Defeating TPLF Abroad and at Home

By H.Goche | May 22, 2014

The past three Abyssinian regimes, namely Menilik, 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, and political power. These Amharic speaking rulers enforced and promoted their barbaric and backward laws and culture using garrison towns that were established on hill-tops 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 system, 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 and education and the fulfilment 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 Abyssinian cloth made of cotton, speak the Amharic language, practice Orthodox Christianity, even forced to marry an Abyssinian, so that his/ her offspring’s lose their father or mother identity and grow up as an Abyssinian or “Ethiopian”.

On the other hand, the British colonial system was an ideology based on indirect rule, where the new acquired colonies were organized at the central, provincial, and regional and district levels. There was a governor or governor –general in the colonial capital who governed 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, and agricultural production and other matters are made in London and then 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 Amhara region, all regional, sun-regional and local levels officials are appointed (of course, there is fake periodic elections, where the out-come of the election was pre-determined by the TPLF officials, including the administrators). On top of that, at regional, sub-regional and local levels, a Tigrian 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 Menilik palace, both the command centre of TPLF rulers.

Both the Amhara speaking colonial rulers and the current TPLF regimes in the Ethiopian Empire have something in common, particularly in their foreign relations to the outside world. All of them have projected a false image of the empire as peaceful within itself by promiscuously adopting the dominant world ideology of the day to cover-up their abuse and ill-treatment of the Oromos and the Southern people from the outside world. Not only, they managed to cover-up the heinous crimes they perpetrated in Oromia and the South, they persuaded either the West or the East blocks and managed to receive billions of dollars in aid-money and military hard-ware, which they used on innocent Oromos and other colonial subjects without any regard to human lives. The genocide committed by Menilik, the use of war planes and cluster bombs on Bale Oromo uprising by Haile Selassie, and the extra-judicial killings the TPLF junta has been carrying-out for 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, imprisonment, resource exploitation and the abuses on the Oromo and the South by Abyssinian colonialist regimes can only stopped by a war of anti-colonial struggle by the Oromos and the Southern Nations.

TPLF Colonial Rule must be the last Abyssinian regime in Oromia and the South

There are still many who think the TPLF can be reformed and 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 be either have not read or seen the progress of human history and the formation of Nation States or at best stuck in a state of denial and at worst delusional in their grasp and knowledge of how Empires are formed and disintegrated when the subject people rose and liberated 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 is built on and sustained by degrading her subject peoples, as well as by abusing and plundering their resources.

The following factors aided a minority Tigirian colonialist regime to replace a century old Amhara led colonialist regime in the empire; 1/ the decadence of the empire system due to corruption, 2/ the coup d’état by the imperial army of the 1960s, 3/ the students uprising of the 1974 that ultimately brought down the the imperial regime, 4/ the military junta’s determination to hang on to power by wiping –out all its opponents who wanted to bring genuine change in the empire, 5/ the 1980s famine in Tigre country, which brought lots of aid money and resources that was later capitalised on by the much weaker TPLF movement, and the last but not least the brutal war campaign by the military empire in Eretria that consumed un-precented human and resources all contributed for the TPLF to liberate Tigre areas from Amhara rule as they claim it. However, after observing the disarray in the Military Junta’s military and with the help and encouragement of the Eritrean liberation leaders, the TPLF changed course and managed to fulfil Aste Yohanes dream of replacing Amhara hegemony over the empire by Tigre hegemony. For their new ambitions, the Eritrean Liberation (EPLF), not only directly participated in TPLF’s march towards Finfine but also advised TPLF new elites to form satellite organizations for the Oromos and the Amharas from the Derg soldiers they captured as prisoners of wars (POWS).

The war with Eretria and TPLF’s false attempt to mix and claim both Tigrian nationalism and Ethiopian Nationalism.

The Badme war of the years 1998-2000 between TPLF and EPLF was not the result of mere accident but a calculated move on the part of TPLF rulers to gain the trust of the Amharas who were bitter after their loss of power and the accusation and labelling of TPLF as proxy organization to dismantle the Ethiopian empire supported by the EPLF. The other factor in going to war using Badme as a pre-text was that to give-in to the demands of the hard-core ultra- orthodox TPLF leaders such as Seye Abraha and Gebru Asrat, who resented the inclusion of Assab Port to the new Eritrean state because the loss of the Port of Assab will make a future Tigrian republic a landlocked that cannot sustain itself with its limited human and natural resources. But the dream of re-claiming 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 Seye Abrah led group and purged them from the party.

History and the Truth are on our side but they can only be a means to an end if and only if exercised with determination and carefully prosecuted.

Over the last three weeks, we have witnessed how the giant Oromo People have risen in unison to uproot a century old Abyssinian colonization over Oromia and the South once and for all. Also, over the last three weeks, we, the current generations of Oromos and the Southern Nations have witnessed the barbaric and in-humane and violent culture of Abyssinian colonialism like our fore-fathers before us, who suffered and humiliated in the hands of Aste Menilik’ Abyssinian militia that committed genocide that on a scale that a Hitler led Nazi Germany committed on a Jewish population in Europe during the Second World War. The physical genocide committed by the then Menilik’s Abyssinian militia on the Oromos and the Southern nations, particularly on the Nations of Walaita and Sidama was followed by cultural, historical, economic, political, social, environmental and linguistic genocides that lasted the past one hundred years and continued under successive Abyssinian regimes, including the current brutal, fascist and minority TPLF regime.

The past three weeks also showed us the enemy we faced is as brutal and determined to hold onto the empire by killing as many Oromos they could. On the other hand, this in-humane and brutal tactics of our enemy taught all Oromos around the globe to close their ranks and rally in support of their compatriot who stood up to the enemy fire power. This is a massive attempt and shook the TPLF regime to its core. TPLF’s clearly understood its regime is rotten and 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 un-masked Amhara nationalist parties to survive few years so that it can plunder Oromos resources for the development of future Greater Tigray Republic.

The confrontation between the Oromo University students across Oromia and the TPLF and its Janjaweed militia called Agazi army sent shock waves among the Tigrian and some Amhara Organizations 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 nation. To prove this, some Amhara websites and their social media and chat rooms loudly congratulated the TPLF Janjaweed militia’s indiscriminate killings of Oromo children. This solidarity of the Abyssinian’s clearly shows the long standing principles of the two that they are interested in exploiting Oromia’s resources at cost and keep up their marginalisation of the Oromo’s from 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 that has been demanded by the Amahara elites.

So far, I have made an attempt to show the nature of our enemy and the colonial rule they employed over the past one hundred years in their grip over Oromia’s struggle for liberation and independence.
All past and current experiences tell us one and only one thing, that is Empire rulers 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 did not stop the Algerians to defeat the French. At the same time, even when the Algerian independent army had liberated nearly ninety per cent of Algeria, there were few Algerian who sided and fought their compatriots with the French colonial army until the French were defeated. This example above shows us that the cooperation of few criminal OPDO leaders in the killings, arrest and harassing of our people back home.

Defeating TPLF abroad and in Oromia

The TPLF in-humane and barbaric rule over Oromia and the South managed to survive due to the following factors: 1/ our lack or failure to rise up as one and waste of energy and resources on our minor and avoidable differences, which the enemy exploited it to the maximum; 2/ The event of September 11, 2001 and its ramifications on genuine liberation struggle across the world, and the maximum exploitation of this event by TPLF to its own advantage to crash Oromo liberation struggle for freedom; 3/ The diplomatic, military support and the billions of aid money TPLF managed to garner from the West. All these three major factors indicated above and may be more 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 bigger than the collections of its citizens. Oromia is so big leave alone its citizens but has 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 in a future independent, a democratic system based on our Gada System. As one famous Oromo revolutionary singer puts it, peace and tranquillity will reign in a free Oromia and Oromos will gather under the Odaa Tree to formulate laws and by-laws that will govern everything on the land, including their differences like our fore-fathers did in the past.

As I indicated above somewhere in this article, TPLF can be defeated abroad by the diaspora community by lobbying and continuous protest and social action that must be must be used employed in Western capitals and lobbying their MP’s, Congressmen/women, senators. The following are the three major financial and military supporters of the TPLF regime. These countries include, The USA, the British, Germany and Norway. These four countries pay for the TPLF Janjaweed Agazi militia, the civil service salary and other expenses that the TPLF uses to abuse our people. Other major Institutions that also finance TPLF military campaign in Oromia are; The European Union, IMF and the World Bank. These countries and Institutions are not aware of their tax payers money is used in abusing, displacing and dispossessing the indigenous populations. They only believe the concocted development statistics by the regime and few of the new high-rise buildings and some roads that the regime shows them. Some of them decided to look the other way because we were not 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 Minnesota 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 dollar on lobbyist in Washington, London and other European cities. We have to take the fight to TPLF in these cities and stop the tax payer’s money that flows to TPLF coffers to abuse and dispossess our compatriot at home. These actions must be financed and coordinated by the global Oromo diaspora. Each and every one of us in the diaspora is a representative or diplomats for our people back home around the globe.

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 in-sight because history and the truth is 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 back yard like what the Chinese did to the Tibetans and the Uighurs by settling the Han Chinese in Tibetans and Uighurs land. It is an urgent call and duty of each and every Oromo to close ranks and 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’s 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 her inhabitants will be governed in her Gada democratic principles.

Victory to the Oromo and the Southern People.

=>ayyaantuu

Ethiopia crackdown on student protests taints higher education success

Western backers of the Ethiopian education system should not ignore reports of violent clashes on university campuses

Oromia, Ethiopia, where at least three dozen people were reportedly shot dead by security forces during student protests

Over the past 15 years, Ethiopia has become home to one of the world's fastest-growing higher education systems. Increasing the number of graduates in the country is a key component of the government's industrialisation strategy and part of its ambitious plan to become a middle-income country by 2025. Since the 1990s, when there were just two public universities, almost 30 new institutions have sprung up.

On the face of it, this is good news for ordinary Ethiopians. But dig a little deeper and tales abound of students required to join one of the three government parties, with reports of restricted curricula, classroom spies and crackdowns on student protests commonplace at universities.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in Ambo in Oromia state. On 25 April, protests against government plans to bring parts the town under the administrative jurisdiction of the capital, Addis Ababa, began at Ambo University. By the following Tuesday, as protests spread to the town and other areas of Oromia, dozens of demonstrators had been killed in clashes with government forces, according to witnesses.

As Ethiopia experiences rapid economic expansion, its government plans to grow the capital out rather than up, and this involves annexing parts of the surrounding Oromia state. An official communique from the government absolved it of all responsibility for the clashes, claiming that just eight people had been killed and alleging that the violence had been coordinated by a few rogue anti-peace forces. The government maintains that it is attempting to extend Addis Ababa's services to Oromia through its expansion of the city limits.

However, Oromia opposition figures tell a different story. On 2 May, the nationalist organisation the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) issued a press release that condemned the "barbaric and egregious killing of innocent Oromo university students who have peacefully demanded the regime to halt the displacement of Oromo farmers from their ancestral land, and the inclusion of Oromo cities and surrounding localities under Finfinnee [Addis Ababa] administration under the pretext of development". The Addis Ababa regime dismisses the OLA as a terrorist organisation.

While news of the killing of unarmed protesters has caused great concern among many Ethiopians, there has been little coverage overseas. The government maintains strict control over the domestic media; indeed, it frequently ranks as one of the world's chief jailers of journalists, and it is not easy to come by independent reporting of events in the country.

Nevertheless, the government's communique does run contrary to reports by the few international media that did cover the attacks in Ambo, which placed the blame firmly on government forces.

The BBC reported that a witness in Ambo saw more than 20 bodies on the street, while Voice of America (VOA) reported that at least 17 protesters were killed by "elite security forces" on three campuses in Oromia. Local residents maintain that the figure [of those killed] was much higher.

These reports, while difficult to corroborate, have been backed up by Human Rights Watch, which issued a statement saying that "security forces have responded [to the protests] by shooting at and beating peaceful protesters in Ambo, Nekemte, Jimma, and other towns with unconfirmed reports from witnesses of dozens of casualties". One university lecturer said he had been "rescued from the live ammunition", and that it was the "vampires – the so-called federal police" who fired on the crowds.

The Ethiopian government likes to trumpet its higher education system to its western aid backers as a crowning success of its development policy. As billions in foreign aid are spent annually on Ethiopia, the west must be more cognisant of the fact that this money helps reinforce a government which cuts down those who dare to speak out against it.

Inevitably, continued support for such an oppressive regime justifies its brutal silencing of dissent. Yes, the higher education system has grown exponentially over the past 15 years but the oppression and killing of innocent students cannot be considered an achievement. Any system which crushes its brightest should not be considered a success.

Paul O'Keeffe is a doctoral fellow at La Sapienza University of Rome, where he focuses on the higher education system in Ethiopia

=>theguardian

Official: Ethiopia ready to discuss Egypt's proposals on Renaissance Dam crisis

MENA

Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dina Mufti expressed the Ethiopian government's willingness to discuss the Egyptian proposals on the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project within the framework of three-party talks involving Sudan.

 

Walta Information and Public Relations Center quoted the spokesperson as saying: "If Egypt returned to the trilateral dialogue with constructive ideas, Ethiopia would be willing to listen and speak with respect regarding this matter."

 

Mufti added that she hoped Egypt would cooperate with Ethiopia to implement the recommendations of the international committee of experts assigned to solve the Renaissance Dam crisis.

 

Commenting on reports saying that Egyptian presidential candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi plans to visit Addis Ababa in the wake of the Egyptian presidential election, the ambassador said: "The Egyptian side has not yet submitted any requests relating to this matter. If a formal request is made by the Egyptian side, it will be studied appropriately."

 

The Ethiopian media center pointed out that Fekahmed Negash, the director for boundary and trans-boundary rivers at the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy, had recently stated that diplomats from the US and the EU are being shuttled between Ethiopia and Egypt, hoping to persuade the two countries to resume tripartite talks.

 

Relations between Cairo and Addis Ababa were strained as the latter insists to continue constructing the Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. Egypt fears the project would affect its share of the Nile River water.

 

=>egyptindependent

The Natural resurrection of the Oromo Nation’s ultimate question

By Habte Dafa | May 21, 2014

It is human Nature not to be absolutely sure.  But that does not negate appreciating the present, while bearing in our minds of the prevailing potentials. It was the adversaries, as well as very few friends within the Oromo struggle that had unclear, but suspicious minds towards the path it was/is taking to reach its goal of Freedom.  But unfolding realities in Oromia dictates to the other direction:

The new reality in Oromia.

Today in all the vicinities of Oromia, the Nations of the entire world are witnessing the resurrection of the rudiments of the Oromo people’s Nationalism. Yes, at its face value, it appears to be, the current “master plan” for Finfine/Addis Ababa.  But the fundamental cause goes further deeper than that. Yes, the disgraceful and infamous “Master Plan” did energize the Qubee generation of the Oromo Nation to ignite the flames of resistances once again from all corners of Oromia, and beyond. On the other hand, the present wave of the Oromo people’s solidarity and unity in facing the brutalities and vindictiveness of the TPLF regime are seen by the other Ethiopians with different lenses depending on their conscious level, and beliefs in the basic human dignity, equality, and inclusive and peaceful co-existences/survivals. The media controlled by the present colonial Ethiopian regime -TPLF, continued dismantling pure fallacious and unsubstantiated claims of all sorts including; (but not limited) to accusing the Oromo students themselves by stating on their TV stations -just a few trouble makers within the Oromo University students started to make disturbances…. Others Ethiopians kept quite as though nothing had happened as simple bystanders. We all know the validity of such claims from TPLF which we did not expect better!!! What remains a real ironic is the causes for other Ethiopians’ insensitivities to this heinous atrocities and massacres perpetuated by the TPLF on the University students of Oromia vividly in the day lights. The choices of “I hear no evil, and see no evil” does really bother anyone with a minute senses of humility. Yet, thanks to the other progressive and oppressed Ethiopians of all walks of lives, who did express their agony over TPLF’s barbaric transgressions in handling the present Oromo University students’ grievances. Amazingly, the international communities became thoroughly aware of the crimes lashed against the Oromo University students who were demonstrating peacefully in the different campuses of Oromia, and poured their sympathies from all over the world as well.

One needs to know the real, and fundamental causes of this societal explosions of the people of Oromia. Led by the Oromo students attending the Higher Educational Institutions all over Oromia, unflinchingly (they) stood against the so-called “Master plan” not only to express their mere opposition, but decisively and courageously revealing their willingness to sacrifice all it takes (including their own young lives)to halt it. In all of the Oromo University campuses, they were joined by their people not to give a free ride for this pernicious “master plan” of TPLF, at the cost of impoverishing and displacing without any plan for appropriate compensation and resettlement plan for these Oromo farmers, who had been living their whole lives in those districts surrounding the capital city – Finfinee/Addis Ababa. Within a few days, all the people of Oromia walks of lives from Moyyale/Borrana/Gugii through Baalee to Rayyaa Azaboo, Harrargee/Haramaayya through all the ijoolle Tuullam’s lands to Jimma – Begii and – Manasibuu/Mendi: corner to corner overwhelmingly joined the Qubee generation of Oromia to make their voices unmistakably clear that their Nation’s land is not for sell!!!

The question of the ancestors’ land in Oromia is tied to the very cultural heritages of the people of Oromia.  The symbolic values of the forefather’s land transcends the ordinary acquisition of property for the people of all Oromo origins. Furthermore, no given generation is endowed with the power to ignore their obligations that their Nation’s Gaddaa cultural institution already positioned and nurtured them for.  Therefore, the ingrained issue remains mysterious to those who fails to get the real panorama of the Oromo people’s psychological and personality compositions and configurations.

This heroic sacrifices of the University students of Oromia, is just a symptom of the manifestation for the underlying huge social volcanic emissions and unparalleled inconsistencies that happen to hoover all over Oromia since the occupations of their ancestor’s land by the neighbors’ invading armies. It was in the beginning of Ninetieth century that the Abyssinian kingdoms ventured for expansion and annexations of the neighboring North East African territories.  Assisted by other European colonialists of those days, the Abyssinians kings succeeded in the materialization of the horn of African Kingdom known as the present day “Ethiopia”. One needs to inquire far beyond the contemporary appearances in gallery of the present international communities. This paper is not intended to address in details about the basics of the formations of the Statehood in the content of Africa between eighteenth, nineteenth century. Therefore, it could correlatively suffice to indicate that the formation of “Ethiopia” as one of the independent states in Africa, did inherit the same colonial structure and ambitions. At those days no African people/Nations or Nationalities did come together willingly to form today’s geographically and politically rationed/limited states within the continent of Africa. Forced colonization was the norm for configuration of political statehood and realizations the artificial boundaries according to the colonizing regime’s individual exploitative interests. Those days colonial powers did discuss and agreed among them how to partition Africa.  History testifies that the Ethiopian Kingdom were one of the participants in the conference to partition African states among (the alien colonialists) themselves.

In the vast majority of the African lands, a wide spread massacre and genocide including severe cruelty, barbaric atrocities, gross human abuse, and reducing the owners of the land (and its properties), to servitude, beggary/homelessness were indiscriminately maintained as a normal practice of the colonialists on the indigenous African people.

In the cases of the colonial Ethiopia, the dreams and desires of having one state under the Ethiopian flag was followed by wars of invasions and occupations of other non-Abyssinian Nations and Nationalities of the other North East Africans territories. Thus, the ruling regimes in this newly created colonial Ethiopian; with the African ancestry and lineage was able to blind and conceal the injustice that were perpetuated against the entire African people that were colonized by the Abyssinians. Consequently, the people of Oromia did experience their own aliens imposed fair share of all the above aftermath of occupations as the rest of the Africa people. The cosmetic difference is that the other African Nations were occupied by other aliens who landed in Africa with the modern army and ammunitions (by then) from across the sea, as well as their skin colors (White European colonialists). The issue of the color of the colonizing black Abyssinians did not only aggravated the extent of their cruelty on the colonized people of Oromia, but also facilitated the Abyssinians with the umbrella for their grandiosity, naivety of not respecting and appreciating the basic human dignity.  Hostilities against non-Abyssinian cultures, and languages were unleashed and openly publicized, but theirs’ were/are promoted and institutionalized to be the official media for the entire colonial state of Ethiopia even up to the present day. All the educational texts were written and taught in the colonial language – Amharic till 1991 when an Oromo pioneer Obboo Ibsaa Guutamaa became Minister of Education for Transitional Government from 1991 to 1992, and changed the colonial policy to institute Qubee as an official alphabet for teaching at all the schools in Oromia. In the words of Obboo Leenjiso Horo:

“…. Millions of teaching books were published and millions of Oromo children were taught in it. Indeed, Qubee brought the irreversible conflict between Ethiopia and Oromiyaa. It may sound clichéd, but the plain truth is Qubee would not have been possible as a living Qubee today without the work of Dr. Haile Fida and its adaptation by the OLF and without Obboo Ibsaa Guutama becoming Minister of education to implement it in that shortest period of time…..

The Qubee Generation.

Understanding what is meant by the “Qubee generation” is not complex. Simply, the “Qubee Generation” is a new generation in the Oromo struggle that has come into being since 1991 with the adaptation of Qubee, a Latin alphabet, as Oromo’s writing script and thereafter. By Qubee Generation we mean the Oromo youth generation that have been born and grew since 1991 with the idea of struggle for the liberation, independence and sovereignty of Oromiyaa and a generation that has been taught in Qubee, in the Oromo school system. It is a generation that is not adulterated with Ethiopian political outlook. It is a generation that is not hostage to Ethiopian colonial empire’s policy of Oromo divide and rule. In that sense, it is a new generation that refused to accept Ethiopia, Ethiopianism, and Ethiopia’s institutions, its laws and constitution. The Qubee Generation is a new generation that sees Oromiyaa and its people with Oromo eyes; a generation that believes in truth and justice of the Oromo cause. It is a generation that has unbounded faith in the independence of Oromiyaa as those Oromo nationalists who had paid the ultimate price in lives in the struggle for the liberation of Oromiyaa and as those who are still in this struggle despite the obstacles posed by the alliance of internal and external enemy forces……………….” ( History of the development of Qubee.  By Leenjiso Horoo. July 28, 2008)

The successive administrations of the colonial Ethiopian ruling apparatus often fished in the ocean of the governing philosophies, and principles just to keep their old colonial structure alive. Starting from their colonial dynasty’s pretentiously ostentatious self-proclaims, to the Military/Marxism, and to the present-day pseudo democratic federalism, the Abyssinians never failed to uphold their forefather’s dreams and desires: To keep the old colonial Ethiopia operational despite the modern changes and occurrences in all human domains: Science/technology, Economics and Geography, peaceful oppositions, and the genuine people’s demands for democratic principles which the current colonial regime of Ethiopia-TPLF claims to adhere to as a trade mark (only!!!!).

THE COSTS OF FAILURE TO COMPREHEND THE BASICS OF THE OROMO PEOPLE’S QUESTIONS.

It is a public secret to know that Ethiopia is one of the poorest Nations, and often in need of the international assistances. The worst scenario is in the area of food: self-sufficiency. These problems of basic Economics and development in all human domains are all interwoven and do have the direct connections with the political policy that governs the whole state. Any Development needs people.  The people need security, and freedom.  It goes utterly together. You cannot expect people who do not feel safe and secured to be motivated beyond their basic daily needs. Furthermore, people need to feel that the government is protecting and promoting their best of interest, which starts at the community level.  Therefore, the Ethiopian government needs to follow economically conducive national policy instead of attempting to enrich themselves at the cost of robbing the indigenous citizens. In the theory of today’s economic development, as contested by” ENTERWeb”  the emphasis for  development should start with the local community.  It states …” In the present policy context of globalization and international trade, most of the alternative efforts to fight unemployment and generate economic growth are focused at the community rather than global level. “Think global and act local”. This means acting at the community level and fostering economic, social and cultural growth….”  (The Enterprise Development Website, 1996-2012 ENTERWeb.)

The Nation of Oromia is facing the government who refuses to be realistic according to the changing world.  The Abyssinian resistances to change and progress was/is dictated by the very old original and out of date dogma to which all Abyssinians;  even some educated class of young Ethiopians chose to endure and be incarcerated, while remaining forever the unconsciously prisoners of their forefather’s timeworn exploitative doctrines. It is true that these dogma could allude any civil inquirer’s pragmatic approach in case one fails to pursue the entire picture of the discrepancies, and inhuman cruelties that molded “Ethiopia” to be the present day African people colonial house.

It is impractical to keep the old outdate exploitative philosophy and governing guidance effectively serving and producing the same result as in old days-when those colonial paradigms were conceptualized.  What really remains paradoxical and absurd is that how long even some so- called Abyssinian University professors will continue not comprehending the basis of the Oromo people’s messages.  Their ancestor’s dogmas were conceived out of cheer arrogance, driven by the only way they knew how. But, today at this Information age, we are bombarded with many useful and some useless information from which we often filter and apply the most productive body of knowledge to serve “in the best interest” of all human beings.  Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, well known University Professors of Abyssinia spent their whole life teaching and preaching the supremacy of their narrow northern clans to the rest of the Ethiopian people including the Nation of Oromia.  This type of pedagogy produced nothing but animosity among the people.  All the Colonized people including the Nation of Oromia, became naturally suspicious of all the northerners specifically the Amharas and the Tiray people. Hate, and wave of violence became the norms of the present colonial Ethiopian people’s daily greetings.  These all non-productive, but negative social energy could have been channeled towards what would be the best for the people of that Nation, had an inclusive curriculum for indebtedness to each other’s rich, but equally diverse social appreciation was promoted.  Even if I should not focus entirely on the works of few Professors, I still hold them responsible for not navigating their entrusted body of knowledge to serve in improving the country’s social relation which is the back bone for the peace, development, and base for the overall motivational aspirations for all societies.

The social animosity with in all the Ethiopian people not only preached by those social philosophers whose metal development was arrested and remain hitting the same ground for centuries, but was taken to its highest level by the current Abyssinian regime, TPLF for official looting and impoverishing the Farmers of Oromo Nation who are living around the city of Finfinee/Addis Ababa. TPLF’s current Master Plan is within the continued story of the Northerner’s failure to gain basic indulgence for the Nation of Oromia and their god given properties. Yet, the deployment of their suicide commandos AGAAZIs on the peaceful demonstrators of the Oromo students of Universities to deliver the most brutal massacre, and unparalleled malicious atrocities on the College students, clearly attests to the level of the TPLF’s inhuman natures, frustrations and absolute regression to the lowest standard of viciousness.  But that will never halt the young “Liberation generation” of Oromia from resurrecting their Nation’s fundamental cause which had been entrusted to them by their respectfully retiring Freedom generations.

Where to from here?

Honor and glory for the heroines, and heroes of the Oromo Nation.

Oromia shall be free.

Habte Dafa.
May 21, 2014.

=>ayyaantuu

Ethiopia: Why do Somali People of Ogadenia State Demand for Independence from Ethiopia?

By Ahmed Abdi

“Injustice in the end produces independence.” whoever coined this phrase is right.As Ogadenia state is bleeding because of demanding Independence from Ethiopian occupation.

Ethiopia does not provide a quality education, proper health care for all, and Ethiopia does not respect for human rights and the rule of law in the Ogadenia state.Moreover, Somali people in Ogadenia state are second-citizens in their soil, there have never been equality and justice in Ogadenia state.

The BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt, who had a rare access to the region reported:

“An elderly goat herder, beside himself with indignation, launching a diatribe in front of a senior local official. He had lost two sons, he said, fighting for Ethiopia against Eritrea. And now the soldiers come to his village, chase everyone out and burn their houses, and then have the effrontery to tell him he is not a true Ethiopian.”

They, Somali people in Ogadenia, realized that the Ethiopian government is denying them every basic thing that a human soul needed to survive including clean water, sanitation and schooling except few individuals who spy on their relatives and abide by its ethnic cleansing in the Ogadenia state .

New York Times’s Jeffrey Gentlemen conducted an interview with an ONLF fighter that joined ONLF five years ago at that time,who said in a response when he was asked why did he join ONLF:

” I could not sit back and watch when I realized that no education, no health services, no development, and children don’t go to school.I knew there were problems.”

The Somali people in Ogadenia State, who have long been exploited by the successive four Ethiopian regimes,Menelik II, Haile Selassie, Mengistu Haile Mariam, and Meles Zenawi, do not share Abyssinia (Ethiopia) with language, religion, Ethnicity, culture. You name it, they share nothing with Abyssinian (Ethiopian) Highlanders.

The Abyssinian (Ethiopian) highlanders (Tigray and Amhara) have always been patrolled and stationed more than 30 military garrisons in Ogadenia state in part of controlling it.

 According to Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Genocide Watch, The Ethiopian military and its allied militia of Liyu police kill ,detain,torture and rape the Somali pastoralists and commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.The Ethiopian government also banned the International media and aid agencies to enter the Somali region of Ogaden.

The army and the Liyu Police,militia slaughter villagers like animals in part of its counterinsurgency campaign as it happened recently  many villages in Ogadenia state. 

• Ethiopia has been marginalizing the entire 8-10 million Somali Muslims in Ogaden ever since the British colony handed over the Ogadenia territory to the Abyssinian empire without their consent in 1954.
• The Ethiopian government exploits the natural resources of the region and imposed (Gibbir)  tax payments on people, land and livestock .( Gibbir is understood as a form of “tax” forcefully collected from the non-Abyssinian populations.)

The oppression that exists in Shinile Jigjiga Dagahbur, Fiiq,Wardher,Korahe,Gode,Afder and Liban has forced the people to think on their own in order to choose their own fate of self-determination. If Ogadenia is given every thing, there is no other option rather than full Independence.

Moreover, the example of Eritrea offers hope to many Somalis that the lasting peace and prosperity can happen only after full Independence. Eritrea, which has the toughest army in Africa won its independence after a hard fought 30-year-struggle against Abyssinian (Ethiopian) occupation.

=>ogadentuday

US, EU want Egypt, Ethiopia to restart dam talks

When completed in 2017, the Grand Renaissance Dam will have a 6000-megawatt production capacity, according to Ethiopian government sources.

World Bulletin / News Desk

Diplomats from the U.S. and E.U. are shuttling between Ethiopia and Egypt in hopes of persuading the two countries to restart tripartite talks on Addis Ababa's multibillion-dollar hydroelectric dam project on the Nile River, an Ethiopian official has said.

"E.U. and U.S. diplomats told us that they wanted to help peace in the region," Fekahmed Negash, Boundary and Trans-boundary Rivers Director at the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Energy and Irrigation, told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

A tripartite committee – including representatives from Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt – was drawn up in 2011 and tasked with assessing the dam's possible environmental, economic and social effects on downstream countries Egypt and Sudan.

But its work came to a standstill in January over differences between Ethiopia and Egypt, the latter of which fears the $6.4-billion dam will reduce its traditional share of Nile water.

Aaron Salsburg, the U.S. State Department's special coordinator for water resources, and E.U. representative to the African Union Alexander Rondos returned to Addis Ababa from Egypt where they spoke with senior officials.

Before going to Cairo, the two diplomats were in Addis Ababa last Friday where they discussed the issue with senior Foreign Ministry and Water Ministry officials.

"Topics discussed included ways of restarting tripartite consultations among Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan… and implementation of the Nile Basin Initiative, particularly that of the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program (ENSAP)," Negash told Anadolu Agency by phone.

"Before he left for Cairo, Salsburg gave us assurances that his country did not have a stand concerning the dispute over the Nile," Negash said. "But both the U.S. and the E.U. informed us that they had a stake in regional peace."

"Now that the two diplomats are returning [to Addis Ababa], we expect a report from them as to Egypt's stand concerning construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project and on the resumption of the tripartite deliberations," he added.

"If Egypt changes its stance and wants to come back to the tripartite talks, we will welcome it with open arms," he said. "If there is any proposal conveyed by Egypt, we will study it against our national interest and give a decision."

When completed in 2017, the Grand Renaissance Dam will have a 6000-megawatt production capacity, according to Ethiopian government sources.

Addis Ababa says the dam will benefit downstream states Sudan and Egypt, both of which will be invited to purchase the electricity thus generated.

=>worldbulletin