THE 50TH JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE OROMO LIBERATION FRONT
Commemorate Our Martyrs, Celebrate Our Achievements, Set Our Future Directions
The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is a political right-based liberation front in the sense that it is fighting for the collective and individual rights of the Oromo people and citizens of Oromia. Its unwavering and ever shining political objective is to ensure, protect and defend Oromo people’s right to self-determination. OLF is demanding the universally accepted collective rights for its people. It is fighting to repossess the freedom, liberty and democracy the Oromo people lost to the Abyssinian colonizers. It is struggling to regain its people’s sovereignty and sense of nationhood and have the power to make decisions on its own matters independently without any external interference. OLF firmly believes it is only securing the right to self -determination that guarantees prevalence of freedom, justice, liberty and democracy for the Oromo people. Anything short of the right to self-determination would remain existential threat to these people.
Ethiopian Empire state did everything in its capacity to eliminate the language, culture, system of governance and livelihoods of the Oromo people for over a century if not the people. The Oromo people were enslaved like any other African countries that suffered under their colonial masters. Empire Ethiopia was built upon their enslavement. Their forefathers’ hands were chopped off; their foremothers’ breasts were cut off; both their men and women were sold like domestic animals; they were robbed off their land and hence their nation. They were dehumanized and degraded; and given derogatory name called Galla. All brutal incidences that happened to colonized African countries also happened to the Oromo people in Oromiya perhaps in the worst manner.
However, the Oromo people have fought back against the successive tyrant regimes to retrieve their social, cultural, economic and political resources, which the Ethiopian Empire tried tirelessly to eradicate. The Oromo people expressed their strong desire for nationhood soon after they were colonized by the Abyssinians in the last decades of the 19th century. The Oromo people never stopped fighting against the colonial force in various forms and ways.
More organized pan-Oromo struggle with clear political objective and vision started in 1973 with the establishment of the Oromo Liberation Front. The Empire nature of Ethiopia was gone with the downfall of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 by the Oromo struggle and the students’ movement under the dictum “Land to the Tillers”. Although the Empire state was gone, key characteristics of the Empire have continued to exist to the present days.
The Oromo people’s struggle led by the Oromo Liberation Front has not yet achieved its ultimate political objective. However, there are some notable victories to be celebrated in its 50th year Golden Jubilee Anniversary.
a) Oromo unity: the Oromo once again reclaimed its unity for the first time after they were divided by the colonizers along clans, geographic settlement, religious sects, etc. The OLF unequivocally fought to build Oromummaa as the core and common identity embracing all Oromo regardless of their religion, geographic settlement and other classifications. All the martyrs especially those in Shiniga have cemented their unity in a manner that no force can any more divide them ever;
b) State of Oromiya: Oromiya has been recognized as the single biggest member state to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia both in the number of population and geographical size even though all its territorial claims have not yet been secured and settled. Oromo people and Oromiya are known to the international community today;
c) The Oromo language: Afaan Oromo is recognized as a medium of communication in schools and a working language in State of Oromiya. Newspapers, journals, stories, fictions, and various books are being published in Afaan Oromo despite the hostile political environment;
d) Oromo culture: cultural restorations have taken place to extent it looks like a revolution. Celebration of Irreechaa (the traditional thanksgiving ceremony) is now becoming the biggest anniversary in Oromiya. Attempt to retrieve the Oromo democratic governance system (Gadaa) marks some vivid achievements though a lot must be done before it becomes a well-functioning institution. Oromo cultural dresses and foods are being commercialized and widely spreading in Oromiya and beyond;
e) Oromo Arts: the Oromo music industry is fast growing. The Oromo music played very decisive role in conscientizing and mobilizing the Oromo people towards the struggle for freedom and democracy. Its immense role in demonstrating the Oromo culture is increasingly recognized by the world community. Oromo drama, theatre, film industries have begun emerging and growing though yet to be institutionalized;
f) Confidence building: majority of the new generation Oromo are called after Oromo names and confident about their being Oromo. There is massive difference between the new (Qubee) generation and previous old generations in terms of reviving own identity; and
g) International Diplomacy: despite the OLF efforts, the international community used to undermine the OLF political agenda for decades. This time, however, the OLF political agendas have received wide recognition and attention without which sustainable political stability can never be achieved in the Horn of Africa.
These victories demanded enormous sacrifices. In this long journey of 50 years struggle, the Oromo lost hundreds of thousands of heroes and heroines. Elemo Kiltu, Tadese Birru, Baro Tumsa, Magarsa Bari, Jarra Abba Gada, Badho Dachas, Gada Gemeda, Aboma Mitiku, Yigezu Benti, Muhe Abdo, Nedhi Gemeda, Gammachis Dhaabaa, Buruyso Boru, Milkessa Gada, Gutema Hawas, Nagasa Kumsa, Guutuu Caalii, Lagasa Wagi are some of the top OLF leadership who paid the ultimate sacrifice to pave the way for freedom and democracy. Tens of thousands of the Oromo sons and daughters have been tortured, dehumanized and languished in various prisons and concentration centres largely without due process of law. Similar number of persons have fled the country to African, European, North American countries and elsewhere to save their lives.
The 1980’s Shinniga massacre of OLF delegates in Ogaden was a huge milestone in reaffirming the unity of the Oromo people ever. The forceful split of Oromo people along religious doctrines was buried together with the bodies of these martyrs. The martyrs are always remembered as historical and symbols of Oromo unity in generations to come. The 1991 and 2018 OLF concessions to democratize the Empire Ethiopia ended up in vicious operations aimed at eliminating the organization. Both times, the OLF lost thousands of its armed forces and thousands of peaceful youth (Qeerroo/Qarree) campaigners, respectively. In the last 50 years, the OLF freedom fighters have never stopped fighting and hence paying ultimate sacrifices. We celebrate the OLF 50th anniversary of its foundation commemorating all the known and the unknown martyrs.
The OLF has continued to provide its leadership to ensure the aspiration of its people – the right to self-determination despite all the challenges facing the organization. As we prepare for the celebration of the anniversary, there is no peace and stability in most parts of Oromiya; fighting is continuing between the Oromo Liberation Army and the Prosperity Party Government Army; innocent people are killed; over a million people are displaced; and tens of thousands of the Oromo people are unlawfully suffering in various prisons and detention centres. Top OLF leadership and senior members, including OLF Executive Committee members Abdi Regassa and Michael Boran, have been kept in prison for three years without due process of the law. All offices of the OLF are closed by the government.
OLF has ever been resilient and invariant in the face of all these challenges and continued to play its leadership role until it ensures the Oromo rights to self-determination. As it celebrates its 50th years Anniversary, the OLF continues to:
• call on the Ethiopian government and all concerned parties behind this government to peacefully settle the war between Oromiya and Ethiopia. OLF is ready to play its role to provide ultimate political solutions to the prevalent further political crisis;
• work for the establishment of a National transitional government in Oromiya to facilitate peaceful transition to democracy and constitutional order;
• strengthen and further consolidate its partnership and cooperation with sister organizations, and all other political parties and pertinent civic organizations sharing similar political objectives;
• relate to the international communities to create massive awareness about the Oromo political situation and solicit their support for the just cause;
• organize and mobilize the youth, men and women of Oromiya to stand up for the rights, defend their political gains and fight against the continued operation and tyranny.
Victory to the Masses!
Coordinating Committee, the 50th Jubilee Anniversary of the OLF Foundation
June, 2023
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