By Denboba Natie, November 17, 2016
A new wave of Oromo national resistance struggle begun in November 2015. It has dramatically changed the political landscape of Ethiopia. The nation remains heroically resisting the current brutal regime since it has assumed power in June 1991. However, the current wave of unified and purposeful movement of the Oromo nation is entirely different in its tenacity, vigor and outcome. Therefore, the Oromo nation is unambiguously showing its ability and readiness to be ‘THE CHAMPION OF ITS OWN AFFAIRS’ with its sheer level of determination, huge sacrifices of lives, sense of indefatigable and unified spirits -despite the ongoing divide-and-rule tactics- brutal regime is adopting through its vehicles of OPDO’s and the other means. The Oromo’s heroic ‘Not Returning Back’ resistance is becoming crystal clear to both its friends and foes as well as the world afar. Due to this, the TPLF’s despicable regime is trembling from its criminal foundations.
Besides, the Oromo’s current resistance needs extremely cautious and clear leadership, tolerance between various factions within the Oromo, sensitive and farsighted handling of the situation by the Oromo politicians and intelligentsia- both within Oromia (Ethiopia) and in Diaspora. To achieve this, I think the total avoidance of bickering on minor issues must be paramount important. The Oromo’s political and ideological differences must be kept aside in an impregnable box until the Oromo nation is 100% resolute in asserting its national objectives. The rest will be achieved once the former has been successfully asserted.
Moreover, the Oromo’s heroic resistance has stimulated, rejuvenated and invited various ethno-national movements including the country’s second largest ethnic nation (the Amhara) to join the Oromo in fighting the current barbaric regime communally brutalizing all. Currently, the Amhara nation as Oromo and Ogadenia is heroically engaging with regime’s killing squad known as ‘Agi-azi’ special forces and fake national army deployed to mass-murder its own peoples whom it’s meant to defend from an external enemy. The aforementioned special forces are often deployed by TPLF’s regime to mass-murder civilians who peacefully demand their constitutionally guaranteed rights since the regime assumed power.
Historically, the Oromo nation as other nations of the country has been denied its fundamental rights and privileges by successive Ethiopian regimes including the incumbent, Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF). This regime in particular, is believed by millions of Oromo and other stakeholders of the country- to be cunningly brutal in its nature. Unlike all its predecessors, the current incumbent has shown its viciousness in a number of ways including fully monopolizing the economic and political aspects of the entire country- although it sporadically recruits handful of quislings from individual nations under the pretexts of ethnic-based federal representation; fully expropriating the Oromo and other nations’ wealth and resources including land grabbing by totally displacing millions of peasants, stifling freedom of expression and assembly, mass murdering thousands of civilians of all ethnic groups, extra judiciary incarcerating tens of thousands of civilians who demand their fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution of the country.
The current state of emergency imposed on the country since the 8th of October 2016, after the regime has totally lost control of the entire country in Oromia, Amhara, Ogadenia, Gedeo, Konso and some other regions; is a part of such ongoing exploitation of the resources of the Oromo and the other nations and mass murdering agenda of the TPLF’s unrepentant regime.
Time and again, the incumbent TPLF’s authoritarian regime resorted to blatant addressing of all quests of the people of various nations with live bullets since it has assumed power in June 1991 by toppling its predecessor, socialist Derg’s brutal regime. During its heyday in Tigray mountains whilst fighting the Derg, the TPLF’s military junta has been sponsored and supported by the Western powers (including systematically channeling live aid money raised by Bob Geldof 1984/5 -tens of millions dollars whilst the incumbent was in the business of Guerilla warfare with its predecessor) during the ideological warfare between the West and East. The very Aid money which has been raised by the name of the people of Ethiopia has been directly channeled to the pockets of TPLF’s military junta. Sadly, to date it symbolizes Ethiopia and its peoples in the West -as beggars and eternally starving subjects’ worthy of nothing.
The Oromo’s new resistance, since it has begun in November 2015 has costed the nation over 1,600 lives and over 60,000 Oromo civilians have been so far unlawfully incarcerated in addition to the previously arrested similar numbers of Oromo’s in the past 25 years. The Amhara and Ogaden Somali are also paying similar sacrifices. The resistance of the Oromo and other nations are the outcomes of multi-layered grievances of over a quarter of a century. Such unprecedented movement of the Oromo and Amhara nations as well as Ogaden Somali and the rest peoples of Ethiopia has irreparably shaken the foundation of TPLF’s regime. The regime therefore is doing all what it takes to remain in power and continually expropriate the resources until it’s lost 100% control over its subjects which is very likely. The said resistance has equally galvanized the support of both internal and external humanitarians although the regime and its Western politician supporters are paying deaf ears to the reality on the ground, thereby to continue with their tacit support of the brutal regime.
Therefore, for the stakeholders of the country, something needs to be crystal clear. The dynamics of the current resistance movement of the Oromo, Amhara, Ogaden Somali, Konso as well as the Gedeo nations is entirely different from the all previous ones. This is not of the Oromo or Amhara or Ogaden Somali or Konso alone. Rather it’s the movement of all peoples of Ethiopia and it is A Wake Up Call to All Peoples of Ethiopia due to cumulative effect of over 25 years’ brutality of the current regime to its subjects. And it’s the result of the regime’s unpreparedness to resolving differences with peaceful and amicable dialogue. It’s the outcome of the TPLF’s utter arrogance and lack of respect of all peoples of Ethiopia. The regime has practically shown its rejection of all peaceful resolutions by resorting to violence, unlawful imprisonments and committing mass murders. The regime has focused on advocating the supremacy of TPLF’s minority rulers who own the resources of almost the entire country. To date the regime has never shown the sign of abating.
Nevertheless, the solidarity of the nations has seriously paranoid the regime in power the reason why it has imposed its State of Emergency in new form. Numerous argue that, the country has already been on State of Emergency for the last 25 years of reign of terror. As we speak, there are ongoing fighting between the regime’s brutalizing army including ‘Agi-Azi’ (TPLF’s killing Squad-Brigade and defense forces recently retracted from Somalia) and popular resistance in Oromia, Amhara, Ogaden Somlai, Gambella and in some other regions.
Although the regime is gasping for its final breath aiming to stay in power to perpetuate further human sufferings, the people of the country have fully understood that the incumbent regime never relinquish powerful through a peaceful means. Therefore, the peoples of the country knew that answering the regime in the language it understands is the only remaining resort. Contrary to the peoples’ beliefs, the TPLF’s key players erroneously assume that they’ve bought Ethiopia and its subjects forever, thus they never stop continually brutalizing them. There is no evidence that they allow a peaceful transfer of power; and they have made it clear during the entire 25 years of brutal reigns; as they remain adamant to this date. As the regime and its machineries control all aspects of peoples’ economic, political, social and cultural lives using various methods including bogus ethnic federalism which remains paper tiger, they never believe in the power of united popular resistance. This is why their repugnant actions have left the stakeholders with no choice but stand unified and fight with the regime to defend their own individual and collective rights.
The ongoing resistance of the Oromo, Amhara, Ogaden Somali, Konso, Gedeo and the rest peoples of various regions must be supported and intensified for the peoples of the country to be free from encroaching injustices. There is no time for complacency. The time is now. There can’t be any justification for sitting down and listening to similar lies and obfuscations of the regime whether in Sidama-land, Afar, the entire south of Ethiopia and the rest of the country whilst peaceful civilians are gunned down in Oromia, Amhara, Konso and somewhere else on daily basis. We are all morally bound to rejecting injustices in all forms and shapes. Mass murdering of the civilians on daily basis isn’t a simple issue to be looked at and remain silent. There won’t be an excuse for the current silence of the peoples of some regions during such critical time. The change must come at cost, and it’s coming. The silence of the people of various regions can’t be tolerated any longer. It’s time to wake up and act responsibility to get rid of the regime collectively brutalizing all its subjects since 1991.
If the heard of buffaloes know the level of power they possess, they never run away, scattered and separated by their predators to be easily devoured. If they stand their ground united, no wild life will be able to kill Buffalo. We, human being are the same. If we stand our ground united against brutalizing systems putting our differences aside, we can successfully defeat the TPLF’s brutal rulers to achieve our goals.
May the souls of Oromo, Amhara, Ogaden Somali, Sidama, Konso, Gambella, Benshangul and the rest people of Ethiopia victims rest in peace whilst we stride towards asserting the cause for which you’ve been murdered by TPLF’s killing machines.
Disunited We Fail, United We Prevail!
By Denboba Natie, November 17, 2016