The
OLF led by Brigadier General Kemal Gelchu made a very
tough decision. All Ethiopians owe him a debt of gratitude for his farsighted
leadership. The position he reversed is not an easy one. It took courage by him
and the other leaders to take such undertaking. Generations of our Oromo people
have grown with that aim as a call of duty. It will take a lot of work to
change that.
Change
is something that is difficult to accept. It is natural that most of us resist
change. We all have our comfort zone and anything different is disconcerting.
The OLF and Brigadier General Gulchu’s decision
is bound to disturb our comfort zone. That is what leadership is all about. This
is not the first tough choice made by the Brigadier General. On August 8, 2008
he defected from the Ethiopian National Defense Forces with two hundred soldiers
and officers with him.
As
a person sworn to protect Ethiopia he did not look kindly at becoming an errand
boy for TPLF. Upon defection he joined the OLF and rose to position of
leadership. Today under his leadership the OLF is entering a new chapter. The
Oromo people have paid a heavy price under different administrations. The rest
of the Ethiopian people have suffered as well. The realization by the OLF that
the bond that ties us together is so strong and deep that decoupling is not a
worthy endeavor is a breath of fresh air. If this bold decision will shorten
the suffering of our people even by a day we welcome it.
The
new situation does not sit well with some people. It is understandable.
Separation, secession, self-determination have been a mantra of the liberation
movements in Ethiopia for the last fifty years.It is like all other liberation
movements that emerged in the sixties. You know us we Ethiopians once we got
hold of something we don’t let go. ELF, EPLF, OLF, TPLF stayed true to
that religion of unending struggle. It has not brought us peace or prosperity.
A new OLF is emerging from the old. A smarter and mature OLF that will satisfy
the real needs of the Oromo people.
The
lack of competent leadership has been the Achilles heel of the movement. Many
so called ‘educated’ leaders have caused a lot of agony and
hardship to the Oromo people. There is no need to pretend otherwise. Over fifty
years of sacrifice and nothing much to show for it is a loud statement. The
TPLF mafia group acerbated the problem by stocking hatred and animosity while
ruling with an iron fist from the background. The OLF was reduced to peddling
hate to collect revenue while exposing its constituents to abuse and shame. In
today’s Democratic Ethiopia every prison, jail, detention center is
filled by Oromo political prisoners.
Ginbot 7 Movement and Dr. Berhanu should be given credit for patiently working
without much fanfare and prepare the ground necessary for such decision. It
shows maturity by both organizations to put differences aside and work for the
common good. There are only winners and no losers in this situation. The OLF
press release states “The OLF National Council also focused on the timely
demand of working with other democratic forces in forming the new Ethiopia that
will guarantee and protect the fundamental rights of all peoples in Ethiopia.
The new social contract will and should be based on the free will and consent
of all peoples in Ethiopia.”
The
job is half done. It is a very promising beginning. The real work starts now.
Changing people’s hearts and minds is not an easy task. On the other hand
if it were easy we would not be where we are now. The TPLF regime will do all
it could to throw cold water at this news. It will go out of its way to dismiss
it as useless. It will create bogus news and opinions to discredit the
participants. The regime fears unity more than any army. It was the unity of
all those organizations under the umbrella of Kinijit
that exposed the hollowness of the TPLF regime. The unity of OLF with any other
organization is their nightmare come true.
The
news will also get its share of criticism from the opposition. It is
understandable. After all separation was the only demand on the table. The
leadership of the Fronts saw it as the magic cure. The central highlanders saw
it as the final disintegration of Ethiopia. Most Ethiopian political leaders
used the issue to further their own agenda. Some used it a recruiting tool
regardless of the consequences. At the end it came to loose
its meaning except to the people on the ground that are still paying the price
for failed leadership and unholy alliances.
Some
in the opposition are crying foul before they even saw the press release. That
is nothing new either. We love to jump the gun and dive into condemnation and
mudslinging. It is a shame when it comes from those that should know better.
Reasoned and well research thesis that will enhance the discussion to higher
level is what is expected. I am not against opposition to the new position as
articulated by the OLF but I am only asking for a seasoned discussion that will
take the aspirations of our people into consideration.
It
is not a good idea to scratch the bottom of the barrel and emerge with such
prize as “Oromo nationalism was built by successfully deconstructing
the Ethiopian nationalism. Since 1991, the former has effectively displaced the
later in Oromia and as a result an entire generation
has been brought up with that narrative. Furthermore, despite its limits,
self-rule has allowed the rise of millions of bureaucratic elites who have
vested material and political interest in preserving the gains of the Oromo
struggle and maintaining the nationalist narrative.”
What
exactly does that mean? Has OPDO satisfied the aspirations of the Oromo masses?
Are we praising it for raising a new generation that
is programmed to hate Ethiopia? Is that Good? When did being mildly screwed
pass as a fair reward or a fair exchange, is that what is meant by limited
self-rule? Furthermore when did Bandas that serve the
occupying force get elevated to future leaders? I hope we are not thinking of
rewarding TPLF controlled Oromo thugs that have amassed huge fortune robbing
the Oromo people and build the new Oromia on their
shoulders? It is a wobbly foundation if you ask me.
I
am assuming the so called ‘bureaucratic elites’ are the same ones
that for example are selling and leasing fertile Oromo land to such as Flower
growers that suck every drop of water from the rivers and streams, discharge
carcinogen chemicals that will stay in the soil poisoning the drinking water
for the next hundred years, that hire our Oromo girls of fifteen years old to
spray the flowers with chemicals without adequate protection not even lousy
gloves and increase the chances of respiratory and other disease with no health
insurance and no compensation and no retirement – I will say these folks
are not good material for a solid foundation.
Name-calling
and cynical dismissal of our leaders efforts is not a
winning strategy. The OLF and Ginbot 7 are not some
garden-variety organizations to be dismissed lightly. They are doing what they
believe is the right thing to relive the hardship of eighty million Ethiopians
that are faced with hunger, disease and ignorance as we speak.We give our leaders the respect that is
due. We respect them for their vision of a better future, intelligent
leadership, and their sacrifice of family and profession while working on our
behalf. That is not much to ask.
Both
Dr. Berhanu and Brigadier General Kemal are successful
in their own right. That is why they have attained such a high level in our
society and the profession they choose. They did not kill, bribe, threaten or
bully to reach where they are now. We should encourage such behavior in our
leaders. They are just like us and they should act like one of us. I do not
have the pleasure of meeting the brigadier General but I have the honor of
meeting Dr. Berhanu. I found him to be both humble
and real in the way he looks at himself and his surrounding.
I like it when my leader is just like me not someone that sits on my shoulder
constantly telling me how better and different he is from me. If we don’t
show them respect who would?
We
welcome our Oromo brothers and sisters. It will not be an exaggeration to suggest
that it will be very rare to find an Ethiopian with out
a trace of Oromo in him. That was one of the reasons the concept of separation
of Oromia from the rest of Ethiopia did not get
traction. It was not because there was no national oppression, it was not
because therewas no
injustice but rather the prescription being suggested for the disease did not
feel right.
It
is very unfortunate for our country and people that we are a witness to such
malpractice by TPLF Doctors regarding Eritrea. Separation was the medicine
administered to the illness we had. It did not take long to see how wrong it
was. Today both people are paying the price. Mistake was made. People’s
lives were ruined. We hope future generation will set this right and bring children
of the same mother together again. It will happen. Take my word for it.
What
makes every Ethiopian happy is this single step taken by the OLF leaders. A
single bold step in the right direction is what I thought. Our role will be to
sing ‘wefekomech, wefekomech’ stretch our
arms and make sure no one fails. We are not into looking back at what happened
yesterday. Why do that when tomorrow is a brand new day and we can create a new
reality. We are going to get rid of our old baggage.We do not obsess about our past failings
but look forward to what can be achieved when we work together. That is the
message of OLF to the rest of us. It is smart to hit the reset button and start
new and fresh.
It
is a good beginning for 2012. We can build a lasting union on solid foundation
starting now. We urge the leaders to involve as many people as possible in this
national dialogue. This is our school in building a brand new Ethiopia. No one
has failed like us so we really can turn that negative experience into a valuable
lesson. Our association with the TPLF virus and the Derg
germ though depilating hopefully have given us a good dose of anti body for a long and bitter struggle.
Our
vow for the New Year should be ‘I have heard, listened, experienced the
atrocities of the TPLF regime now it is time to do what is necessary to
liberate myself.’ It is true you cannot liberate others while you are
still a slave. We are slaves to old ideas, old biases and old-fashioned way of
thinking. Starting 2012 we are going to think different. We are going to judge
others as we judge ourselves. We are not going to wait for others to liberate
us while we sit on the side watching. That does not work. That has never
worked. To own your freedom you have to work for it.
I
am not being a blind cheerleader. There will be bumps on the road. In order to
minimize unfortunate misunderstandings I believe the best remedy is to stay
vigilant and be part of the struggle. It is a lot better to contribute
sincerely and positively to enhance the quality of the struggle. Nitpicking and
negative comments will only help those that are working
overtime to protect their ill-gotten power and wealth and that is
exactly what we claim not to want.
Let
me say something before some of you raise it. I am qualified to say all I said
because I am an Ethiopian. If you want more I am an Amhara,
a Gurage, and an Oromo born in Sidama.
I share blood with all the first three groups and due to birth I have a strong
affinity with my Sidama brothers and sisters. I am a
rainbow Ethiopian. MelkamGena.
