The oromo and the war on terror in the horn of africa. The conflict began in 1973, when oromo nationalists established the olf and its armed wing, the oromo liberation army ola. So too will those who have a significant history, known to the. Apr 06, 2019 t he army of the oromo liberation front olf has officially separated from the party, olf, which is based in addis ababa, the reporter has learnt. The oromo liberation front is a ethiopian political party established in 1973 by oromo nationalists to promote selfdetermination for the oromo people against abyssinian colonial rule who believe that the oromo people constitute a united. Jan 19, 2019 while the olf has disintegrated, what it stands for still captures the essence of the oromo struggle, and this contradiction is convulsing oromo politics. Somali government troops intervened in support of the olf in january 1964.
It made provisions for a federal structure that will create space for democracy and the selfdetermination of peoples in ethiopia. Oromo liberation front political program ethiopian news. Agew, tigrai, amhara, oromo, sidama, gambella, gurage and other ethnic groups in. The oromo liberation front olf has realized the vicious motives of the tplf long before it con trolled the ethiopian state.
Oromo liberation front olf and the ogaden national liberation front. The oromo conflict is an ongoing and longstanding conflict between the oromo people and the ethiopian government. The oromo liberation front olf was one of the various organizations fighting against the domination and. Statsskick, etnisk konflikt, rattsvasen, journalister, olf, onlf, oromo, oromo liberation front, media, ginbot 7. Historical background prior to its colonization, the oromo people lived under a remarkable and relatively complex agegrade based indigenous democratic system known as a gada in which political, military and other leaders, including legal experts, are elected for nonrenewable eight. Revolt, ideology and mobilisation in ethiopia aregawi berhe amsterdam 2008. The oromo liberation front olf claimed on friday that the ethiopian government was detaining, conscripting and executing people in ethiopia, and punishing. Ar ticle 1f of the refugee convention and the instruction on restricted leave. Jul 16, 20 in november 2012 gerba was convicted and imprisoned under ethiopias 2009 antiterrorism proclamation for association with the banned oromo liberation front olf, which the government has. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. Although they were too weak to directly effect major changes to the order of politics set up by the government, they managed to inflame nationalist sentiments among their respective constituencies. Iflo islamic front for the liberation of oromia meison allethiopia socialist movement mllt marxistlenini st league of tigrai olf oromo liberation front onc oromo national congress onlf ogaden national liberation front opdo oromo peoples democratic organization pdo peoples democratic organization.
The ogaden liberation front olf commanded by garad makhtal garad dahir launched a rebellion against the government in hodayo in eastern ethiopia on june 16, 1963. Ethiopian constitution, the flag, map, and federalism. The oromo liberation front joined unpo on 19 december 2004. He added that the tplfs avowed aim as a revolutionary guerrilla force, to enable all nationalities to enjoy the right of self determination was achieved. Olf oromo liberation front opdo oromo people democratic organization ossrea organization for social sciences research on eastern and southern africa pdos peoples democratic organizations tplf tigray peoples liberation front. To form new democratic federal republic of ethiopia that will be established by the consent of its peoples based on principle of democracy, equality, freedom, liberty, justice and. Ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front eprdf is a coalition of four political organizations first established by tigray peoples liberation front tplf and the then ethiopian peoples democratic movement epdm, later called amhara democratic movements andm and now called amhara democratic party adp. Olf oromo liberation front officially prohibited party, in exile with headquarters in asmara opdo oromo peoples democratic organisation, political party formed by tplf in 1990 from oromo prisoners of war, member of eprdf. Most oromos support this liberation organization and its army, the oromo liberation army. Ethiopia has a welldocumented history of political driven violence. The olf is dead, but its oromo struggle lives ethiopia insight.
Oriental archive 79, 2011 261 territoriality and identity. Baro tumsa was born in 1938, from his father tumsa silga and his mother nasise chiracho, at bodji karkaro in the wallaga region of oromia. A political history of the tigray peoples liberation front 19751991. Oromo liberation front, by kenyan national tv of yassin juma, in 2009. Article 1f of the refugee convention and the instruction on restricted leave. Of the cushitic languages spoken in ethiopia, a faan oromoo, somali, sidama, haddiya, and afarsabo are the languages with the greatest number of speakers afaan oromoo had remained essentially a welldeveloped oral tradition until the ear l y 1970s when the oromo liberation front olf began to use it as an official language in the liberated. This paper first provides the historical background for these complex issues. Sheikh mohammedrashad abdullee an oromo historical father olf statement the passing away of dr mohammed rashad abdulle, one of oromo religious, linguistic and historical scholar is received with great sadness and sorrow among oromo of all walks of life.
The first ideology of dehumanizing the oromo comes from a book history of. Waraana bilisummaa oromoo wbo, the army said it no longer has any relationship with the party as well as the partys leadership in addis. This paper explores the potential role of the gadaasiqqee system of oromo democracy in the development of a democratic multinational liberation movement of the colonized nations within the. Onc oromo national congress, political party, in opposition, but a. The oromo liberation front olf is a political organization established in 1973 by oromo nationalists to lead the national liberation struggle of the oromo people against the abyssinian colonial rule. Ethiopian opposition political parties and rebel fronts. However, his reference to amhara armed resistance in past history, and a.
Eritrea, he said was given the opportunity to decide its own fate by a referendum and thus succeeded to declare independence. The oromo liberation front olf the oromo liberation front olf was established by 6the creation of greater somalia originally was the plan of the british colonialists who wanted to merge all ethnic somalis of ethiopia, kenya. The tigray war is about ethiopias pastand futureas a. Oromos introduction, location, language, folklore, religion. The oromo liberation front will respect and honor all decisions the oromo people and other peoples in ethiopia will make using their rights of self determination. The oromo liberation front and the somali ogaden national liberation front soon withdrew and resorted once more to armed insurgency. Oromo liberation front olf a foreign based opposition political party that pursued military struggle before its return to the country to pursue peaceful political agenda since september 2018. The charter on which the transitional government was based, promised to bring about fundamental changes in the prevailing political and social order in ethiopia. The oromo expansion in history and macha oral traditions 87 introduction 87.
The emergence of the olf was a culmination of a read more. Oromo liberation front olf unrepresented nations and peoples organization unpo held its 12th general assembly from 2 to 4 of july 2015 in brussels, belgium. Understanding the historical responsibilities fall on the shoulders of this generation of olf leaders, after careful assessment of the struggle from all corners, we. Oromo movement must bring liberation for all ethiopia insight. Under the leadership of the oromo liberation front olf they work to achieve selfdetermination.
Dec 21, 2015 the oromo liberation front olf decided to withdraw from the eprdf coalition in 1992 and was pushed out after unsuccessfully trying to assert its independence from the tplf within the coalition. In response to the armed violence, the government in january 2019 launched a lawenforcement offensive. The olf formed to fight the ethiopian empire to liberate the oromo people and establish an independent oromia state. Olf is a ethiopian political party established in 1973 by oromo nationalists to promote selfdetermination for the oromo people against abyssinian colonial rule who believe that the oromo people constitute a united nation by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting todays. The adoption of roman script for oromo writing and the debates that followed are explored, with an. The oromo liberation front is a ethiopian political party established in 1973 by oromo nationalists to promote selfdetermination for the oromo people against abyssinian colonial rule who believe that the oromo people constitute a united nation by common descent, history. The first day opening ceremony was in the european parliament building conference room p1c051 on the presence of some members of european parliament from different party groups. Olf oromo liberation front onc oromo national congress onlf ogaden national liberation front.
Oromo movement must bring liberation for all ethiopia. Onc oromo national congress, political party, in opposition, but a legally registered party. Oromo amhara solidarity is the greatest threat to the ethiopian government. Open letter to ethiopians and to the international community. Complete dissertation vu research portal vrije universiteit. This paper first provides the historical background for. A political history of the tigray peoples liberation.
A history of tensions and pragmatism, journal of modern african studies, vol. The ethnogenisis of the oromo nationa nd its implications for. In contrast, oromos strengthened their national liberation struggle in the early. The history of conflict between oromo and somali ethnic community could be seen as part and parcel of the history of conflict in the country. The goal of the political struggle of the oromo people 2. Tigrayan people s liberation front tplf which was, not only militarily the strongest, but also supported by external powers emerged as a dominant party. To realize these goals, the oromo liberation front will work with all peoples and political forces that accept the democratic principles and rule of law.
Until oromo heroes and heroines created the oromo liberation front olf by paying ultimate sacrifices, oromo peoplehood, culture, language, and history were dumped into the trashcan of ethiopian history for more than a century. Founding oromo liberation front, creating land to the tiller slogan baro tumsa 19381978 was a pharmacist, lawyer and oromo nationalist and political activist in ethiopia. May 07, 2015 the olf and its armed wing the oromo liberation army, ola, formed in the 1970s, was one of a number of armed groups that fought against the previous government of mengistu hailemariam. Oromo nationalism on the rise in ethiopia human rights. Oromo liberation front officially prohibited party, in exile with headquarters in. Dec 18, 2020 the war can be viewed as a continuation of the ongoing undeclared conflict between the ethiopian army and the oromo liberation army in oromia, the largest regional state in the country.
Victory to the oromo people and all oppressed peoples in ethiopia. Exploring new political alternatives for the oromo in ethiopia. This organization claimed to be more a prodigy of the primary protonationalist resistance of the oromo people than of mechatulama or the bale rebellion. The olf and its armed wing the oromo liberation army, ola, formed in the 1970s, was one of a number of armed groups that fought against the previous government of mengistu hailemariam. Opposing views on oromo nationalism jan zahorik introduction since 1991, ethiopia has witnessed some remarkable changes in its internal and external structure the secession of eritrea, the implementation of the federal constitution, the creation of federal states, etc. A political history of the tigray peoples liberation front 1975 1991. Colonialism, abyssinia, oromo, ethiopia, liberation movement.
The prime minister delivered the warning during a parliamentary debate on the presidents opening speech delivered at the house of peoples representatives. Generations of oromo nationalists have sacrificed their lives for the just cause of their people and the olf was formed in early 1970s as a continuation of this struggle. Pdf the oromo, gadaasiqqee democracy and the liberation. The parties agreed to a ceasefire on march 6, 1964. The oromo liberation front olf, which has been engaged in an intermittent, lowlevel insurgency against the eprdf since the early 1990s, claimed credit for mobilizing though without much evidencea popular uprising against a government seen. The oromo liberation front olf which was a junior partner in the tge was treated mercilessly by the tplf and eventually left the coalition in 1992. Pdf the oromo, gadaasiqqee democracy and the liberation of. The oromo liberation front will respect and honor all decisions the oromo people and other peoples in ethiopia make using their rights of self determination.
The majority of oromos have refused to join ethiopian political organizations and have opted for an independent oromo organization. The historical literature generally treats ethiopia as a multiethnic nationstate. The tigray identity and the paradox in the securitization of. The emergence of the olf was a culmination of a century old yearn of the oromo people to have a strong and unified national organization to lead. The role of regional powers in the field of peace and.
Serious oromo militancy did not emerge again until the oromo liberation front olf was founded in 1973, dedicated to the total liberation of the entire oromo nation from ethiopian colonialism. It was the culmination of over 70 years of uncoordinated resistance by oromos against amhara hegemony as well as oppression and suppression of the oromo people and their culture. In april 1993, the eritreans voted for independence, a decision the tplf leadership and many ethiopians reluctantly accepted. The coming to power of tplfeprdf1 in may 1991 created a landmark in the history of. To unite against the common enemy is an historical obligation and the question of the time. At a hearing in 2005, petitioner testified that he was arrested and detained for six.
The factfinders conducted interviews with oromo people in the diaspora, oromo scholars and community leaders, the immigration bar, and providers of medical and community services to the oromo. When the communist regime of mengistu hailemariam was overthrown by the tigrayan peoples liberation front tplf, the eritrean peoples liberation front eplf, and the olf. Historically, there were conflict between the oromo and somali ethnic and tribal groups especially in the border areas of the two regions. The oromo liberation front olf, the ethiopian peoples revolutionary army epra, the united oromo peoples liberation front uoplf, the islamic front for the liberation of oromo iflo, the somali abbo liberation front salf, the western somali liberation front wslf, the sidama. Adda bilisummaa oromoo or abo is an organization established in 1973 by oromo nationalists to promote selfdetermination for the oromo people against abyssinian colonial rule. It was the culmination of over 70 years of uncoordinated resistance by oromos against amhara hegemony as well as oppression and. He was the younger brother of the famed reverend gudina tumsa and was one of the founding congress of the oromo liberation front. Agew, tigrai, amhara, oromo, sidama, gambella, gurage and other ethnic groups i. There are many oromo organizations in north america, europe, and africa that support the oromo national movement. Using comparative colonial history of africa, the paper tries to show that abyssinian colonialism. He was the younger brother of the famed reverend gudina tumsa and was one of the founding congress of the oromo liberation front early life. I claim this remains one of the biggest issues related to the oromo question in ethiopian politics since the 1960s. Baro tumsa 19381978 was a pharmacist, lawyer and oromo nationalist and political activist in ethiopia. The role of opdo, andm and sepdf is simply to rubber stamp tplfs agenda.
Ethiopia suffered days of unrest since the killing of a prominent musician and activist. A political history of the tigray peoples liberation front. The big debate beyond assimilation and accommodation. Apr 04, 2019 one of the worrying aspects of oromo protest was the narrative that presented the movement as a struggle between the ruling ethiopia with its yellow, green and red flag against the oromo people struggling for liberation.
247 59 915 1541 550 474 35 1330 588 1133 1389 1505 1287 541 145 168 1511 1272 629 323 1453 975 385 224 1181 203 239 713 496