The Killing and Mass Incarceration of Oromos doesn’t Save the Ethiopian Government From its Demise

February 22, 2016 | Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) press release

The present Ethiopian regime that came to power through mere force and foreign support, like its predecessors, has never been willing to answer the political, economic and other social demands of the peoples under its rule. The regime doesn’t want to solve the fundamental questions but instead it covers up the real issues and try to impose artificial and simple solutions unrelated to the fundamental demands of Oromo people.

It has become the culture of this dictatorial regime to refuse to listen to the genuine questions and demands of the people but actually consider those demands as crimes and uses brutal force to silence the Oromo population. The regime continues to exhibit its unparalleled cruelty to the Oromo people by killing and maiming children, pregnant women, mothers and the elderly and unbridled exploitation of resources.

The relations the Ethiopian rulers, past and present, had/have with the peoples under their rule is not that of respect for the peoples’ human and political rights. Particularly, they never treated all the peoples under their rule as equals but showed favor to one group or the other. They have used such policy of divide and rule to create a feeling of superiority in one group over the rest which in turn has created suspicion and mistrust among the peoples.

Ethiopian governments never had respect for the peoples they have ruled and denied all their basic rights. These rulers don’t have any sympathy but exploit the people and facilitate to be exploited by foreigners and thereby keep them in abject poverty and devastating and lasting famines. In reality, there was not a time when trust between the rulers and the colonized people existed. It is clear then, why the Oromo people is expressing its deep opposition to the present government.

At present, Oromos from all over Oromia have risen up against the regime to regain the sovereignty over their country, to be the true owner of their properties, security for the lives of their families and to regain their universal natural and democratic rights. On the other hand, the regime is shedding crocodile tears in an attempt to appear sympathetic to the Oromo protesters and their demands as genuine and is labeling the problem as poor administrative problem generated by its surrogate group.

At the same time the regime’s savage security forces have continued unabated to kill, maim and imprison thousands of Oromo and the youth in particular. In fact, by declaring state of emergency and putting the administration of Oromiya Regional State under what they call ‘a command post’ which in reality is a military-security rule to continue to terrorize the population.

The Oromo people have rejected these cheap and superficial solutions to its fundamental demands and has continued its struggle for freedom. Our people are saying that the poor governance is a result of the archaic unjust system and therefore the system need to be fundamentally changed.

Thus the Oromo people is determined to continue unabated its revolution to bring about an end to the over a century and half old exploitative and cruel system associated with the colonial rule and not only the poor governance that the regime is implying. For the Oromo people, the only solution is to remove the colonial rule for good and gain control of its land and life. As seen in recent times, the Oromo people is resolute to pay the necessary prices in lives and properties to gain its due respect and become the master of itself and its land and nothing less.

The OLF believes that it is only the Oromo people that can bring a solution to its own problems and not the brutal regime. The Oromo people has risen up in unison and with unparalleled bravery to claim its rights to its land and respect to its human rights. Therefore, the Oromo people can only reach its goal to be free from oppression and exploitation by continuing and intensifying its ongoing struggle.

It is a national obligation for Oromo nationals to participate in the ongoing Oromo revolution whose goal is to liberate the Oromo people from over a century and half occupation. To those Oromo nationals who are affiliating and rallying with the enemy and work hand in hand against their own nation; – stop bleeding your own people by working with the enemy to keep the Oromo people under the savage and criminal ruler of the colonial regime (TPLF).

To those Oromo nationals who are armed by the enemy to kill and maim their own people; – the OLF strongly advices you to turn your arms against the enemy and side with your own people in the struggle for the freedom of all Oromos and others.

We ask neighboring peoples and political forces in the empire, even if they find it difficult to support and rally with the Oromo people in its struggle for freedom and peace because of challenging circumstances – to be thoughtful and refrain from being an obstacle to the Oromo national liberation struggle for the sake of good neighborly relations among our peoples now and in the future.

Finally, the OLF admires the unity, might and determination of our people for the steps it is taking against the enemy and traitors and for gaining high level of international recognition, with no parallel in the past, for its struggle. The OLF wish it make it clear to all that it will continue to lead and pay the necessary sacrifices to take the struggle to its final goal, the liberation of the Oromo nation.

Victory to the Oromo people!
Oromo Liberation Front
February 22, 2016