The present Oromo mass protests led by Oromo students is sending a clear message to the world: the Oromo people are saying no to their Abyssinian overlords, conquerors, and tormentors. They are saying it loudly and unanimously, in unison. They have spoken the truth. But they have no other power than speaking the truth. And they are paying in blood for just speaking the truth. Whether the world hears them is another matter.
The world media is silent. Yet the superpowers must be taking notes. What if the Oromo protest develops into an empire wide challenge to the Abyssinian hegemony, which they have been pampering? What if it becomes clear that this regime cannot fight many wars simultaneously, their wars and its own wars? What are the possible scenarios? Whatever they may be, they are not limitless. Also, time maybe running out.
We may not convince world powers to have mercy on us, no matter how naive we are. But we can confront ourselves with our own immediate truth and act accordingly. The fact remains that, though the Oromo people may open the Pandora’s box of the Abyssinian empire, they may not be able to face it at present. Let us remember the “box” which contained all the evils of the world. Pandora opened it. All the evils came out leaving only Hope in its empty space: the Oromo people are completely disarmed while the Abyssinian state and its opposition forces are armed to the teeth. This is part of the possible scenario. It is not accidental. The endgame may be that the TPLF fascists will be forced to reach some kind of compromise with the Amhara elites in opposition and with the EPLF in Eritrea in order to undermine our aspiration to independence. This is not a drama based on the usual Abyssinian fairy tales about today’s Ethiopia maintaining its sovereignty for three thousand years!. It can be part of the Abyssinian realism and world politics. We need to rethink our priorities and act accordingly.
Like all oppressed peoples, we are highly emotional people and tend to disregard many aspects of our reality. And there are those of us who capitalize on this. As usual, what I say here will not please most Oromos. But that has never been my aim since I left Ethiopia in 1966. We need to do things that ought to be done or, at least, failing that, to say things that reflect the true aspirations of our people, far from selfish agenda and without depending on applause or even the fruits of our actions for ourselves.
World politics will play its convoluted games again and again at our expense.. I think the super powers are urging the main Oromo cliques to work, in their own interests, with the Abyssinian opposition, even though this opposition is unanimously against the basic aims of Oromo and other oppressed peoples. Militarily almost non existent, the Oromo groups are doing that exactly.
In all this many of us are not taking our duties seriously. Though we may cleverly use words such as “blisumma” meaning freedom, we still seem to forget that the aim of our struggle is complete independence from Abyssinia.. I could not help smiling seeing some of us now drawing rosy pictures about the present Oromo protests in the media net work. The same was done individually in connection with the peaceful muslim protest whose leaders are still sitting in Wayane dungeons. Far from dealing with the organizational problems that the Oromo struggle is facing right now we keep drawing rosy pictures.. We know that information is power. Yet we misuse it! We are using the big media to downgrade our own cause and the main issue. We are being tacitly manoeuvred mostly with our own silent consent and contribution because we feel powerless. Sometimes one cannot help mention names. We should not keep quiet about strategic issues indefinitely.
What have the OLF cliques to do at this time with the Amhara territorial claims against the Sudan? Shame! They are dragged into it by the Abyssinian opposition alliance. What is the role of our Jawar Mohammad in all this? By signing the Abyssinian petition, they have discredited themselves once again in the eyes of the Oromo people. That is in itself an achievement for the Abyssinian opposition alliance. Our leaders may talk nonsense about tactical considerations if we keep believing them.
If our aim is true liberation, it is high time that we control our minds, our intellect, our personal desires, our anger and fears. We must persistently follow the sure path trodden by all the seekers of liberation throughout human history: the whole routine of our lives must be dedicated to the practice of balanced activities that serve our struggle for freedom and justice, no matter how long it takes. The painful irony of our predicament is that most of us are looking for a short cut, out of frustrations and lack of commitment. Our tormentors know this and rejoice in it.