Oromia’s Irreecha Festival – A Revival of an Ancient African Culture

Irreecha (also spelled Irreessa), the Oromo equivalent of Thanksgiving, was traditionally celebrated bi-annually in different parts of the Oromo country. The Irreecha Birra festival is celebrated in the month of September, and Irreecha Arfaasaa in the month of April. Although it was a non-political festival, the irreecha was suppressed by Ethiopian regimes. Brought back to life by a struggle for cultural revival – which the Oromo have waged during the last fifty years, the festival is now playing a significant role in the manifestation and preservation of the Oromo national identity. The festival in its traditional form is celebrated in different localities across Oromia. At the national level, it is an event that brings millions of Oromos from all over the Oromo country and non-Oromo visitors from other parts of the world to the shores of Hora (Lake) Arsadi in the city of Bishoftu in central Oromia. As such, it has no parallel in Africa. The festival is celebrated not only in Oromia, but has become an event which is observed transnationally by tens of thousands of Oromos settled in many countries around the world.

1903 irreecha festival at Hora Arsadi ,Bishoftu, Oromia

This paper aims to shed light on the role of the irreecha festival in the expression of Oromo unity and national identity. It is said that a collective identity is constructed not only in and of its present life, but also in reconstructing the collectivity’s earlier life. I will describe the role of numerous pan-Oromo socio-cultural and historical symbols and artefacts which the festival has brought to light, in awakening the Oromo sense of belonging to a community. The pan-Oromo democratic tradition is reflected in the artefacts displayed in the irreecha parade, in the blessings of elders who officiate it, in the environmental ethics articulated and in the performances of artist who entertain the celebrants.

Elements of a reviving culture packed up in a festival

In the pre-colonial past, the Irreecha Birra marked the end of the rainy season and the beginning of harvest season. It is an Oromo custom to gather on the river banks and the shores of lakes, and give thanks to Waaqa (God) for all His bounty and pray for Nagaa (peace) and Araara (reconciliation) among humans and with God. Today, the festival has come to mark the end of the rainy season, and more. It marks the end of the cultural trauma which had affected the Oromo for about a century. It heralds and confirms that the time when the Oromo culture was seen as “pagan and primitive” is gone for good. It denotes victory over a history of cultural denigration.

The elders of the nation, their counsel and benediction

Like in the past, the haayyuu (elders, wise-men, the learned – both singular and plural) thank God and bless the nation as their ancestors did. They bless the nation; they remind their audience to uphold the Oromo ethics of safuu and nagaa (respect and peace), reconcile among themselves and pray to God to reconcile with them. Although many of the Oromo concepts, vocabulary and semantics the haayyuu use are archaic, the meanings of their blessing and sagacious counsel are comprehensible to their audience. The following is a rough translation of an excerpt from the counsel and blessing of a haayyuu who officiated an irreecha festival outside the city of Naqamtee in 2013.

Shall evil have no place amongst you?
Shall hate have no place amongst you?
Shall truth find you?
Is this your testimony before God?
Let peace be among all!
Let peace be among adults!
Let peace be among the youth!
Let peace be with the livestock!

He reminded the participants the connection that the occasion has with the Oromo heritage, and counsels and commands them to confirm the authenticity of the occasion. He asked them whether spirit of the celebration is aligned with the spirit of Oromo traditions as reflected in the laws of the five major Odaas: Odaa Nabee (in central Oromia), Odaa Bisil (in western Oromia), Odaa Bulluq (in north-western Oromia), Odaa Roobaa (in south-eastern Oromia), and Odaa Bultum (in eastern Oromia). He asked them whether the traditions of Madda Walaabuu are respected. The fiveOdaas were centers of the ancient gadaa republics where the Oromo met and elected their leaders and reviewed their laws and made new ones every eight years according to the constitution of the nation, and Madda Walaabuu was the seat of Abba Muuda, the high priest of traditional Oromo religion Waaqefannaa. The response of the audience is in the affirmative. This was followed by another moment of blessing which, roughly translated, said the following:

You shall not conspire against one another
You shall not betray one another
Let God be at peace with you
Let the Earth be at peace with you

The significance of this ritual is not that the counsel of the haayyuu is translated into action, but the historical and cultural knowledge it conveys and the consciousness it raises in the minds of the audience. The past is memorized and communicated not only by the haayyuu but is also stored and reflected in the array of artefacts and costumes that decorate the irreecha parade. Combined with sagacious words of the haayyuu, the rich symbols of the Oromo gadaa culture – that attire the multitude who march in total harmony – reveal the dignity and pride with which the Oromo nation is re-asserting its culture and identity.

The poetic interpretations of artists

The collective memories of the nation, preserved in the ritual and symbols, then expressed in the words of the haayyuu, are supplemented by young artists who herald the revival of their heritage with songs and dances. Some of songs, such as Galaanee Bulbulaa’s “Kottaa ni hirreefannaa, aadaa bade deeffannaa” – which means (“Come, let us celebrate Thanksgiving; Let us revive our banned culture;” Giftii Dhadhii’s Oromoon seera qabaa(“The Oromo have laws”); Abdoo Badhaasoo’s Irreecha irreeffanna (“We will celebrate Thanksgiving”); Gaaddisee Shamsadin’s Beenu Oromia,irreechi irree keenya (“Go on Oromia, irreecha is our power”); and Amartii Waarii’s Kottaa ni kabajna kuni aadaa keenyaa (“Come, let us celebrate our culture”), which were performed at the irreecha festivals and elsewhere, connect the Oromo present with the past. They herald the recovery, revival and survival of the Oromo culture from the destruction to which it was doomed by conquest and colonization. In short, they reflect the feelings which underpin the ongoing Oromo recovery from a century of cultural trauma. The “green” leitmotif of luxuriant vegetation and abundant water against which the artists perform, provides a symbolic connection with God and nature that suggest that the Oromo are and will be at peace, with God, and also with nature. Their lyrics imply that the earth, the forests, rivers, lakes, animals and all the other living things are both natural and divine. Their implicit message is that what hurts the eco-system hurts humans also.

The dynamics that are at work during the irreecha festivals and what the participants experience is more than what the eye can see or the ear can hear. It is a joy and sense of belonging and experience of being part of a community that cannot be expressed fully in words. It is more. What the participants experience is a resurrection of a nation and a reconstruction of collective memory through the festival and the array of artefacts it displays. The occasion creates a collective “reality” and history. This collective reality connotes a state of being of the same mind, sharing a collective memory about a shared past and, just as importantly, an aspiration for a common future. This is more than a product of individual perception or understanding. When asked by a journalist from China Central TV Africa (CCTV) what he was thinking about the irreecha celebration at the 2014 festival in Bishoftu, a young celebrant replied:

I have don’t have a word to express what I see or feel. I believe that that this is my culture and religion at the same time. This is what was forwarded to us by our ancestors; and it is what I will forward to my children.

This individual is not alone in having that “feeling” about the festival. His feeling is shared by other Oromo participants around him and those who watch the process on TV. They may or may not express what they see and feel with words, but most of them, share with him the experience that what they see is their culture symbolized in the festival. When human communities attach symbols to words, concepts and artefacts that signify their collective experience, they share a vision. A society cannot exist without a degree of this sort of vision shared by a majority of its members. The young respondent cited above says that what he sees is his culture and religion which was passed to him by his ancestors and which he will pass over to his children. In other words, what he sees reflects his identity and that of others around him. My point is that the irreecha festival is one of the ways in which the Oromo society “recognizes itself”, that is to say imagines, feels, experiences or knows about its own existence. As an occasion and venue for the symbolic expression of Oromo history and culture, the irreecha festival connects the Oromo to a common past through the tangible artefacts on displays in the massive parades.

It important to note here that the Oromo celebrate the irreecha irrespective of their religious backgrounds. Whether they are Waaqeffataa, Christians or Muslims, they participate in the festival. The moral counsel and ideals officiated by the haayyuu do not contradict the essence of any of the three religions. In fact, the haayyuu who officiate it are from all the three religions on most occasions. The festival unites the Oromo and harmonizes their thoughts and voices. It creates a “mental state” shared by the entire Oromo nation. Whether one interprets the occasion culturally or politically, the significance of the prayer, counsel and blessing of the haayyuu, and the songs of the artists in raising Oromo consciousness and unifying the nation cannot be overlooked. It is important to stress, however, the fact that the aim of the counsel of the haayyuu and the songs of the artists is not to “mobilize” the participants for collective political action on the spot. The occasion is to celebrate a tradition and its revival. The traditional Oromo ethics of safuu and nagaa, or respect for and peace with God, humans and the natural world pervade the atmosphere in which the festival is conducted. As I will explain in more detail below, the tranquility which the occasion demands is respected.

Tranquility underpinned by tension and ethically controlled anger

It is important to note here that the tranquility that has characterized the Bishoftu irreecha parade of millions of men, women and children during the last few years is not a sign that the participants are satisfied with their situation or the status quo. The tranquility reflected in the massive annual parades should not give us the impression that Oromia is a peaceful territory and that Ethiopia is a stable polity. In fact, the benedictions of thehaayyuu who officiate the festival are often underpinned by restrained feelings of dissatisfaction. The songs of the artists who entertain the participants contain anger felt against the prevailing political conditions. During the 2014 irreecha festival, for example, the prayers of the elders were marked by a feeling of grief for the Oromo students who had been cruelly killed by the agents of the regime because they were opposing the so-called Addis Ababa Master Plan. The “crime” for which students were killed, as we all know, was participation in a peaceful protest against the eviction of the Oromo people from their land en masse. The haayyuu were not calling their audience to make war, but praying for the restoration of justice, and for Oromo victory over all those who are harming or will harm them. Concern about human rights’ violations committed by the TPLF regime was also reflected through slogans which called for “Respect to Oromo humanity and sovereignty” and “Respect Oromo Rights to their Territory” from the crowd. In short, the bright colors, the melodious songs and entertaining dances we observe in

Where is the Oromo Struggle Now? | Qabsoon Oromoo Eessa Geesse?

Ibsaa Guutama

In olden days when they collect fire wood or fetch water, or when they spend the day playing in the fields and go back home, kids walk in a file all holding the waist of the other and putting the head on back of one in the front. Only the leader is able to see the surrounding; the others see only the ground beneath. All behind ask, “did we reach” without raising their heads. The leader replies, “we are almost.” They go on asking the same question and getting the same reply until the leader announces “Here, we are!” When they raise their heads, they see they have arrived home. Something is on the stove; the house is emitting smoke. They run with joy to their individual houses salivating. There was no more happiness than overcoming the tortuous road and reaching one’s goal.

So far we had come looking at those who claim to be Oromo activists in two camps. To both, only we have asked “did we reach?” without ever getting the “Here, we are!” reply. One has arrived at its destination leaving us behind; the other’s destination is far off and full of obstacles. The one that went to the alien camp brought no benefit to the Oromo other than strengthening the aliens’ muscles. The other, even if it has the truth, lacking the will to challenge and break out of pressures by societies of friends and foes encircling it, is seen cursing left and right from confusion. The Oromo in the liberation camp while asking “did we reach” and being told “we are almost,” fire is being set to their village before they reach it. If the village is burned down, there will be no more two camps; all will turn captives and destitute. It is like what is said to hot porridge, “They are deceiving when they blow you; it is not to fondle, but to swallow you.” The galtuu is cajoled because the liberation camp exists.

The Ethiopian “Opposition party” exists because of the liberation camp. The weakening of this camp will not strengthen the “Opposition”. For that reason, no organization, having an Oromo name, reflects the potential power of the Oromo nation. If the liberation camp strengthens, the “Opposition” will be strengthened more to counter it. That has a weakening effect on the Oromo political movement as a whole. All organizations are so weak to defend the spontaneous uprisings of the people and direct them in an organized manner to a victorious end. For this reason, rather than putting all hopes on them, the Oromo wise and brave have to discuss for a better solution. What the Oromo movement needs is not individual cults, but institutions. They have to ask if it has one that could survive individuals or control them.

The OLF is an organization that has vowed to form the Democratic Republic Oromiyaa and started the work. At the same time, there were many that joined multinational Ethiopian organizations saying they would find answer to the Oromo question in the democratized Ethiopia; they were disarmed with the enemy’s propaganda and even said, ‘Oromo do not have the tradition of self-rule.’ Self-deniers forget Oromo’s rich history of self-rule. Even if they didn’t have, that does not justify to be ruled by aliens. Those who believed in this [in the right of the Oromo to self-rule]gave their lives for freedom and built the OLF. OLF uncovered the firm base of that Oromo identity that no one can shake or distort. That is why the enemy and its agents continue to relentlessly attack it. Because it was built to change a decadent system that people are fed up with, no one could destroy the liberation camp despite the many internal and external obstacles. Ethiopian leaders are never known for constructing, but destroying. Their government was formed on the principle of plundering and genocide from the start. The Oromo liberation movement is an agent of change and peace. Unless change comes through outlook and deed, to say let us mend tatters cannot be a solution. The Ethiopian leaders, whom Oromo know since their occupations, are all arrogant and selfish. They could not change traditions that they have got through heritage. There will be no solution unless the empire by which they brag is dismantled and the countries are restructured.

The struggle to take kaayyoo of liberation to the finish will always be invigorated and never wilts. Any Oromo who believes to be a human being has to move with that hope unless one wants to remain being considered sub-human. Thus, it is only if the struggle keeps on being energized that solutions could be found. One who doesn’t have proper understanding continues to ululate and clap hands for whoever comes without assessing critically. Both Madrak and OPDO are not organized to bring about change, but to patch an existing system. Unless change comes, hunger, disease, oppression and terror cannot be stopped, and human rights cannot also be respected. It is only one who stands for the majority and the oppressed; and that is only the Oromo liberation movement. There is no better way to democracy than answering the Oromoo question.

Liberation politicians of the time are abandoning the outlook Oromummaabestowed them and are starting mimicking that of the oppressor. And that is one that says power and knowledge trickles from above. But what is not there cannot trickle. Taking advantage of present confusions, they are trying to distort the Oromo destiny by collaborating with aliens. They have so far come by distracting attention from their weaknesses by touching people’s soft joints. They have made that their objective rather than struggling and leading the struggle. So far there is no one who claims to liberate a span of land. They have understood that, for not achieving that, their reason for being is coming under question; they are slowly pulling out one by one, and crossing over to enrich the enemy camp. Without land, there could not be what one calls a nation. To get a spot from where to struggle is even going to be harder. However, the Oromo youth has come from generation to generation overcoming difficulties, today also they are the existing hope. Now, it is their turn to get back their country; bring justice to Oromiyaa; and develop their leadership. To think that they would quietly accept when their lives, identity and property are being erased from existence is to have contempt for Oromummaa. Have no doubt that all Oromo are not of galtuu or quisling character.

The Molla Asgedom Phenomenon: a surprise or a trend?

 The return of the Tigrean rebels to TPLF camp might be shocking to those who have been counting on them to serve as reliable ally. However for those who has followed recent development carefully, this event could hardly be surprising. In the last few years, particularly since Meles' death, we have been witnessing re(unification) of Tigrean forces and Molla Asgedom's decision to abandon opposition politics and rejoin the mothership is part of this trend.

1) Those who were purged during the the 2001 have either officially rejoined ( eg. Bitew Belay), or become active supporters of the regime ( Generals Tsadkan G/Tensai & Abebe Teklehaymanot) or have muted their criticism ( Seeye Abreha who has quit politics and took up a UN job. Even Gebreu Asrat has reduced his opposition to infrequent soft criticism).

2) Those intellectuals and media personnels who were once fierce critiques are slowly returning to the mothership. Here we can mention Prof Tekola Hagos who few years ago was writing weekly attacking the regime. The same is true for Dawit Kebede who was incarcerated and exiled for opposing the regime, yet suddenly gave up his asylum and have now become active defender of the regime. Dr Aregawi Berhe, TPLF's founding commander, who few years ago was a leading critic has been conspicuously silent.

Hence, Molla Asgedom is not the only Tigrean opposition figure who has realigned himself. Almost everyone is. The cause of his defection cannot be reduced to power greed as G7 people would like us to believe or ‘realization of Shabia’s evil intent’ as the regime wanted to frame it. Its rather part of the ongoing regrouping of Tigrean politico-military and economic elite that we have been observing in recent years.

What is causing this regrouping?

When an elite drawn from small minority ascends to power, the process of consolidation brings about two developments that are complementary and conflicting at the same time. On one hand, as they try to consolidate power by fending off potential rivals, they develop an exclusionist policy that leads them to accumulate disproportionately high wealth and power. On the other, such exclusionist policy leads to developments of resentment among excluded groups which would be expressed through generalized hostility towards the privileged group as whole. These two developments enable the regime to increase internal cohesion. The control of huge resource among the minority elites allows them to spread it around hence reducing internal competition and conflict. More importantly the ever increasing hostility of elites of the ‘other’ towards the privileged group in general creates sense of collective insecurity and solidarity making 'sticking together' an inevitable reaction.

This is basically what has been happening in Ethiopian politics in the last two and half decades. Tigreans who make up no more than 6% of the population have come to monopolize the meager wealth and power that country has. The TPLF regime has control over national resource that can be spread around the Tigrean elite reducing competition and conflict among them. The repression and exclusion of the rest has led to ever intensification of vocal hostility towards Tigreans. In such situation, even those Tigreans who might not support the regime policy and are not attracted to wealth and power would have to join the mothership due to shared sense of existential threat to the collective.

In addition to this inevitable outcomes of minority domination, TPLF has adopted quite a clever strategy when it comes to dealing with Tigrean dissidents. Whenever there is fallout they avoid measures that could cause irreparable wound. Eg. following the 2001 breakup, although leaders of the losing faction were jailed, they were not subjected to the usual cruel treatment other opposition figures were put through. Siye & co were never tortured. Their family were not made destitute ( they remain in government housing and were financially compensated). Even when we look at how the regime dealt with Molla Asgedom’s group, we can observe that despite being the most heavily armed group, it was never declared as terrorist group and the state media avoided the defamation campaign it conducts against other rebels. Such softer approach has made it easy to achieve the reconciliation project launched after Meles’ death.

የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ፀረ-ልማት አይደለም፤እንደዉም የኢትዮጵያ የልማት አባት ነዉ እንጂ!

እንደሚታወቀዉ ከአጼ ምኒሊክ በፊት የዛረዉቱ ኢትዮጵያ የዛሬ ቅርጽ አልነበራትም፡፡በኦሮሚያም ሆነ በሌሎች ክልሎች ዉስጥ የሚገኙት ከተሞች አመሠራረታቸዉ ለነፍጠኞችሠራዊቶች ሲባል ከአዉሮፓ ባገኙት ነፍጥ (በዘመናዊ የጦር መሣሪያ) የአከባብን ሁኔታከቁጥጥራቸዉ ስር አስገብተዉ ከሠፈሩበት በኋላ ነገሩ ከተመ ወይም ከተማ አሉት፡፡አጼ ምኒሊክ ለአዉሮፓዉያንና ለአሜርካዉያን የኢትዮጵያን ልጆች ለባሪያ ንግድ በመሸጥበለወጡት በጦር መሳሪያ ኦሮሞዎችን፣ ደቡቦችን፣አፋሮችን፣ሱማሌዎችንና ወዘተ በጦርመሳሪያ እየለወጡ፣ እንዲሁም ባገኙ በጦር መሳሪያ፣ የተለያዩ የበፊቱ የኢትዮጵያንግዛቶች እንደ ኦሮሞ፣አፋር፣ከፋ፣ዎላይታ፣ወዘተን በመስበር የዛሬይቱ ኢትዮጵያን ፈጠሩት፡፡የነፍጠኞች ወታደሮች የኢትዮጵያ ብሔር ብሄረሰቦችን ለማስገበር ሲሉ ወደ ተለያዬ የኢትዮጵያክፍሌ አገሮች ዉስጥ ሲሰራጩ፣ የወታደሮች ካምፕ ይመሰርቱ ነበረ፡፡ ነፍጠኞቹ ግዛታቸዉንሲያከትሙ ነዉ ከተማን የመሰረቱት፡፡ በኦሮሚም ሆነ በሎሎች ክልሎች ዉስጥ ከተማ ሲከተምበሃይል፣ በግዳጅ፣ በግድያ፣በቅሚያና በወዘተ ነዉ ከተማ የተከተመ፡፡ ነፍጠኞቹ ወደ ተለያዬየኢትዮጵያ ክፍሌ አገሮች ዉስጥ ሲሰራጩ የአማርኛ ቋንቋ ተናጋሪ የሆኑና የኦርቶዶክስሀይማኖት ተከታይም የነበሩ፤በፊዉዳሊዚም ጊዜም ገበሬ ከሚያርሰዉ ምርት 1/3 ለኦርቶዶክስቤተክርስቲያን የሚሰጥ እንደነበረ ይታወቃል፡፡ አማርኛ ቋንቋ በብዛት በኢትዮጵያ ከተሞች ዉስጥለሚነገርበት ዋነኛዉ ምክንያትም ይህ ሆነዉ ነዉ እንጂ የቋንቋዎች ንጉስ ሆነዉ አይደለም፡፡መታየት ያለበት ሌለ ጉዳይ ደግሞ በተለይ በኦሮሚያ፣ በደቡብ፣ በአፋር፣ በሶማሌ፣ በጋምቤላ፣በጉሙዝና በወዘተ ዙሪያ የሚገኙ ከተሞቸ ዉስት በብዛት የሚኖሩ የአከባብ ተወላጆችአይደሉም፡፡ ዛሬም ብሆን በእነኚ የክልል ከተሞች ዉስጥ በብዛት የሚነገረዉ ቋንቋም አማርኛነዉ፡፡ አማሪኛ ለምን ተነገሬ ማለቴ አይደለም፤ ቋንቋ ሀብት ነዉና፡፡ እኔም አማርኛ በመቻሌነዉ ሀሳቤን በአማሪኛ እየገለጽኩኝ ያለሁት፡፡ ዋና ቁምነ ገሩ ግን ማንኛዉም ሰዉ ወደ ፈለገበትቦታ መሄድ፣መኖር፣መስራት፣መጉበኘትና ወዘተ ይችላል፡፡ ይህ ሰዉ ግን ወደ ፈለገበት ቦታመሄድ፣መኖር፣መስራትና መጉበኘት የሚችለዉ የአከባቢዉን ሕብረተሰብ ቋንቋንና ባህልንበማይጎዳ መልኩ መሆን አለበት፡፡ ዛሬ ግን በሌሎችም ሆነ በኦሮሚያ ክልል የሚናየዉ ነገርበጣም የሚገርም ነዉ፡፡ በአጼዎች ጊዜ አማርኛ እንደ የንጉስ ቋንቋ ተወስደዉ፣ ሌላዎቹንግን የማንቋሸሽና የመናቅ አዝማሚያ ይታይ ነበረ፡፡ በኢትዮጵያ በቆዳ ስፋትም ሆነ በብሄርብዛት ኦሮሚያና ኦሮሞ መሆኑን የሚክድ ሰዉ ያለ አይመስለኝም፡፡ ሆነዉም ግን የኦሮሞህዝብ ከአጼዎች ዘመን ጀሚሮ እስከ ዛሬ ድረስ ከስርዓቱም ሆነ ከከተማ ያገኘ ጥቅም የለም፡፡የኦሮሞ ህዝብ ያገኘ ነገር ብነገር ከቦታ መፈናቀል፣ተመልሰዉ አገልጋያቸዉ መሆን፣የራሱንቋንቋ ማጣት፣ሳይወድ በገዛ አገሩ የሌለ ብሄር ቋንቋና ባህል መቀበል (assimilation) ናየመሳሰሉት ግፎች ደርሶበታል፡፡ እዚህ ላይ የቀዲሞ የኢትዮጵያ የኮሚንኬሽን ጉዳዮች ሚኒስትርዲኤታ የነበሩ አቶ ኤርሚያስ ለገሰ በዲሮና በአሁኑ ስርዓት በኦሮሞች ላይ የተፈጸሙትናአሁንም እየተፈጸሙ ላሉት ግፎች የሚዘገንን ሲለመሆኑ ለኢሳት ቴሌቪዥን በ2014 በሰጠአስተያየት፣ ከወያኔ ጋር በሰራባቸዉ ጥቂት ዓመታት ዉስጥ ለሪልስቴቶች ብቻ ከአዲስአበባ ዙሪያ ከ29 የገጠር ቀበሌዎች 150.000 (መቶ ሃምሳ ሺህ) ኦሮሞዎች ተፈናቅለዉየገቡበት አይታወቅም ብሏል፡፡ ኦሮሞቹን አፈናቅለዉ እንደ ሀያት ሪልስቴቶች የሰሩትየወያኔ ቱባ ባለስልጣኖች መሆናቸዉን አቶ ኤርሚያስ በጠሰዉ ቃለ-ምልልስ ተናግሯል፡፡

በመመረዝ ምክንያት ሰውን በመጮረስ ላይ ያለው የቆቃ ሀይቅ 

ከተማንና ኦሮሞን በተመለከተ ሌላ ግፍ፣የሚገርም ነገር ብኖር፣ እኔ ራሴ በአይኔ ያየሁትነገር፣ አንዳንድ በኦሮሚያ ከተሞች ዉስጥ የተወለዱት ልጆች ኦሮሚኛ አለመቻላቸዉ ሳይሆንየገረመኝ፣እናት አማርኛ አትችልም፤ ልጇ ደገሞ ኦሮሚኛ አትችልም፡፡ እንደዚህ አይነቱየተዛባ ህብረተሰብ እስከ መቼ ነዉ የሚንፈጥረዉ? ግን ለምንድ ነዉ በኦሮሞና በኦሮሚኛ ላይየማጥፋት ዘመቻ የሚከፈተዉ? በኦሮሚያ እንብርት በሸገር-ፊንፊኔ ከተማ ኦሮሚኛ ቋንቋተንቀዉ የዉጪ ሀገር ቋንቋዎች እንደ ፈረሳይኛና አረብኛ በትምህርት መልክም ይሰጣል፣በብዙሃን መገናኛም ይነገራል፡፡ ኦሮሞ ይሄንን አይቶ ልክ አይደለም ብለዉ ተቃዉሞ ሲያቀርብምኑነዉ ጥፋቱ፣ ምኑነዉ ጠባብነቱ? ወያኔም የራሱን ቋንቋ ከጉዳት ሲያድነዉ ኦሮሞኛን ኣባካና አላለም፡፡ ወያኔ ወደ ስልጣን ሲመጣ በመቀሌ ከተማ ራሱ ትግርኛ ጠፈቶ በአማሪኛ ተተክቶእንደነበረና ከዚያ በኋላ ወያኔ በዱላ ማስመለሱንና ዛሬ ግን አማርኛ በትገራይ ክልልም ሆነ በመቀሌከተማ እንግዳ መሆኑን እኔ ራሴ መቀሌ ዩኒቨርሲቲ በሚማርበት ጊዜ ሰምቸም አይቼ ነበረ፡፡ከላይ እንደ ጠቀስኩኝ ሁሉ፣ አሁንም ደገሜ እላለሁኝ፤ ማንኛዉም ሰዉ ወደ ፈለገበት ቦታመሄድ፣መኖር፣መስራት፣መጉበኘትና ወዘተ ይችላል፡፡ በሰላማዊና በሰነጠለ ዓዕምሮ ሲናይ ይህሰዉ ግን ወደ ፈለገበት ቦታ መሄድ፣መኖር፣መስራትና መጉበኘት የሚችለዉ፣ የአከባቢዉንሕብረተሰብ ቋንቋንና ባህልን በማይጎዳ መልኩ መሆን አለበት፡፡ በኦሮሚያ እያየን ያለነዉነግር ይሄን የሚቃረን ነዉ፡፡ እዉነት ብንናገር እኮ አሪፍ ነዉ! ሌሎች ብሄር በኦሮሚያም ሆነበሌሎች ክልሎች ሲኖሩ በነርሱ ቋንቋና ባህል ሊያስተዳደሩን አይችሉም፤እንድሁም ቋንቋችንናባህላችንን ማጥፋትና መግደል የለባቸዉም፡፡ በባሕር ዳር፣ በጎንደርና በጎጀም በብዛት የሚኖረዉኦሮሞ ነዉ ወይስ አማራ ወይስ ትግሬ? በመቀሌ፣በአድዋና የመሳሰሉ ከተሞች ዉስጥ የኦሮሞህዝብ በነዋሪነት ይኖራልን? ወደ ኦሮሚያ ስንመጣስ፣ በሸገር፣በአዳማ፣በሻሻማኔ፣በአሰላ፣በድሬዳዋ፣ በነቀምት፣ በአዶላ፣ በጭሮ፣በያቤሎና በወዘተ የአማራ፣የትግሬ፣የደቡብ ብሄር ነዋሪብቆጠር እነርሱ ናቸዉ ወይስ ኦሮሞ ነዉ የሚበልጠዉ? አሁንም የሚገርማቹ ነገር፣ በብዙየኦሮሚያ ከተሞች ዉስጥ የመዋለ-ሕጻናት ት/ቤት በአማርኛ እንጂ የኦሮሚኛ ማግኘትያስቸግራል፡፡ ለዚህ ነዉዋ አንዳንድ ሰዎች ድብቅ አጀንዳቸዉን በሆዳቸዉ ይዘዉ አማርኛየሚነግስባት ባንዲት ኢትዮጵያ ስም የሚጮሁት! እኚህ ሰዎች እኩዕ ስራወቻቸዉን እንዳንረሳለምንድነዉ ክለሳ የሚሰጡን? የኦሮሞ ትግል የፈጠረዉ የቁቤ ትዉልድ እስካሌ ድረስ፣በጣትም ሆኔ በጥይት ህልማቸዉ እዉን ሲለማይሆንና እንደበፊቱ አማርኛ የነገስባትናኦሮሚኛም ሆነ ሌሎች ቋንቋዎች የሚጨቆኑባት እትዮጵያ ከእንግድህ ወዲህ ሊትፈጠርሲለማትችል ብዙም ሳይለፉ የህልም እንጀራቸዉን ወደ ጓዳቸዉ ቢመልሱት ይሻላቸኋል፡፡ይህ በእንድ እንዳሌ፣ሌላ ብሔር ወደ ኦሮሚያ መጥተዉ ከኦሮሚያ ስጠቀም፣ ኦሮሞ ደግሞከቤት ንብረቱ ስፈናቀል፤ ከድሮ ጀሚረዉ ከተለያየ ቦታ ለምሳሌ ለወንጂ ስኳር ፋብርካናለሸንኮራ እርሻ ልማት ሰበብ የተፈናቀሉ የከረዩና የጂሌ ኦሮሞች፣በመንግስት እርሻ ልማትሰበብ የተፈናቀሉ የአርሲና የባሌ ኦሮሞች፣ለከተማ ሲባል ከቀዬያቸዉና ንብረታቸዉ የተፈናቀሉየቱላማ ወይም የሸዋ ኦሮሞች፣ ከተለያየ ፋብርካ በሚወጣ መርዛማ ኬሚካሎች አከባብናወንዞች በተለይ አዲስ አባባ አከባቢ የሞጆ፣የአቃቂ፣የመቂንና ወዘተ ሲመረዙ ማየትይቻላል፡፡ ህሄንን በተመለከተ አቶ በቀለ ገርባ በ2002 ምርጫ ጊዜ የመድረክ ፓርቲን ወኪሎሲከራከሩ የነበሩ ይሄንኑ ነዉ በግልጽ ያስቀመጡት፡፡ እስት ማሰብ በሚችለዉ አእምሮእናስብና፣ወያኔና ጀለወቹ እንደሚሉን ኦሮሞ እዉነትም ጸረ-ልማት ነዉ? እዉነት ብንናገርለኢትዮጵያ ልማት እንደ ኦሮሞ የተጎዳ ማን ነዉ? ከብዙዎቹ ጉዳት አንድ ተጨባጪምሳሌ ልንገራችሁ፡፡ ብዙዎቻችን የሞጆ ከተማንና የሞጆ ወንዝን እናዉቃለን፡፡ ከአዳማወደ ሸገር-ፊንፊኔ ሲንመጣ በሞጆ ከተማ ዉስጥ ሲናልፍ ትራንስፖርት ዉስጥ ሆነንራሱ እዚያ በሚገኘዉ በቆዳ ፋብሪካ በተበከለ አየር ምክንያት ምን ያህል እንደሚንቸገርብዙዎቻችን እናዉቃለን፡፡ አቶ በቀለ ገርባም እንዳሉ የተመረዙና ነፍስ የለላቸዉ ወንዞች እንደሞጆ፣አቃቂ፣መቂንና ወዘተ በተለይ በሸገር-ፊንፊኔ ዙሪያና ምስራቅ ሻዋ ዉስጥ በብዛት ይገኛሉ፡፡

በሸገር-ፊንፊኔ ዙሪያና በምስራቅ ሻዋ ዉስጥ የተመረዙት ወንዞች ለሰዉና ለእንስሳት መጠጥሲዉል ብዙ ሰዎችና እንስሰችም ሲሞቱ አፉ በዉሸት ልማት የተሸበበዉ የኢትዮጵያ ሚዲያዎችእያዩ እንዳላዩ፣ እየሰሙ እንዳልሰሙ ሲሆኑ ከባህር ማዶ አልጄዚራ ነገሩን ሲሰማ እንደአገር ቤቱ ሚዲያዎቹ ጆሮ ዳባ ልበስ ማለት ሲላቃተዉ ባዳን የሚያሳዝን፣ ወገኑን ደገሞየሚያቃጥል ፕሮግራም ሰረቶበታል፡፡ ከዚህ ጋር በተያያዘ፣ ኢትዮጵያ ደህንነቶች የአገሪቱንምስጥር አዉጥተሃል በማለት እንዳስፈራሩት ጓደኛዬ የሆነ አንድ ጋዜጠኛ ነግሮኝ ነበር፡፡

አልጀዚራ ካነሳ ጉዳዮች ሁሉ አንጀቴን የበላኝ ሲለ ዓሚና በተሰብ ጉዳይ ነበረ፡፡ የቆቃ ወንዝበመመረዝ ምክንያት ዓሚና ከባሏ ጭምር 6 ልጆቹዋን ቀብራለች፡፡ አሚና እንደሚትለዉ ህሄወንዝ ገዳይ ወንዝ ነዉ፡፡ ከ 9 ቤተሰቦቸዋ 7 አጥታለች፡፡ “ችግራችን የሚሰማንና የሚረዳንየበላይ አካልም ሲለለለን እ/ሄርን ብቻ ነዉ የሚንተማመነዉ” በማለት ዓሚና ለአልጀዚራተናገራለች፡፡ አልጄዚራ ይሄንን ፕሮገራም በሚሰራበት ወቅት ሃዳ ወራን ዎይም ባለቤቱንቀብሮ ሀዘን ላይ የነበር ከድር የተባሌ ገበሬ እንድ ሲል ለአልጀዚራ ተናገረዋል፡፡ “ባለቤተበጉበት በሽታ ነች የሞተች፡፡ ለዚህ ያደረጋት ይህ የተበከለ ወንዝ መሆኑ ሀኪሞች ነግሮኛል፡፡ሁለችንም ሆዳችን ዉስጥ ያመናል፡፡ ከምንሞት ብለን ነዉ ይሄንን የተበከለ ዉሃ የሚንጠጠዉ፡፡ በሽታ እየጠጣን መሆናችን እናዉቃለን፣ሆኖም ግን አማርጭ የለንም፡፡ ይህ የተበከለወንዝ ሰዉና የቤት እንስሳ እየገደለ መሆኑን ለመንግስት ብንነገረዉም የሚሰማን አጣን፡፡”

ከተመረዘ ውሃ የቆቃ ሀይቅ በመጠጣጣታቸው ቤተሰቧን ጨምሮ ስድስት ልጆቿን ያጣችው አሚና 

ከአጼዎቹ ጊዜ ጀሚሮ በደቡብ ኦሮሚያ በጉጂ ዞን የሚትገኘዉን የአዶላና የሻኪሶ ወርቅእያመረቱ አከባብዉ ግን ተበከለዉና ተጎሳቅለዉ ይገኛል፡፡ ዛሬም ብሆን በአዓመት ለ17 ዓመታት4.5 ቶን ወይም 45 ኩንታል ወርቅ ከኦሮሚያ ከሻኪሶ እየተመረተ በየወሩ በአዉሮፒላንእየተጫነ ነዉ ያለዉ፡፡ እስከ ዛሬ ድረስ ብያስ 765 ኩንታል ወርቅ አምርቷል ማለት ነዉ፡፡እነርሱ እነ ሼክ አሊ አል ሙድ በአመት ከሻኪሾ 45 ኩንታል ወርቅ እናመርታለን አሉእንጂ ከዚያ በላይና ብዙ ዓይነት ማዕድኖችን እንደሚያመርቱ ወስጥ አዋቂዎቹ ይናገራሉ፡፡ ኦሮሚያ ለኢትዮጵያ ልማት በእርሻ፣ በማዕድን፣ በእንስሳት እርባታ፣ በቆዳና ወዘተ የጀርባአጥንት ሲትሆን ኦሮሞ ግን ምን ተጠቀሜ ለሚለዉን ጥያቄ እንስሳ ካልሆነ በስተቀር ማሰብየሚችል ሁሉ ማንሳቱ አይቀረ ነዉ፡፡ አቶ በቀለ ገርባ በ2002 ምርጫ ጊዜ የመድረክ ፓርቲንወኪሎ ሲከራከሩ በጉጂ ሻኪሾ አከባቢ በልማት ስም ግፍ እየተፈረ መሆኑ ሳያሳስቡ አላለፉም:

ጉጂ ሸኪሶ ለጋ ደምቢ የወርቅ መዐድን ኦሮሚያ

የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ፀረ-ልማትም አይደለም፤እንዶዉም የኢትዮጵያ የልማት አባት ነዉ እንጂ፡፡የኦሮሞ ህዝብ ለኢትዮጵያ ልማት ሲል የተጎዳ አሳዳጊ እንድሁም የዋህና ጥሩ አባት ነዉ፡፡ የዋህነት ግን ሞኝነት አይደለም፤አልፈዉም ተርፈዉ በኦሮሞ መሬት ላይ እየተቀመጠኦሮሞን እንደ ሞኝ የሚዘልፉ አልጠፉም፡፡በልማት ሥም፣ ዛሬም ብሆን ኦሮሞ መሬቱን እየአጣ ነዉ፤ ኦሮሞ እየተጎዳ ነው፡፡ ኦሮሞልማትን አይጠላም፡፡ የኦሮሞን ማንነት፣ቋንቋ፣ባህልና ወዘተን የሚያጠፋ ግን ይጠላል!ብዙ ገበሬዎች በእንቨስትመንት ስም በትንሽ ካሳ ከመሬታቸዉ የተነሱት ግን ተመልሰዉየባለ ሀብቶቹ አሽከር እየሆኑ ይገኛሉ፡፡ ኢ.ሕ.አ.ደ.ግ. እራሱ በቀረጸዉ በፖሊሲ የሚለዉመሬቱ በገበሬ እጅ ስለሚገኝ መሬት ይሸጥ ይለመጥ ከተባሌ ገበሬዉ የባለብቶቸ አሽከርሲለሚሆኑ፣ የመሬት ሽያጭ በኢ.ሕ.አ.ደ.ግ. መቃብር ላይ ነዉ ይላሉ፡፡ ነገር ግንየኢ.ሕ.አ.ደ.ግ. ካድሬዎች ያወጡትን ሕግ መልሰዉ እያፈረሱ ናቸዉ፡፡ በተለይ ወያኔዎቹብዙ ሀብት ካፈሩ በኋላ መሬት ይሸጥ ይለመጥ ይመስል በተለያዩ ቦታዎች በልማት ስምገበሬዎቹን እያፈናቀሉ ለዉጪ ባለሀብቶች እየሸጡ ለራሳቸዉም መሬቱን እየወረሩ ናቸዉ፡፡

ከዚህ ጋርም በተያያዘ፣ ብሰሙ ኖሮ አቶ በቀለ ገርባ በ2002 ምርጫ ጊዜ የመድረክ ፓርቲንወኪሎ ሲከራከሩ የኢትዮጵያ መንግስት መሬትን ኢትዮጵያ ዉስጥ ያሉትን የአፍ መሸበብያ፣ዉጪ አገር ያሉት ሰዎችን እንደ ማግነት መሳቢያ መሳሪያ እየሆኔ መምጣቱን ተናገሮ ነበረ፡፡

ሲለ መሬቱ ሲናነሳ በጣም የሚያሳዝነኝ ነገር ልንገራችሁ፡፡ እኛ በተለይ ወጣቱ ትዉልድበጣም ክፉ እድል ገጥሞናል፡፡ ብንማርም ትምህታችን በወያኔ ዘንድ ዋጋ አጣ፡፡ haadhahaadha qaba taanaan intalli akkoo qabdii? ይላል አንድ የኦሮሚኛ ተረት፡፡ ትርጉምምእናቱዋ እናት ሲለሌላት ልጂቱዋ አያት ከዬት ታመጣለች? ድሮ የተማሬ ሰዉ ከተማ ዉስጥቤት እንድሰራ መሬት ይሰጠዋል፡፡ ዛሬ ግን ወያኔ እያሌ ወጣቱ ትዉልድ ብያንስ 15 ዓመትበትምህርት ተቃትሎ ከወጣም በኋላ በከተማ ዉስጥ የመኖሪያ መሬት አገኝተዉ ቤት መስራትቀርቶ ተከራይቶ መኖር አይችልም፡፡ በመጀመሪያ ጊዜ እዉነትም አቶ በቀሌ ገርባ እንደሚሉመሬት የአፍ መሸበቢያና ሰዎችን ወደ ራሳቸዉ የሚሲቡበት መሳሪያ ነበረ፡፡ ጥቂቶቹ መሬትንእየቸበቸቡ ሚሊኔር ሆነዉ ተንደላቅቀዉ ሲኖሩ፣ ሰፊዉ ህዝብ ግን በደህነት ማቂ ተይዟል፡፡ሁሉንም መሬቶች ከወረሩ በኋላ፣ የወረሩትን መሬቶች እንዴት ለራሳቸዉ ብቻ ሳይነቃባቸዉተጠቃሚ ለመሆን ከጥቂት ዓመታ በፊት የመሬት አሰጣጥ ቆመዋል በማለት አወጁ፡፡ ትንሽከቆዩ በኋላ መሬቱ በሊዚ በጨረታ ይሰጣል በማለት ብቅ አሉ፡፡ ማስተዋል ያለብን ሌላምስጥር በዛረዉ ጊዜ ገንዘብ ያለዉና መሬትን ተጫሪተዉ የመግዛትና የመዉሰድ አቅም ያለዉማን ነዉ? አንድ ባለስልጣን በሸገር-ፊንፊኔ ዉስጥ 84 ቦታ በወረራ ሲይዝ፣ ይህ ድርጊት 84ሚሊየን የኢትዮጵያን ህዝብ ቤት አልባ ያረገዋል፡፡ ከዚህ በመሬት ጉዳይ ጋር በተያያዜ በሆነጊዜ በኔ አቶ ደመቄ መኮንን በሚመራ የኢ.ህ.አ.ደ.ግ ባለስልጣን ልዑካን ቡድን አሜሪካ ዉስጥበኢትዮጵያኖች እንደተሸማቃቁና በቅርብ ጊዜም አቶ ረደዋን ሁሴን ሀገሩ ሰላም ነዉ ብለዉአሜሪካ ዉስጥ ወደ አንዲት ሱቅ ገብተዉ እቃ ሲሸሚት በማዋረድ ስራ ቅስሙ ተሰብረዋል፡፡

ኢ.ሕ.አ.ደ.ግ. መቼ ነዉ የሚገባዉ?

ኢ.ሕ.አ.ደ.ግ. የገባዉ ቢሆን ኖሮ፣ ዲሞኪራሳዊት ሀገር የሚኖሩና የራሳቸዉን እስትንፋስየሚተነፍሱ የሆዳቸዉን እንደሚያወሩ ሁሉ፣ ባገር ቤት የሚኖሩ ሰዎችም፣ እስንፋሳቸዉንሲለማይተነፉ በብዛት አዉጥተዉ አይናገሩም እንጂ አንጀታቸዉ እንዳረረ በቀላሉ መረዳትይቻላል፡፡ወደ መጀመሪያ ቁምነገረ ልመለስና፣ ቱባ ባለስጣኖቸሁና ጀለዎቹ ሁሉንም መሬቶች ከወረሩበኋላ፣ የወረሩትን መሬቶች እንዴት ለራሳቸዉ ብቻ ሳይነቃባቸዉ ተጠቃሚ ለመሆን ከጥቂትዓመታ በፊት የመሬት አሰጣጥ ቆመዋል በማለት ያወጁትን፣ ትንሽ ከቆዩ በኋላ መሬቱበሊዚ በጨረታ ይሰጣል በማለት ብቅ አሉ፡፡ በተለይ ይህ የመሬት መቀራመት ወይም ወረራበዲስ አበባ ባሉት በኦሮሚያ ከተሞች ከተካሄደ በኋላ በልማት ስም አዲስ ፕላን በማዉጣት፣የፊንፊኔ ዙሪያ ልዩ ዞን ከተሞች ሁሉ በአዲስ አበባ ስር ገብተዉ መልማት አለበት ብለዉየልማት ተቆርቋሪ ሆነዉ ብቅ ማለት ጀመሩ፡፡ ከዚህ በፊትም የወያኔ መንግስት የአዳማ ከተማየኦሮሞ ዋና ከተማ ነዉ ብለዉ ኦሮሞን ከአዲስ አበባ ሲያስወጣ፣ የዩኒቨርሲቲ ተማረዎችነቅተዉ ቢቃወሙም የገጠማቸዉ ግን መታሰርና ከትምህርታቸዉ መባርሩ ነበር፡፡ በሚገርምሁኔታ ግን በምርጫ 97 ጊዜ ቅንጅት በአዲስ አበባ ሙሉ በሙሉ ምርጫዉን ሲያሸንፍ፣ወያኔ ግን “አዲስ አበባ አባት አላት፤የሀገሩ አባት ኦሮሞ ነዉ” በማለት በእጁ የጠፈጠፈዉንኦ.ሕ.ደ.ድ. ባንድ ማግስት ወደ አዲስ አበባ እንደመለሱ በነጋሪት ጠራ፡፡ 300 የሚሆኑ የኦሮሞተማሪዎች ከአዲስ አበባ ዩኒቨርሲቲ የተባረሩትና የታሰሩት ተማሪዎች ከተጎዱ በኋላ እዉነትአገኙ ማለት ነዉ፡፡ የወያኔ መንግስት ይህን ያደረገበት ዋንኛዉ ምክንያት፣ በአማራ ህዝብናበኦሮሞ ህዝብ መኃከል ጥላቻን በመዝራት እድሜዉን ለማዛረም እንደሆነ ይታወቃል፡፡ ኦሮሞን

ሲሰበስብ ለኦሮሞቹ ነፍጠኛ ተመልሰዉ ልመጣባችሁ ነዉ….ምናምንተ እያለ፣ አማራን ሲበሰብደግሞ ለአማራዎቹ፣ እኔ ከሌለሁ ኦነግ ይመጣባቸኋልና ይበቀለቸኋል በማለት ያወናብዳል፡፡በኢ.ፈ.ዲ.ሪ. ሕገ-መንግስት አንቀጽ ፵፺/፶ (49/5) ላይ የሚለዉ፣ የኦሮሞ ህዝብ ከአዲስ አበባልዪ ጥቅም ማግኘት አለበት ይላል፡፡ የኦሮሞ ህዝብ እንኳን ልዪ ትቅም ከማግኘት ሌሎቹኢትዮጵያዉይን ያገኙት ጥቅም አላገኘም፡፡ ሲጀመር ራሱ አዲስ አባባ የማን ነች የሚል ነገርመቀመጥ ነበረበት፡፡ ከዚህ በፊትም የወያኔ መንግስት የአዳማ ከተማን የኦሮሞ ዋና ከተማነዉ ብለዉ ኦሮሞን ከአዲስ አበባ ሲያስወጣና የዩኒቨርሲቲ ተማረዎች ነቅተዉ ቢቃወሙም፣ኦ.ሕ.ደ.ድ ትዕዛዙን ተቀብሎ ሲሄድ፣ በምርጫ 97 ጊዜ ቅንጅት በአዲስ አበባ ሙሉ በሙሉሲያሸንፍ፣ ወያኔ “አዲስ አበባ የኦሮሞ ናት፤ ሀገር አባት አላት፤የሀገሩ አባት ኦሮሞ ነዉ”በማለት በእጁ የጠፈጠፈዉን ኦ.ሕ.ደ.ድ. ባንድ ማግስት ወደ አዲስ አበባ ስለ ጠራ፣ ይህ የፖሊትካቁማር ብዙዎችንና ወኔ ያላቸዉ ኦ.ሕ.ደ.ድ.ዎችን አናደድዉ ነበር፡፡ የወያኔ መንግስት በልማትስም አዲስ ፕላን በማዉጣት የፊንፊኔ ዙሪያ ልዩ ዞን ከተሞች ሁሉ በአዲስ አበባ ስር አስገብቸአለመለሁ ብለዉ፣ በልማት ስም የልማት ተቆርቋሪ ሆነዉ በአዲስ አበባ ነገር ለ2ኛዉ ጊዜ ብቂ ሲልበብዙዎቹ ዘንድ ከዚህ በፍት በአዲስ አበባ ስም የተቆመረ ቁማር ትዝ ሲላቸዉ፣ ወያኔ ባልጠበቀመልኩ እንኳን ከዩኒቨርሲቲ ተማሪዎች ይቅርና ከአ.ሕ.ደ.ድ. አበላትም ተቃዉሞ ገጠመዉ፡፡የወያኔ መንግስት በኦነግ ለይ በሰራ ሴራ፣ ኦነግን ከሀገር ካስወጣ በኋላ፣ አባት እንደሌላቸዉልጆች በኦሮሞ ህዝብ ከሀያ ዐመታት በላይ ብጫወትበትም፣ ኦነግ በቀረጸዉ ቁቤ ወይም ፊደልየተማርነዉ የቁቤ ትዉልደችና የተጨቆነ የኦሮሞ ህዝብ ሁሉ ሙሉ በሙሉ ወደ ኦነግነትተቀይሯል፡፡ ኦነግ ሀገር ዉስጥ የለም ብሎ ወያኔ ብጨፍርብንም ግድያ፣ እስራት፣ ጭቆና፣ግርፋት፣ስደት፣ድህነትና ወዘተ ያማረራቸዉ የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ሁሉና፣ በስተት በኦህደድ OPDOላይ ተስፋ አድርገዉ እንድሁም ለዉጥ ሊያመጣልን ይችላል በማለት ለOPDO እድል ሰጥተዉትየነበሩ ሁሉ ለራሳቸዉ በራሳቸዉ ባሁኑ ጊዜ ወደ ኦነግነት ተለዉጧል፡፡ አቶ አባይ ፀሃዬይሄንኑም ሲላወቀ ነዉ ወሰለኝ አንዳንድ የኦ.ሕ.ደ.ድ. ባለስልጣኖችን ልክ ለማስገባት የዛተባቸዉ፡፡የወያኔ መንግስት ያሴረዉ ሴራ፣ በአዲስ አበባና በዲስ አባባ ከተሞች ልዩ ዞን ዙሪያብዙ ንብረት ሲላፈራ፣ የኦሮሞ ገበሬዎችን ከመሬታቸዉ እያፈናቀለ አዲስ አባባን ከሌላክልል ጋር በማገናኘት፣ አዲስ አበባን ከኦሮሞ ህዝብ እጅ በማዉጣት ኦሮሞና አማራንበማጋጨት እጁን ታጥቦ ለመብለት ተዘጋጅቷል፡፡ በተለይ ወያኔ አዲስ አበባን በደብረ ብርሃንከተማ በኩል ከአማራ ክልል ጋር በማገናኘት፣ከወሊሶም አሳልፈዉ ከጉራጌ ጋር በማያያዝኦሮሚያን በሁለት ቦታ በመክፈል አዲስ አበባን ከኦሮሚያ እጅ ለማዉጣት የተንኮል አጀንዳእንደለዉ ተደርሰዉበታል፡፡ የወያኔ ሴራ ቀስ በቀስ በአዲስ አበባ ዙሪያ ያሉት ከተሞችንከኦሮሚያ ግዛት እያነጠቀ፣ ኦሮሚኛን የሚትገድልና አማርኛና ትግርኛን የሚታወራ አዲስአበባን ከደብረ ብርንና ከወልቂጤ ጋር ማገናኘት ነበረ፡፡ ከዚያም አዲስ አበባ የኦሮሞ ናትባለዉ አፉ፣ ወያኔ አዲስ አበባን ከአማራና ከደቡብ ክልሎች ጋር በማገናኘት ሸገር-ፊንፊኔየኦሮሞ አይደለችም በማለት፣ እኛ ሲንባላ ለራሱ ዘና ብለዉ ለመኖር እንደፈለግ ታዉቋል፡፡አንድ የኦሮሚኛ ተረት እንደምለዉ፣ “qoreen qoree hin waraantu, namni qoreelamaan wal-waraansisuuf yaale ofumaaf waraannama” ትርጉሙም፣ ሁለት እሾኮችአይወጋጉም፣ ሁለት እሾኮችን ለማወጋጋት የሞከረ ሰዉ ለራሱ ይወጋል ማለት ነዉ፡፡ በዚህአጋጣሚ ማለት የሚፈልገዉ ነገር ቢኖር፣ በሰብዓዊ ሕሊና አማራና ኦሮሞ በወያኔ ሴራ በመንቃት

አብረዉ የወያኔ መንግስት ለመጣልና ነጻነት ለማግኝት መታገል አለባቸዉ ባይ ነኝ፡፡ ኦሮሞሲጨፈጨፍ አማራ አይመለከተኝም ማለት የለበትም፡፡ አማራም ሲጨፈጨፍ ኦሮሞም ዝምማለት የለበትም፡፡ የጋር ጠላታቸዉን በጋራ ብዋጉ የተሻሌ ይመስለኛል፡፡ ይህን ከላደረግን በ21

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ክፍለ ዘመን ዉስጥም የጥያቄያችን መልስ እንደሚናየዉ ጥይት ይሆናል፡፡ እዚህ ጋር መገንዘብያለበት ነገር ግን ብዙዎቹ በኢትዮጵያ ስም ለአማራ የሚታገሉ፣ ለኦሮሞ ትግል ቦታ የማይሰጡምእንዳሉ መረሳት የለበትም፡፡እነዚህ ሰዎች ለትግላችን ቦታ ባይሰጡም፣እኛ አንጎዳም፣ ድሮምደቦ አልለመንናቸዉም፡፡ ነግር ግን ለትግላችን ጥሩ ሀሳብ ቢኖራቸዉ ለራሳቸዉ ራሱ ጥቅምነዉ፡፡ በነጻነታችን ቀንተዉ የሚሞቱ ሰዎች ካሉ ከወድሁ የሬሳ ሳጥን ቢያዘጋጁ መልከም ነዉ፡፡የኦሮሞ ህዝብ ከድሮ ጀምሮ በተደራጀና በተናጠል እየታገለ ነዉ፡፡ በተለይ በቅርብ ጊዜየወያኔ መንግስት፣ በአዲስ አበባና በአዲስ አበባ ዙሪያ ከተማዎች በተቀናጀ በጋራ ልማትስም ያወጠዉ ማሰተር ፕላኑ የኦሮሞን ህዝብና የኦሮሞን መሬት የሚያጠፋ ሲለሆነበሚገርም ሁኔታ ተቋሞና ትግሉን አፏፏሜ፡፡በጣም የገረመኝ ነገር ሌላ ነግር ብኖር፣ በንጉሱጊዜ የዩኒቨርሲቲ ተማሪዎች ያሰሙ የነበሩ መፈክርና በቅርቡ የዩኒቨርሲቲ ተማሪዎችያሰሙት መፈክር አንድ አይነት የመሆኑ ጉዳይ ነዉ፡፡ በንጉሱ ጊዜ የነበሩ የዩኒቨርሲቲተማሪዎች መሬት ለአራሹ እያሉ ነበረ፤ በቅረቡ የዩኒቨርሲቲ ተማሪዎች ገበሬዎችከመሬታቸዉ እንዳይፈናቀሉ! መሬቱ የገበሬ ነዉ እያሉ ነበር፡ለመሆኑ ወዴት እያመራን ነን?በዚያን ጊዜ ከተቀረጹት ፊልሞች መመልከት እንደ ቻልኩኝ፣ በንጉሱ ጊዜ የነበሩ የዩኒቨርሲቲተማሪዎች ሰለማዊ ሰልፍ ሲወጡ፣በዚያን ጊዜ የነበሩ ፖሊሶች ለተማርዎች የጥይት መልስአልመለሱም፡፡ ዛሬ ግን ወያኔ በ21

ኛዉ

 ክፍለ ዘመን የጥይት መልስ እየሰጠ፣ በጠራራፀሃይ በ2014 በአምቦ፤በባሌ፣በጉደር፤በነቀምት፣ በሻምቡ፣በጊምብ፣በነጆ፣በአይራ፣በደምቢዶሎ፣በሴላሌና ወዘተ በመቶዎቹ የሚቆጠሩ ሰዎችን ሲገድል፣ በጎንደር አከባብም 6 ሰዎችንተኩሰዉ መግደሉ ተሰምተዋል፡፡ አንዳደም ወታደሮቹ ጦር ሜዳ መስሏቸዉ፣ በሰላማዊዜጎች ለይ የተኩስ እሩምታ ሲከፍቱ፣አገሪቱ በወታደሮች ብቻ ነዉ እነደ የሚትተዳደረዉያስብላል፡፡ በአምቦና በባሌ ሮቤ በመዳ ወላቡ ዩኒቨርሲቲ በተማሪዎችና በነዋሪዎች ላይበወያኔ የተከፈተ የተኩስ እሩምታን የሰማ ሰዉ፤ በምርጫ የወያኔ መንግስት መቀየር ዘበትእደሆነ ተገንዝቦ፣ ንብረቱን ሽጠዉ በስደትም የዓሳ እራት ከሚሆንና ከሰዉ አገር ተዋረደዉከመሞት በሚሰደድበት ገንዘብ ጠበንጃን በመግዛት ከወያኔ ጋር ለመፋለም ይወስናል፡፡

ሃሳቤን ባጭሩ ለመቋጨት፣ የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ልማትን ጠልተዉ አይደለም የፊንፊኔ ዙሪያ የልዩዞን አዲስ አበባ ስር መግባትን የጠላ፡፡ የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ከዚህ በኋላ የወያኔን ቃል የሚያምንበትልብ አጥቷል፡፡ እስት ሕሊና ያለዉ የኢትዮጵያ ልጅ ሁሉ ከዚህ በፊት ወያኔ በኦሮሞሕዝብ ላይ የሰራዉን ተንኮል በማሰብ በኦሮሞ ቦታ ሆነዉ ይፍረድ! እኔ በበኩሌ አላምንም፡፡በኢትዮጵያ ዉስጥ የሚገኙ እስር ቤቶች፣ በነርሱ ቋንቋ ማረሚያ ቤቶች 90 በመቶ የሚሆኑዜጎች የኦሮሚኛ ቋንቋ ተናጋሪ ነዉ ይባላል፡፡ የኦሮሞ ህዝብ የዋሕና ለሌሎች ሕዝቦችየሚራራና ከወንጀል ጋርም የሚያስተሳስረዉ ነገር እንደሌለ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ያዉቃል፡፡ የወያኔ መንግስት ግን ኦሮሞን ሲለ ፈራ ብቻ፣ ስልጣን በጨበጠዉ አጋጣሚ ተጠቅሞ፣በኦሮሞቹ ለይ የፈጸሜ ሴራ ሲያንሰዉ፣ ጨፍጭፈዉና አስረዉ መጨረስ አቅቶታል፡፡የኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ልማትን አይጠላም፤እሺ እዉነትም፣ ነገሩ ለልማት ከሆነ፣ የፊንፊኔዙሪያ ልዩ ዞንን ከኦሮሚያ ክልል ማስተዳደር ሥር ለምን ማዉጣት ፈለጉ? ድረዉምሁሉም ነገር በነርሱ ትዕዛዝ እንደሚከናዉን እናዉቃለን፡፡ ኦሮሚያ ሲር ሆና መልማትአትችልም ነበር? ኦሮሚያ ልማት ለይ አይደለችም ማለታቸዉ ነዉ? አንድ የኦሮሚኛ ተረትእንደሚለዉ፣ “bineensi bosona keessaa gugatu/fiigu kan ciisu kaasaa” ይላል፡፡ ትርጉሙም፣ከጫካ ዉስጥ ተነስቶ የሚሮጥ አዉሬ ሌላ የተኛዉን አዉሬ ያስነሳል ማለትነዉ፡፡ ተረቱም እንደሚያሳየን በግድያ፣በእስራት፣በግርፊያ፣በመገልለ፣ፊትሕ በማጣት፣በድህነት፡ በስራ አጥነት፣ ተምረዉ በመናቁና በወዘተ የተማረሩ የኦሮሞ ተወላጆች፣ የፊንፊኔዙሪያ ልዩ ዞን ከተሞች ከኦሮሚያ መስተዳደር ሥር እንድወጡና አዲስ አበባ ስር ማስገባትየተባለዉን ፒላን ለዩኒቭርሲቲ ተማርዎች በሰላማዊ ሰልፍ ላይ ጥይት መልስ ሆነዉ ስለተመለሰላቸዉና በወያኔ መንግስት የተማረረ ሕዝብ የተቃዉሞዉ ሰልፉን ወደ ሕዝባዊአመጽ ቀይሮታል፡፡ ሌሎች የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች፣ አንዲነት ለፊትሕና ለዲሞኪራሲ ፓርቲበ2014 በአዲስ አበባ ባደረገዉ ሰላማዊ ሰልፍ ላይ እዳስታወቀ፣ የወያኔ መንግስት በኦሮሞቹላይ እያደረገ ያለዉ ጭፍጨፋ ያሳዘናቸዉና አጥብቀዉም እንደሚቃወሙ ገልጸዋል፡፡የወያኔ መንግስት ከዚህ በፊትም አማራዎችን፣ አኟኮችን፣ጉሙዞችን፣ ደቡቦችን፣አፋሮችን፣ሶመሌዎችንና ወዘተን ሰለጨፈጨፈ ፊትሕ የሚትፈልግ ኢትዮጵያዊሁሉ፣ ባገር ዉስጥም ሆነ በዉጪ የሚትገኝ ተጨቋኝ ህዝቦች ሁሉ በኦሮሚያክልል በሁሉም ቦታ የተጀመረ የኦሮሞን አመጽ በመደገፍ በወያኔ መንግስት