Oromo alliance kicks out OLF for joining AFD
Addis Voice , July 14, 2006: The United Liberation Forces of Oromiyaa (ULFO), which was formed by Oromo liberation movements six years ago, has announced the suspension of the Oromo Liberation Front from the umbrella organisation for joining the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy. A press release issued this week by the Executive Committee of ULFO condemned the OLF for "deliberately acting to undermine the agenda of unity of Oromo liberation forces."
ULFO slammed OLF's move to form an alliance with CUDP and EPPF. It referred the two parties as "opponents, if not archenemies, of the very objective of the Oromo people's liberation struggle". According to the press release, the Extraordinary meeting of ULFO has found this action of OLF a substantial basis for suspension.
It further stated: "The CUDP openly rejects the right of Oromo people for self-determination. They reject the principle of Oromo liberation. Under the motto of 'one nation, one language and one flag,' Abyssinian organizations such as CUDP vehemently stand against the gains that the people of Oromiyaa have achieved through their long struggle over the years. It is a cause of grave concern to all other member organizations of ULFO that the OLF worked diligently to forge an alliance with the aforementioned organizations and joined the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD) at the same time that OLF undermined the success of ULFO using various stratagems."
The press release further alleged that OLF undermined the Oromo Consensus 2000 and grossly violated ULFO program and constitution. ULFO also accused the OLF of impeding the progress and growth of ULFO and compromising the security of the other member organizations of ULFO.
In a separate statement issued earlier by another extremist organisation called the Oromiyya Liberation Council, the OLF was accused of abandoning the Oromo cause and flirting with "Abyssinian" parties. "How quickly they forget is an adage that is now buzzing in the political circles of the Oromo and other oppressed ethno-national groups in the Ethiopian empire. The adage is quite fitting to the implausible political marriage of the OLF with some Abyssinian political parties that took place on the 22nd of May 2006," OLC said in its press release.
OLC went on to denounce the OLF for misplacing its priority. The press release said: "From our intimate knowledge of the Habasha mentality, culture and long history of colonization, the OLC is sure that the CUDP and EPPF are not amenable to negotiation, if at all there is much to negotiate with them. CUDP and EPPF, organizations without roots in Oromiyaa, will use this opportunity of state of confusion to extend their tentacles deep into our land and attempt to derail the Oromo liberation struggle for freedom and independence."
Meanwhile, Ato Dawud Ibsa called OLF's suspension from ULFO "hilarious and extremely confusion." In a counter statement he issued via OLF's official website, Ato Dawud, who also happened to be chairman of ULFO, questioned the legitimacy of the measure taken against the OLF. "According to the rules and regulations of ULFO, it is only the chairperson or in his absence, the vice chairperson who can call ULFO’s Executive Committee meeting. This standard procedure and regulation has not been followed. I, Dawud Ibsa, Chairperson of ULFO, have not called any extraordinary meeting of the EC of ULFO nor do I have any knowledge of such meeting being conducted."
He said the so called Extraordinary Executive committee meeting of ULFO was illegal and the statement it issued on its behalf was null and void. "Those who issued this so called extraordinary EC meeting statement must be conspirators who want to spoil the good working relationship between member organizations of ULFO," said Ato Dawud, who is widely believed to be more liberal and astute than his hard line predecessors.
The OLF Alliance with Abyssinian Political Forces
Statement issued by Oromiyyaa Liberation Council
How quickly they forget” is an adage that is now buzzing in the political circles of the Oromo and other oppressed ethno-national groups in the Ethiopian empire. The adage is quite fitting to the implausible political marriage of the OLF with some Abyssinian political parties that took place on the 22nd of May 2006. This event, as thrilling as it is for the ones in the political union, must have chilled the spine of all Oromo nationals genuinely yearning for the unity of Oromo liberation forces and ultimately the liberation of Oromiyaa. This political twist would undoubtedly add yet another major glitch to the course of our national liberation struggle.
The OLC has been watching with keen interest the flirtation and courtship of the OLF with various Abyssinian political forces for some time. Noting the depth of the involvement of the OLF in the engagement process with organizations that are sworn enemies of the independent political voice of the Oromo nation, the OLC forewarned the OLF in various occasions to cease its involvement in the creation of impious alliance that would amount to act of disservice to the Oromo national liberation struggle and the struggle of oppressed nations at large. As an organization that firmly believes in political powerhouse of the Oromo nation that springs from consolidation of primarily Oromo political forces in the liberation camp and from mobilization of the Oromo people, the OLC has been repeatedly demanding the hasty aggregation of fragmented forces into one strong national force. Regrettably, the OLF as our major partner in ULFO, when it could have shouldered more and exemplary responsibility of consolidating the Oromo forces, it chose to give priority to forming alliance with non-Oromo political parties.
The formation of Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD) that constitutes, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP), the Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front (EPPF), the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the Sidama Liberation Front (SLF) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), is a clear testimony of its misplaced priority.
The OLC believes in the merit of forging solid unity first and foremost with Oromo forces and then alliance with organizations representing oppressed national groups in the empire such as the ONLF and SLF. There is shared history of colonization between southern nations in the Ethiopian empire that makes their alliance politically more plausible. It would have been a sound political move and quite orderly in its priority had the OLF spared more time, resource and energy in fortressing first the foundation of the alliance of those independent political entities struggling for the cause of colonized nations in Ethiopia.
Instead, making a major departure from the domain of the liberation struggle, the OLF has allied with Abyssinian political forces to struggle for 'democratization of Ethiopia'. Undoubtedly, this political fiasco of the OLF would have far reaching ramification on the national liberation struggle of the people of Oromiyaa. We may not speculate its long- term cascading effect. That remains to be seen. In the short term, however, its effect would be felt in the unity of Oromo liberation forces. It would leave a void in our unity that we have been doggedly working to fill up for the last five years. It will cause a sense of loss of political direction and confusion that could permeate within our society. Generally, it would impart a setback to our straggle.
From our intimate knowledge of the Habasha mentality, culture and long history of colonization, the OLC is sure that the CUDP and EPPF are not amenable to negotiation- if at all there is much to negotiate with them. CUDP and EPPF, organizations without roots in Oromiyaa, will use this opportunity of state of confusion to extend their tentacles deep into our land and attempt to derail the Oromo liberation struggle for freedom and independence.
The alliance of the OLF with CUDP and the likes is a direct attack on the effort of emancipation of Oromiyaa from Abyssinian colonial yoke. The suggestion of democratizing Ethiopia by allying with the CUDP and EPPF is prejudicial to the state that our struggle has presently reached, and, at best, is an attempt to seek for a neo-colonial solution that will create even more acute problems. Therefore, the OLC is opposed to this so called alliance that we see no synchronistic interest between an Oromo organization claiming to promote the Oromo aspiration for self-determination and the Abyssinians desperate race for political power.
The OLF presumably taking a note of the great disparity in military strength and resources between itself and the enemy, and considering the international political milieu, has unfortunately concluded that there is little hope of expediting the process of the national struggle. Faced with such temporary difficulties, the OLF has desperately started toying with the idea of reforming the Ethiopian state. This time around, apparently taking the driver sit, it is propelling the political locomotives for newly found Abyssinian political darlings. It is this reform initiative of the OLF that has yielded the Alliance of Freedom and Democracy (AFD).
The silver lining in this cloud of unholy alliance is that the Oromos now know without a doubt that the leadership of their former “vanguard” organization, the OLF, has succumbed to the political will of Abyssinian political forces. Instead of leading the Oromo national struggle and creating an overarching national organization of Oromo forces, the OLF has joined the enemy forces. Rather than a unifying force, the OLF has become a dividing one.
The OLC believes that there is no possibility of securing lasting change in Ethiopia except through popular uprising and protracted armed struggle. There is no one single factor that would justify or indicate that the new alliance (AFD) could lead to any amelioration of our conditions. Our history and experience have taught us very harsh lessons. The most vital one is that without conducting revolutionary struggle, including arming our people to protect their gains, the oppression and exploitation of the Oromo will continue. Therefore, it is only protracted struggle in multifaceted fronts that would deliver fundamental solutions to our predicaments.
Let us make it crystal clear that the struggle that many heroes and heroines have fallen (still falling) for, the liberation of Oromiyaa, will continue with determined participation of genuine Oromo nationalists. We call upon all Oromo political forces and Oromo nationals to rise to the occasion and contribute their due shares to the liberation struggle at this crucial time when our nation is desperately looking for deliverance. The rebirth of Oromiyaa depends on our ability to exercise our real power in a united, concerted, intelligent, and responsible manner.
Unity is Strength!!
Oromia Shall Be Free!!
