The ‘new’ OLF program: much ado about nothing
by Jawar Mohammed | Jan 5, 2012
(Opride) – Earlier this week, one of the several OLF factions announced that it had adapted a new political program that apparently drops the ‘secessionist’ agenda. This announcement was preceded and followed by hyped fanfare by Ginbot 7 and its affiliates.
The news had excited a segment of Ethiopia’s political community long haunted by the prospect of an independent Oromia state and those democracy activists who wish to see cooperation among the opposition forces. Unfortunately, even for a casual observer of Ethiopian politics, the content of the new program does not show any substantive change nor the serious reflection the issue demands. What’s more, the exciting narrative employed to sell the supposed change to the public is at best disingenuous, misleading and distracting in the long run.
What’s new in the brief and poorly articulated announcement?
The press release announcing the new program reveals the superficial nature of the said change in policy. The closest inference to the much-celebrated “change of heart” reads, “The new OLF political program will accept the new federal democratic republic of Ethiopia”. There are two serious flaws here.
First, federalism, even if more of a facade, is now a two-decade-old experiment in Ethiopia; hence, it’s not clear what this ‘new federalism’ entails. Second, this is hardly a change, as OLF not only accepted federalism during the 1991 transition but was also its leading architect. To ‘accept’ federalism, a system it helped create 20 years ago, is at best disingenuous. Paradoxically, it is Ginbot 7 and affiliates, who are adamantly opposed to federalism, that need to accept it — not the other way around.
On dropping the secessionist bombshell
The buzz on both ends of the political divide about OLF dropping ‘secessionism’ and embracing ‘Ethiopianism’ is equally misleading. The Oromo movement, particularly one led by the OLF, had never foreclosed on the possibility of resolving the Oromo question within the existing Ethiopian state structure. The OLF program, through all of its amendments from the time of founding to now, left the door open for both options: reforming Ethiopia and establishing an independent Oromia.
The organization of late relies on the vague notion of ‘self-determination’, especially in its diplomatic outreach, for keeping these two options open. The much-celebrated new program invokes the same vague declaration asserting that, “the OLF will respect and honor all decisions the Ethiopian peoples will make using their right of self-determination.”
Beneath the fanfare, this is yet another word game in the never-ending drama of Ethiopian politics where politicians conceal their real objectives behind loose words. Amhara parties espouse unity while covering up their quest to regain dominance, Oromos use self-determination to appease and confuse their internal and external audience, while Tigreans proclaim democracy and federalism to camouflage their monopoly.
–Full Text Story Opride.com
Thank U for your eloquent statements.
thank you very much oboo Jawar Mohammed
ulfdhuu gltomii fayaa tii
attam ati hugaa dubataa jabaduu/
Obbo Jawar,
what a nice analysis! You summarized, what is goning on in reality. This move of the OLF is not as such new and also not as such disadvantageos for the Oromo liberation movement. But, it simply exazerbated the endless conflict we usually do have based on the visions regarding the type of walabummaa Oromia we, the Oromo nation, will have in the future, the conflict which is still haunting us. The current move of Gen Kamal’s group in explicitly announcing to ‘accept a federal republic of Ethiopia’ is the case in point. I think, this move is not different from the implicit acceptance of the same type of federalism by the OLF in 1991 and from the position of Ob Daud as he formed AFD together with Habesha forces in 2006. The leaders of the OLF had the same intention in heart as Ob Galaasa tried to build an alliance with Ethiopian forces in Asmara around 1998. The only conflict we saw between QC and SG as AFD was formed was based on the fact that QC was excluded; and now the conflict we do see between JJ and SG seems to be based on the reality that SG is not yet invloved in the process.
This conflict has nothing to do with the ideology regarding walabummaa Oromia I mentioned above. The RF-Model (Russian Federaion model) of walabummaa, i.e ‘Oromian Independence’, remains to be the CORE of the Kaayyoo-Oromo or as the Kaayyoo of the middle part of our Fighter-Jet (middle body of our Oromo liberation movement). The UK-Model (United Kingdom model) walabummaa, which is ‘Oromian Ethiopia’ or genuine nation-based Ethiopian federation, where Oromia and Afaan Oromo will play a centeral role, can be considered as a move to the left wing of the Fighter-Jet and it is not less beneficial than the core Kayyoo. The US-Model (United States model), i.e ‘Orominized Ethiopia’ or the region-based Ethiopian federation, in which the historical Oromian regions (Odaa-Bisil, Bulluqi, Bultum, Garress, Makkodi, Nabe and Rooba) as well as Afaan Oromo will dominate the union, is like opting for the right wing of the Fighter-Jet, again this move is not disadvantageous as we usually used to think.
For me, these three Kaayyoo’s can be symbolized by the circular Abbaa-Gadaa’s tricolor: the inner circle, the white ring, being the core Kaayyoo (Oromian independence), the middle circle (the red one), which I do consider as the more beneficial Kaayyoo (Oromian Ethiopia) and last but not least, the outer circle (the black) is the probably most beneficial Kaayyoo (Orominized Ethiopia). That is why, I do tend to think that the conflict between Oromo liberation forces regarding the type of walabummaa Oromia in general is artificial. I hope your input can help us be wise and coordinate the three parts of our liberation movement (left wing, middle body and right wing) against the currently tormenting fascist and racist Gujile in order to achieve bilisummaa Oromo and then allow the Oromo public to decide on the type of walabummaa Oromia per referendum.
Viva kaayyoo! But wat is the new ethiopian federalism concept? How can we trust this JJ since their group like Licho Bukura & other members of them r clandestinely working wit Woyane? From as anew political program manipulation i need them ‘ve a new political orgn name to simplify the confusion.
Struggle for LIBERATION is not much of theoretical analysis, rather it is expressed in action and action oriented plans and strategies. The Oromo back home is not much worried about the varied factions and supporters who exchange empty tit-for-tats. Our people are dying, dying on their own land; are being cramped and tortured in different detention and concentration camps; are forcefully removed from their land. The youth has been doing and still continuing its struggle to weaken the enemy. Yet, our ‘nationalists’ in diaspora give us and make us read illusions, completely impractical classical analysis. Please, don’t put the past mistakes, if any, as a precedence for the current acts that is generation confusing and at times killing cooperation of the confused with the less organised and immature/powerless organizations. The QUBEE generation will get ride all of you sooner or later and show the almighty hands of THE OROMO PEOPLE to the Habesha from whom you have intrinsically and unconsciously developed phobia-Habesha phobia!!!! The youth back home didn’t need any assistance from external body but only from its people to challenge TPLF. Why is the diaspora Oromo doesn’t feel confident?
Kamal’s group explicitly announcing an ‘International self-determination’ as its goal is not wrong in principle! They have right just like the God-given right of the Dhugaasa’s faction to persue its goal of ‘External self-determination’. Of course Daud’s group being open for both types of self-determination and stressing a REFERENDUM on the two options is a conciliatory position. The last decission on the issue must be left for the Oromo public at large! I think what angered Jawar and the other Oromo nationals, who are opposing the move of the General is the Euphoria and the premature celebration of the Abesha camp! The fool Abeshas just tried to hide their own giving up of the Centeralism position and their accepting of the nation-based federation, which they vehemently used to oppose. Actually the position now taken by the Kamal’s group is not new for the OLF, but the move of the Abesha camp to this position of accepting the ‘federal republic of Ethiopia’ or the Internal self determination is new! Simply put the Oromo camp is the one who won in the negotiation between the Kamal’s group and the G-7, it is not a victory for Abesha camp!!
Dear Mo’aa,
Are all these attempts to read between the lines or to read what is not written is to justify what Kemal’s group did? Why do we make things abstract or try to make it complex by talking about internal or external self determination? What is needed is commitment, risk taking and determination! Had we had these qualities we, Oromos, are even supposed to liberate other minority and opperssed nations/nationalities in that Empire. To do that Oromo does not necessarily need partnership from any party let alone Habesha. If cooperation is needed there are a lot of liberation movements like ONLF, SLM etc and yet we remain the focal point/the neuclus in the cooperation not like the one this group has done by submitting to Berhanu, who even didn’t exceed 6 years in the political struggle.
The current alliance/marriage between Dr Berhanu Nega and B.General Kemal Galchu is surprising one. It cannot be called alliance/reconcillation as such. Coming to agreement between rival political gropus demands a give and take process from each party. But in this process we only see JJ OLF giving and Berhanu’s G7 taking. Therefore , the news should read as: Kemal Galchu surrendered to G7.
[...] It is not sin to work and cooperate with other political parties which shares the same value with the OLF. But joining the group which established to weaken Oromoo struggle and destroy ‘Oromumma’ is equivalent to work for the enemy under the cover of ‘Jijjiramaa’. Similar to Oromoo many ethnics are colonized by Menilik II starting in the middle of 19th century to the current TPLF dictator. The genuine OLF and Oromoo People can cooperate with such organization to intensify the liberation movement and for mutual benefit. On the contrary the ‘nafxanya’ group has been trying to confuse that if OLF don’t cooperate with them, they assert that it is fighting the whole Ethiopia People. While the truth is except the ‘nafxanya’ group all the ethnics in Ethiopia have been marginalized, lost thier identity and culture for a century. The Oromoo, Somale, Afar, Sidama, Hadiya, Kambata, Gambella, Benishangule, and others even the Tigray People by their name TPLF making a great mistake in the history was ones the victim of the ‘nafxanya’ ruling system. As ‘nafxanya’ ruling system uses the name of Amhara People, TPLF is also using the name of Tigray People. TPLF unable to learn from the mistake ‘nafxanya’ ruling system has left a wound, scar that consumed the opportunity to live together with respect and dignity for all. That opportunity to live together destroyed by them selves and they are crying to repeat the same mistake by rejecting to the minimum ethnic federalism and opposing the freedom for the colonized Oromoo and other colonized people. Therefore, ‘Jijjiramaa’ group joined them to help and share the mistake the have already committed before 130 years. That is why the great Oromoo’s political scholar and analyst Jawar Mohammed rejected the ‘Jijjiramaa’s’ new program calling it as ‘much ado and about nothing’ (http://ayyaantuu.com/horn-of-africa-news/oromia/the-new-olf-program-much-ado-about-nothing/). [...]