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OLF is indeed irrelevant

I have read the fascinating article of Ato Shiferaw Abebe posted on Ethiomedia some weeks ago, which as I saw, contained nothing other than the vivid realities that characterize OLF today. On the other hand I was also extremely disappointed at Ato Dummessa Dimma’s response, filled with the usual lies and racial hatred akin to former OLF leaders. I hope this article will bring some strong facts to the attention of Ato Dummessa, facts that would perhaps be disgusting.

Deep in his heart At Dummessa understands that, today OLF does not have the slightest credibility to convince an Oromo or of any other nationality of its role in Ethiopian politics. It has, long ago, died with its ideas and fantasies of creating an ‘independent Oromo nation’ amid an intricate web of nations and nationalities who share not only common cultural and social roots but also ultimate destinies. OLF’s sinister ambition to isolate the Oromo from the rest of its brotherly people in Ethiopia has resulted in its own demise. Currently OLF exists only as a cultural association with little or no relevance for Ethiopian politics.

I do not object to the fact that there were national and cultural repression and oppression in Ethiopia put forward, as a matter of policy, by the various monarchial rulers of the country. The cause of the Oromo people giving birth to both OLF and other non-OLF organizations is clearly justifiable and nobody dare argue to the contrary. Same holds true to other nations and nationalities in every corner of the country. The ethnic, cultural and social oppression, segregation and or alienation of the Oromo people have never been different or, as OLF tries to portray, unique. However, no any other nationality, big or small, proposed secession or independent statehood except OLF as a way out from its multifaceted problems. For most oppressed nationalities in the country secession was not definitely an option. Ninety percent of the Oromo people, for that matter, do not subscribe to the agenda of secession.

OLF as a force thus began its uneasy walk with a just cause but incorrect direction. Hoping to realize its dirty motive of dismembering the country (which can never ever happen of course), OLF has poisoned a number of innocent Oromo citizens with fatal venom of ethnic hatred towards the rest of the citizenry. Had OLF been given a better political forum in those messy years of early 1990s, the scale of civil unrest and chaos in that country would have been of an unprecedented scale. In fact there have been numerous reports of vicious crimes perpetrated by OLF henchmen in various parts of the country for which OLF leadership will always be accountable. OLF has ruined pockets of millions of Oromos with its fantasy of “independent Oromia”. It is an organization, as Ato Shiferaw Abebe reminds us, of considerable existence but without any noticeable achievements of either political or military significance. In it’s nearly 50 years of existence I have never heard a single international media mentioning its name. Dear Ato Dumessa, I am sorry, OLF is simply worthless!!

True it was OLF’s unexpected call of cooperation with other Ethiopian opposition forces that triggered Ato Shiferaw to pen that beautiful article. It is indeed a strange proposal on the part of OLF because OLF has never had a single honest regard, except contempt and disrespect, for Ethiopian political parties. The main reason has always been that they are not Oromos. A close friend of mine, an ardent OLF supporter, once confided to me that OLF does not have any sympathy for Birtukuan Mideksa because, he said, her mother is Tigre. OLF in its entirety is characterized by such profound ignorance and narrowness in fact worse than Meles’s TPLF.

Therefore, it is purely a fake game that OLF pretends to appear a political colleague. OLF’s hatred of nationalities particularly the Amhara is so profound and deep rooted that it is practically impossible for the Front to befriend with anyone. Most top OLF leaders, in the past, have unashamedly made very clear that the political objective of OLF is to liberate the Oromo people from the ‘colonial empire’ and that the fate of the rest is not their business. Nobody expects that this position turns 360 degree in such a short period of time.

I do strongly agree that no opposition political party currently either abroad or in Ethiopia is enthusiastic of OLFs false gesture. Two main reasons come to mind. First and fore most, as Ato Shiferaw put it, at the moment OLF possesses no moral, political and military leverage to influence the course of any politician development in Ethiopia. It has been considerably weakened both ideologically and structurally. Second, today the name OLF is synonymous with ethnic hatred and violence particularly among non-Oromo Ethiopians and therefore there will be no opposition that wants to incur unpopularity because of its association with OLF. Because of these and many other reasons, the role and significance of OLF as regards Ethiopian politics has been diminished beyond reasonable imagination.

Therefore, I do firmly agree that OLF today is both frail and unpopular to enter into a meaningful political alliance with Ethiopian opposition forces and make some difference in the country’s politics. Clearly it has become irrelevant!

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The writer can be reached at habt@hotmail.com

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