Ethiopia’s Oromo diaspora uses Web to dissent, debate in absence of press freedom
April 5, 2012 (Washington Post) – There may be at least four different factions with varying viewpoints on whether the Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, should pursue the birth of an independent country or reform the existing Ethiopian state.
But one thing is clear: social media and the Internet have become a powerful tool for debate among the Oromo diaspora, which stretches from Minnesota to Washington D.C. to the Netherlands. Online, the diaspora discusses issues that range from the persecution of the Oromo back in Ethiopia to the infighting among Oromo political factions outside the country. The Oromo number as many as 40 million, according to some estimates.
The Web site conversation comes at a time when the Ethiopian government has been accused of cracking down on and jailing both Oromo leaders and people from its domestic media. Ethiopia is “the second-leading jailer of journalists in Africa,” only after its arch-foe Eritrea, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. It has one of the largest numbers of exiled journalists in the world, the committee says.
The Ethiopian government has denied accusations that it is autocratic or repressive of the media.
“There’s no press freedom in Ethiopia and Oromo voices are particularly not tolerated,” Mohammed Ademo, a Columbia University journalism graduate student and co-founder and editor of OPride, a Web site that upholds Oromo identity and culture, said in an e-mail. OPride is not affiliated with any political faction.
“Despite the huge size of the Oromo population, there is no single independent Oromo newspaper, radio, Web site, or TV in Ethiopia. OPride… is our meager attempt to fill the gap is being blocked. We use social media to engage with our readers and spur discussions about the future direction of the country.”
Gadaa is another an independent online media outlet serving the Horn of African region and its diaspora.
Ademo said Oromos, whose demands are as diverse as the community itself, are very passionate about ending their marginalization in Ethiopia and equally indignant about the factionalism among diaspora-based groups. They see it as a great disservice to their struggle.
After a Washington Post story appeared on one faction of the Oromo Liberation Front, many readers wrote me e-mails and posted their feelings on Web sites that focus on the Oromo diaspora.
Fido Ebba, head of foreign relations for one of the major factions of the Oromo Liberation Front, said that his organization continues to lead armed and political struggle in many Oromo areas in Ethiopia, to protest human rights violations of Oromos by the government.
He said that Web sites and radio stations work to unite Oromo by giving them a safe forum to voice their views, at a time when the Ethiopian government is cracking down on dissent.
“Many Oromos in diaspora are well engaged with cyberspace including Facebook and Twitter, to follow developments in the struggle of their own people,” said Ebba. “This has enabled many Oromos in diaspora to actively participate in the liberation struggle of their people.”
Taha Tuko, a member of the executive committee of another breakaway faction of the Oromo Liberation Front that I wrote about earlier this week, said will now focus on uniting with other opposition parties. Together, Tuko said, the parties will fight against Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to form “a new Ethiopia where all Ethiopia including Oromos can benefit, politically, economically and socially.”
He and others accuse the prime minister of being autocratic, corrupt and repressive of the media.
His group has been holding public meetings, which have been written about online, in 11 cities around the world including Washington, Houston, Oslo and Frankfurt.
“We will fight Meles by all means of struggle to get rid of the regime,” Tuko said, adding that his group would use violence if needed. “Because the government is violent against Oromos.”
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Dear Miss Emily Wax,
Change of mind OR pressured by truth?,
Thanks in any case which is not too late to correct deception and lies came from the enemy of Oromos.Kamal & co including Taha Tuko what called by Oromo nationalists as the surrendered G7 has less than 7 members which neither represents the Oromo nation nor any political force let alone the prisoner of the ahmara extremist group-Ginbot7. This self claimed group has no legitimacy and popular support among any Oromo communities and the nation at the large. Instead, Tuko’s group accused by the Oromo nation as a criminal who used to kill innocent Oromos by helping the TPLF and now they joined the Ginbot7 to carry out ethnic cleasning against Oromos if one day come to power to restore the ahmara regime as a dirty contract hire.
It is for such reality and suspect, the Oromo nation from every corner protested against the lies inopportune written and posted by Washington post while the Oromo nation has great respect and addmire towards Washington post’s record value on human rights and democracy. As you observed such kind of massive protests from Oromos is demanding for the truth.The sruggle of the Oromo nation with its population as much as Poland and the 2nd largest nation in Africa should not be allowed to be distorted by the criminals like Taha Tuko.It is a well known truth as you observed, how the Oromos are determined for their national cause as any peace loving nations for their destiny for freedom and liberty.
So the author, we appreciate you in correcting the lies!
Dear Emily wax,
I would like to say welcome back to the Oromo-Oromia forum again.
It appears you are one step closer to understanding and writing about the Oromo nation and their national question. Of course, it is not only Emily Wax as an expatriate who was misinformed and misrepresented a nation of 40 million and its socio-political problems in Ethiopia. Many so called scholars have done that for more than a century.
However, the living realities of the nation has shown and taught so many the truth about the Oromo and their cause. Many have become friends of justice and freedom, hence of Oromo advocates.
It is therefore, my hope that Emily Wax can become a student of Oromo nation and writer on facts and realities of life of the Oromo people in Oromia and in diaspora as we learn from each other and from experience to create a better and peaceful space for all.
Finally I complement this Washington post staff for her coming back with a different approach and for her endeavor to reach out to other Oromo entities to present a fair and balanced info about Oromo on WP News paper. Her connection to J. Fido, Culumbia Univ. Oromo scientist/tech., etc. Is a positive development and is appreciated. But still I want her to better get closer and learn more about the Oromos as individuals and as a nation before saying or writing about them. The Ethiopians/abyssinians have the habit of misleading many, especially scholars and career professionals on issues of Oromo identity, representation, and politics in Ethiopia.
One more thing, did Emily Wax inquire Mr. Tuko as to why his group uses to call itself OLF if the OLF that represents Oromia and fights for the liberation of the Oromos is not welcome by Abyssinians? I as an Oromo is not saying this pro-Ethiopia group should not be what it is. But it upsets me when Mr. Tuko and his party identifies itself as OLF while representing the world view and camp that undermines Oromo cause and interest. For the Nationalist Oromos, OLF carries significant symbolic and pragmatic meaning thruout the history of their struggle for justice and freedom. That is why many Oromos resent those who use OLF and yet allay with the political and Ideological forces which were/are causes to Oromo problems.
Dear Mr. Emily Wax,
I would appreciate your concern about the Oromo issues. Truth never die! The truth is Oromo people is the most oppressed nation in the Ethiopian empire.
Thanks again
yaanni keessan gaarii dha. Utuu website washington post irratti yaada kennitan baay’ee gaarii dha.
Actually, our mind-set of bilisummaa – the OLF (our David) – used to play both cards of ‘Oromian independence within African union’ and ‘Oromian autonomy within Ethiopian union’ (Oromian independence card as a stick and Ethiopian union card as a carrot) in the national liberation struggle against the Abyssinian colonialists; so the pro-autonomy vs. pro-independence conflict among the Oromo polity could have been avoided by looking at this important approach of using both cards positively. When I read this in the following article, then no wonder that we do see Ethiopians dancing and jumping as the pro-autonomy OLF decided to abandon the independence agenda: Habeshas just got the nutritive carrot, but not the pain inflicting stick, which they really fear!
Dear MS. Emily Wax,
It will give peace of mind when one does something that is right and uncovers the truth of the ‘powerless’ & voiceless that has been systematically and intentionally covered and or misrepresentd. The innocent lives of millions of Oromos that has been passing away and bloods that has been shading by represive, consequetive and savage Habesha/Abssynia colonizer would have taken you to the court of justice where and when truth prevails and when criminals would be tried. This is because you appeared to side the criminals that use any and every conspiracy theory and short cut to defeat truth and just cause even for a single night. In order to take the side of truth and just cause, you need to clear yourself from biazeness and take journalism as an end in your professional career not as a means to someother end. If you truly live for your profession, you should embark on that path as an end goal- that may demand you to pay the sacrifice of life just for the sake of truth- as Amin of Kenya did.
In short what I want to say is that you still need to get closer to the truth behind Hebesha’s/Abssynia’s fake history and political conspiracy and the reason why Oromos voice is not heard on international media widely. Finding that is half the way of solving Oromos’ Problem and addressing that problem is almost equal to tackling the problem.
Truth and just cause shall win!!
Yes,washington post seems return to the right track now as this recorrection reflects absolutely the opinion of most oroms.as we got tired with all the possible means to restore back our right in this empire armed struggle is the only opition we have in hand and the right language best understand by the dictators. More over, those who denounced it are the enemy and surrenders of habesha’s . Eventually,we learnt from history that those who plotted aganist their people had remained failed. God bless oromia
Emily Wax and the Washington Post my message to you is this:
First of all, your long standing deliberate and conspiratorial silence in regard to covering the injustices and ordeal of the Oromo people is despicable. You choose to side step the plight of the Oromo and their cry for freedom as if to please the corrupt and autocratic Ethiopian State. On rare occasions when you mention about the Oromo you misrepresent and tell lies without doing proper research about the correct Oromo history as told by the victimized Oromos themselves. We Oromos are sick and tired of the Western media’s discriminatory approach when it comes to the Oromo issues.
To always hear your media’s obsession with our neighbour the Sudan and how autocratic it is and how the South Sudanese and Darfurians were persecuted was mind boggling. We Oromos are happy that the South Sudanese are at last free. We wish the same for Darfurians. The role your media played in raising American public awareness about the Sudan was commendable. Let’s not forget South Sudanese constituted only about 5% of the Sudanese population. Then one might ask why so much investment by the Americans and the West for South Sudan independence. The answer is very clear: the American government and the media depicted the Sudanese regime as the Arab-Islamic North and the South as African (black) Christians. With the pressure from the Evangelical lobby groups North Sudan was depicted as committing genocide against the South. After even forced to give up the South with all its Oil Wealth, the North Sudan has been given South Kordofan and Abiye as the next South Sudan and the civil war continues.
Meanwhile, just across the border in Oromia (Oromo country occupied by Ethiopia(Abyssinia) more than 20, 000 innocent Oromos are imprisoned for supporting their vanguard organisation the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Hundreds others are being tortured and killed every year while the fortunate ones flee their homes for neighbouring countries. Even after arriving in the neighbouring countries they are followed by the Ethiopian security agents in cahoots with the neighbouring states and abducted and killed. This is being done by the ethno fascist group you all know i.e. the Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) led by Meles the autocrat cum the darling of Washington. Billions of dollars of Western money (the lion’s share from the US) is pouring into his coffers part of which used to terrorise mainly the Oromos who the major threat to his rule.
Even some Western media reports like the BBC after mentioning the political repression in Ethiopia say that Washington is turning a blind eye to the repressive minority regime in Ethiopia because the Meles regime is an “ally of Washington in the fight against Islamic Insurgents in Somalia”. In a nutshell they it is the game of real politic.
The irony is this: America has been known as the land freedom and democracy. After September the 11 everything we knew and loved about America has sadly changed. Just like dictator Meles’s Ethiopia where freedom of the press is muzzled and must serve the regime’s interest so too it seems the Washington Post and others have been instructed never to tell the ugly and yet true realities in present day Ethiopia.
We know we Oromos have no friends and our history have been fabricated and doctored by the subsequent Ethiopian rulers, historians and their collaborators. Oromos are now more educated than before and will not sit idly by when their dignity is insulted and their struggle for freedom trashed. The reality is this: no amount of American support will save the minority Ethiopian regime from collapsing; That day will come when the Oromos just like South Sudanese celebrate their freedom and fly their flag in their Independent Democratic Oromia. Unlike South Sudanese we know pretty well that we have no American support and our struggle will be long and ardous. But trust me WE WILL GET THERE! I call on the Washington Post to treat the just Oromo cause with respect and do in depth research and analysis as it is already one the most significant political event in the whole Horn of Africa. Mind you about 40 million Oromos are being humiliated and killed by minority group who came from just 5million people of Tigray origin.
At last I thank Emily for showing some fairness in her current coverage and urge her to do more to redress the short sighted Western media approach to the plight of the Oromo people.
emily thanks for responding back in such way. great admiration for oromo in diaspora and olf leader ship for correcting un found story published by washington post last week. washington post
or emily they better find the truth bottom of
all story surrounding oromo and oromia instead
of painting us with un sticky ethiopia color.
once again great job by true oromians. that what makes this strugle makes moving and gives
hope to oromo in all walks of life.
god bless you all and oromia shall be free
It is shame that oromo people, being huge in number, has no strong iindependent media (TV, Radio, Journal,…). It is shame that oromo people being large in number is ruled by uncivilized Abysinian minorities/tigres+Amharas/. On the other hand I want to appreciate the continuous struggle the oromo people is making to liberate itself from the very first day it is occupied by Abysinian collonialsits. The struggle is getting stronger and stronger from time to time. Though small disagreements exist among the different factions of OLF still the two main factions are determined to struggle for the selfdetermination/independence of oromia. I hope the splineter fanction/Group 7/Galtu Group will soon disappear.
Dear my nation,
Galatooma, it is yours efforts which pressured Miss Emily’s change of mind partially. I proud of you for your historical vigilance against deception and lies declared on our struggle by our historical enemies, but challenged by our true nationalists, thanks indeed,keep up!
Still we need to show our enemis how our unfolded determination in every opportunity is & to fire back.What I mean is please visit Washington post to challenge against those anti-Oromians who seems got a forum from where they can attack Oromos.
Jabadhaa!
It’s disgraceful Oromo struggle has fracture at this historical juncture. In Ethiopia, being Oromo is almost being criminal or ‘terrorist’ in current term. If one goes to administrative functionaries for a purpose, s/he will be interrogated and imprisoned. The struggle would have had single goal and unified forces to fasten the end of the repression of the people.
The difference emanates from misunderstanding the causes of Oromo struggle. We’ve to look back at history, visualise the gallant days of our forefathers and the way it ended. Is it acceptable or not? Next, we’ve to ask what we need: Only Power or reversing subjugation? If we have clear answer for this question we can choose our direction easily. Imagine, this is politics and your answer must not satisfy only you as individual or group but it has to be powerful enough to ignite people along your side. A question which a kid raised and looks like naive is not actually naive! Indeed, it’s fundamental!
If we are with the above issues, having a name for our political outlook and devising ways in which we can achieve our goal does not trouble us much. But as far as I realise, some of the so called factions have little understanding of this and look like more hot-tempered than real politicians. This only incurs futility.