live with shame and humiliation. History and future generations of Oromos will judge us on the actions we take now. There is a loud call of duty to all of us from mother Oromia to save her now. Let us be the generation that shall make an end to the Abyssinian colonization in Oromia, and build a vibrant, peaceful independent Oromo republic, where all of her inhabitants will be governed in her Gadaademocratic principles.
Victory to the Oromo and the Southern Peoples
* H. Goche: hgoche2011@gmail.com
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