The Oromo struggle for freedom and social justice has seen a myriad of setbacks ever since the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has assumed leadership. The recent defection by some of the commanders and their followers in the Southern Oromia front has many implications, however. There is no doubt that this group of traitors and enemy collaborators severely damage the rhetoric and image of the liberation movement. The cause of this incident can primarily be explained by the growing controversy among the different factions of the Liberation Front. While it definitely saddens and outrages freedom loving Oromians, it perfectly sends a powerful message to leaders of the Liberation struggle. In this defining moment in history, where the Oromo people have been trapped in cross-road to search for credible leaderships among the different OLF factions, we may examine the implications of this recent political event from different angles.
The recent development may implicate a total demise of the Oromo Liberation Front as an organization who has taken a lead role in the liberation struggle. There is no doubt that the same organization has made a remarkable job in rallying the Oromo people for the cause of liberty and freedom and achieved major victories against injustice, dehumanization, marginalization and the exploitation suffered by the Oromo people under the Abyssinian colonization. Unfortunately, it looks that the OLF is no more capable and competent of overcoming its own internal political skirmish. Like any other institutional designs, specific organizations such the OLF are born, grow, mature and eventually die. These are the natural attributes of organizations in the contemporary times. If the OLF terribly suffers its credibility, fails to resolve its internal controversies, and reform its own leadership, the decaying and dieing organization must not hold hostage the aspiration of the Oromo for liberation and social justice.
I hope the Oromos are not desperate with this defection by a few betrayers. However, as long as oppression, exploitation, marginalization and violation of rights characterize the whole social fabric of the Ethiopian empire state, resistance to injustice continue; the desire for freedom shine; truth be revealed and the apparatus of tyranny disintegrate; liberty for the oppressed be regained and peace and tranquility prevails. The time will not be too long to enjoy such qualities of human decency by the Oromo people.
On the other hand, it may be a high time for the revivification and resurrection of the OLF. If the OLF is capable of restructuring its leadership and manage to escapes from the danger of total collapse, this is the perfect time to learn a great lesson from the past mistakes and lost years of liberation struggle. I do not think that total collapse should be an option and it should not be the last option to resort to. I am confident that an average Oromo would share the same belief and aspiration. There is no doubt that the majority of the oppressed Oromo people want to see this political course, indeed, in which the Oromo Liberation Front be unified and should emerge stronger than ever before. We understand the organization has undergone several episodes of splinters, in some case with very dire consequences on the lives of fellow fighters and in some cases with splinters defecting to the enemy camp with out major human toll. However, the OLF has totally failed to learn from the past mistakes. This time it is a serious wake up call for the OLF leadership.
Controversy and hostility among leadership of the Oromo Liberation Front has become the natural phenomena, and the intensity of this enemy mentality has even grown bigger and wider. I have a firm believe that controversies and differences can be solved even among non-reconciled, ideologically polarized strategic enemies. We are the sons and daughters of respected and dignified people and it is my firm conviction that we will finally resolve our differences and turn against our common enemy.
On the other front, the incident is a huge victory for the enemy primarily for the brute Tigrai People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) regime and its surrogate allies. It may not be so hard for the Oromo Diaspora to guess the level of festivity among the TPLF dictators. I wish I were in that empire state to observe what the situation might look like. One fact fundamentally remains truth, however. The incident has definitely given them the chance to launch a series of propaganda campaign trying to justify that the OLF is a dead and non-existent organization. In fact, we have seen these types of propaganda campaigns over the last several years and I am sure we continue to experience such tired tactics for years to come. Unfortunately, the malicious TPLF’s propaganda against the struggle of the Oromo people seemed to produce some political gains amidst the controversial and divisive OLF leadership. As far as the Oromo people are concerned it remains a common knowledge that such propaganda episodes have never stopped the resistance of the people against the TPLF coercive machineries.
It is plausible to think the defection would definitely harm and severely damage the morale of freedom fighters as well as the Oromo public. Literally, millions of Oromo citizens are already engaged in the fight against the injustice in their home land on daily basis and you freedom fighters are not alone in the war against the tyranny. The Oromo people tribute to your scarifies you already made, and honor your contribution for the same cause. The Oromo people also recognize that there is a failure and an absolute failure in the leadership and that the leadership should get the lion share for the recent defection. My message to those of you who are in the desert and jungle believing in the true cause of liberty, freedom and social justice, do not get disturbed by this incidence rather renew your commitment to fight for your own impoverished nation, and people. Hope that victory shall be your own in a not-distant future. For the Oromo people in general, you have been enslaved under the ruthless Abyssinian rule for more than a century. No one should tell you the misery and agony of own your own suffering in the course of this colonization for the fact that marginalization has already taught you unparalleled lesson in the human history.
How long you suffer the misery and agony of not your own making? Poverty, oppression, marginalization, desperation and hopelessness have already consumed you so bad and how long you allow these situations prevail? You have been forced to abandon your basic and inalienable rights to live in your own nation and on your father land. You have lost the fundamental rights of self-possession and your human dignity. Stand up! Get united and advance the cause of liberty and human freedom. Together we will win.
