By Riyad B. Ebrahim
Oromo elders have been practicing Gadaa system for well over 500 years. Social scientists of diverse backgrounds at different times have studied the Gadaa system. Many of them have testified that it is uniquely democratic. The above three sentences partially clears that our ancestors were ruling our land democratically since long time back. Starting from 70’s we have been struggling to get back that right of we had lost under Menelik’s Empire, it was self-determination of Oromoiyyaa. Indeed, we shall get back our right for two main reasons, firstly we are capable of ruling our land, secondly it’s our natural right to posses and govern our land. The young generation has to show its super effort to secure those rights by what ever it takes. ‘’We should say enough for once again!’’ TPLF should not rule our land for the coming years in the presence of us.
The latest event of ethnic cleansing that is being perpetrated against the Oromos in Eastern Hararge zone is a continuation of a grand design of the TPLF-led regime of Ethiopia to undercut the demographic weight of the Oromo and the territorial expanse of Oromiyyaa. This design, one which its leaders in many occasions in such obvious boldness have spoken about, is framed to fulfill its long-term political and economic objectives.
The obvious political objective of the TPLF-led regime of Ethiopia is primarily the restraint of the Oromo political life. The regime with a minority constituent base is always scared of the Oromo population size with its potential political weight. To overcome this fear and sense of insecurity, it has been determined to maintain its political hegemony and keep Oromiya under its occupation by all what it takes. To achieve their devilish political interest they had to go through different mechanisms .One of among their methods is preying young Oromo generation who are vibrant and insuperable in political stage. Frankly TPLF have chosen to squeeze our political knowledge superiority by using their aggressive power. As we still see they are exercising their power by carrying out worst actions like Imprisoning, torturing, killing, chasing of Oromo patriots.
With the intent of ethnic cleansing, the TPLF has directly launched a silent war on the Oromo people over the years. However, such a war meant to extinct a community of people has often been masked under the heading of “human rights violation”. In effect, what the TPLF has been and is still carrying out on the Oromo nation should be taken as a designed action of ethnic cleansing. Its actions that clearly attest to this fact are many. Other actions of the TPLF have violated the very existence of Oromo communities during its rule. Man-made famines it help created resulted in starvation that took heavy tolls in life in many parts of Oromiya and most notably in Borena, Hararge, and Arsi that the international media once referred to it as ‘green famines’. Its barbaric act of environmental terrorism has equally brought about destruction of ecosystems and exacted an inordinate number of human lives and loss of habitats for rare flora and fauna. Suffice to mention here two notorious cases that illustrate the TPLF’s acts of brutality on the environmental resources of Oromiya: The blazing and decimation of the forests in Bale and most recently in Iluu Abbaa Boora. The immediate impact of this act on the present generation of the affected communities is enormous. Furthermore, looking at this heinous crime of the TPLF from a larger scope, it is conceivable that such a destruction of ecosystems would have far-reaching implications on generations to come. It would undoubtedly check the population growth of the communities, a desired result that the TPLF leaders are hoping to secure.
Despite relentlessly working at its silent ethnic cleansing grand plan over the last two decades, the demographic weight of the Oromo people has still remained upsetting for the TPLF led-regime.
For the TPLF regime, pitting one ethnic group against another has served as a political survival means for so long. It would continue using this wild political card for as long as it is in power. Should all ethnic groups who have lived in harmony side by side for millenniums and shared a common political history fail to see its divide and conquer policy and rise up in unison and challenge it, the policy will continue serving its purpose. This would mean all oppressed ethnic groups will remain prey of this parasitic regime.
For at least two decades, genocidal massacres against Oromo have been framed that way in order to cover-up the deliberate effort by TPLF elites to either reduce Oromo by attrition to a minority population or to destroy them fully so that Tigireans can take over Oromia and its resources. That is their long-term plan.
With absolute military, economic and diplomatic powers, Tigirean elites have ever been emboldened to destroy the Oromo nationality and its material, cultural and intellectual properties. They are accountable to no one–not to their laws, not to international law and not to moral principles. TPLF elites’ arrogance is becoming limitless, soaring. While they engage in genocidal activities in Oromia, the international community has afforded them the complete silence they so want. However, the human and material destruction caused by Tigire elites in Oromia is equivalent crisis to Syria and Darfur. Although, we should have to get limited interference of international community to calm current genocidal deeds of TPLF. We shouldn’t wait their help, we have to strengthen our struggle as much as we can . I will conclude this short article with Martin Luther king saying ‘’freedom is never voluntarily given by oppressor, it must be demanded by oppressed ‘’.
Oromiyyaa for Oromos !!
Riyad B. Ebrahim
