By Falmataa T.
Like the Oromo people, several other peoples in the empire state of Ethiopia have been under the yoke of Abyssinian colonialism since the creation of that empire in its present form. With ideological and material support of its allies, the Abyssinian regime conquered the southern peoples one after another, targeting one nation at a time. This sequential conquer helped them to re-enforce their colonial army with the resources and manpower of the already conquered people in their subsequent attacks on the remaining southern nations. This shows that the defeat of one people have facilitated the defeat of the rest of the southern people. In this regard, with its vast human and natural wealth, the occupation of Oromia had created a perfect opportunity for colonial army and opened a door for the occupation of the remaining southern nations. Such type of divide and attack strategy was a standard tactic used by all colonial powers, and as such, was not a unique Abyssinian tactic
After southerners were all conquered in such a way, our fate has been one and the same. The magnitude and type of colonial segregation the Oromos have experienced are very similar with the ones used on Somalis, Afars, Gedi’os, Gambelas and Bani-shanguls. We are all equally looted, brutally massacred, denied our human and democratic rights and all together are reduced to a secondary citizen. All these facts demonstrate that we southerners are linked by history and fate. Our common misfortune calls for our joint action to reverse it. We are colonized together and therefore we must be liberated together. This is the firm belief of the OLF and the Oromo people.
The truth being this, successive Abyssinian colonial regimes have been trying everything in their capacities to bury this fact. They did everything they could to apply the old colonial game of divide and rule and sow the seed of permanent animosity between the colonized peoples in the south. They designed several tactics that induce conflicts between colonized peoples. In places where they were successful, they have inflicted countless bloodsheds between neighbouring peoples. They did so between Oromos and Somalis, Oromos and Afars, Oromos and Isas, Oromos and Gedi’os etc. Their fear is obvious, if the oppressed nations unite, their joint action will crash their colonial regime in no time. More than the oppressed, the oppressors know the might of the united oppressed people. To eliminate that potential the oppressors have left no stone unturned.
As a apart of this general picture, the wayane have recently embarked on another wave of campaign of blackmailing the Oromo national movement. The effort is to turn other peoples, residing in Oromia, against the just cause of Oromos. They are disseminating a baseless fabricated cheap propaganda campaign telling the people that: if Oromos get to power they will swallow you, will expel you from Oromia etc. The fact that the current Tigray regime and the old Amara regime have both used the same propaganda shows that they are all the same when it comes to the Oromo question. They all know what they did to the Oromo people and so that they all fear from the Oromo people and its just cause. They want to depict its struggle as a monster to deny it any sympathy and support.
However, the aim of the Oromo struggle is very far from what they think. The aim of the Oromo struggle led by the OLF is only to gain back our country that was taken away from us by force. It is not, in any way, against the rights of any other people. The OLF believes that the Oromo people win the right to self-determination and open up a venue for other peoples to achieve the same rights. After winning the right to self-determination, the Oromo people will live side by side with its neighbours in peace, equality and respect. The OLF believes that peace and security in the region is possible only when oppressions of any sort are eliminated and peoples live together through mutual understanding, equality and respect for each other’s rights. The fact of the matter being this, we believe that baseless propaganda blown by the Wayane regime to divide us should not get the ears of the oppressed peoples. We are colonized together and thus we must be liberated together. Therefore, to defeat their cheap disinformation we must act together.
Source: Yahoo
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