OSA 33rd Annual Conference Held in Oromia, Finfinne #OSAinOromia July 27, 2019
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Africa, African Studies, Finfinne, Oromia, Oromo Studies, Oromo Studies Association (OSA), OSA, OSA 33rd Annual Conference in Oromia, OSA Conference
add a comment
Yaa’iin Waldaa Qorannoo Oromoo (OSA) waggoota 33 booda Finfinneetti eegale #OSAinOromia
Yaa’iin Waldaa Qorannoo Oromoo (OSA) waggoota 33 booda Finfinneetti eegale
BBC Afaan Oromoo, 26 Adooleessa 2019
Yaa’iin Waldaa Qorannoo Oromoo (OSA) 33ffaa Magaalaa Finfinneetti bakka hayyuulee fi qondaaltoonni motummaa olaanoo argamanitti Yunivarsiitii Rifti Vaaliitti eegale.
Dhaabbanni seenaa fi aadaa Oromoo qorachuuf hundaa’e kuni magaalaa Finfinneetti yaa’ii yeroo taa’u waggoota 33 keessatti kun kan duraati.
Yaa’ii kana irratti haasaa baninsaa kan taasisan pirezidantiin waldichaa Aadde Kuulanii Jaalataa ammaan dura seenaa dogoggoraa namoonni seenaa Itoophiyaa barreessaa fi himaa turan sirreessuu keessatti OSA qooda guddaa baheera jedhaniiru.
Dabalataanis, seenaafi aadaa Oromoo qofa osoo hin taane waldaan kuni addunyaan seenaa saboota kaan kan akka Hadiyyaa, Walaayittaafi kk akka hubatu gargaareera jedhan.
Pireezidantiin Itti – aanaa Naannoo Oromiyaa Obbo Shimallis Abdiisaa sagantaa kana irratti kan argaman yoo ta’u hojii dhabbati OSA’n hojjataa tureef galata argachuu qaba jedhaniiru.
Haala siyaasaa Itoophiyaa keessa tureen dirqamee biyya alaatii hojii qorannoofi barnootaa kan hojjetaa ture OSA fi michoonni isaa injifataniiru jedhaniiru.
Ummata Oromoo maraan baga ijoolleen keessan biyyatti isiniif galan jedhan jechuunis Oromoo harka fuudhan.
”Osooma mortuun mortuu hortuun horti, iniifannoon Oromoo itti fufa!” kan jedhan Obbo Shimallis, dhaloonni amma jiru duudhaa sirna gadaa abbootii isaa cimsatee akka deemuuf qo’annoo fi qorannoo taasisu cimsuu akka qabu dhaamaniiru.
Obbo Shimallis itti dabaluunis, keessummaa tajaajilli lammummaa amma mootummaan naannoo Oromiyaa eegalee akka hojiirra oolu gochuuf akka deeggaran hirmaattota gaafataniiru.
Aaddee Kuulanii Jaalata pirezidaantiin waldichaa gama isaanitiin, OSA seenaa fi aadaa deebiisanii dagaagsuu qofa osoo hintaane dirqama ‘roadmap’ dhalootatti agarsiisuu qaba jedhan.
Hayyoonni fi beektonni Oromoo injifannoo Oromoo fi ummanni Itoophiyaa argate akka itti fufu gochuu keessatti gahee guddaa bahuu qabna jedhaniiru.
Yaa’ii guyyoota sadiif gaggeeffamu kana irratti hayyoonni Oromoo fi Prof Asmaroom Laggasaa dabalatee qorattoonni seenaa Oromoo fi jaallattoonni Oromoo hedduun biyya keessaa fi biyya alaa irraa hirmaataniiru.
Qorannoo akkamiitu dhihaate?
Pirofeesar Baqalaa Guutamaa waraqaa qu’annoo mata dure ‘Federalism and Identity’ jedhu jalatti dhiyeessaniin, ‘Itoophiyaan yeroo ammaatti sirrni federaalaa akka hojjatu taasisuun alatti fala biraa hinqabdu’ jedhaniiru.
Mootummaan yeroo ammaa biyya Itoophiyaa bulchaa jiru sirna Federaalizimii bu’uuressullee ofumaan naannolee olaantummaadhaan bulchaa waan tureef federaalizimii dirqamaan saboota walitti fide jedhamee komatama.
Biyya akka Itoophiyaa sab-daneessa taate kana keessatti Federaalizimiin saboota walitti fidu dirqama ta’uu kan dubbatan Pirofeesar Baqqaleen namoonni sirni federaalizimii qoodiinsa uuma, biyya diiga jedhan sirrii akka hin taane dubbatan.
Federaalizimii sabdaneessaa dhugaadhaan bu’uuressuuf sirni dimokiraasii jiraachuun dirqama kan jedhan hayyuun kuni paartii fi mootummaan adda ba’anii hojiisaanii hojjechuu dhabuun rakkoo hamaaf sirna kana saaxiluu dubbatan.
Federaalizimii dhugaan garuu aadaa fi seenaan akkasumas duudhaan naannolee hundaa yoo beekamee fi kabajamedha.
Sirna Federaalizimii sab-daneessaa hin hordoftu taanaan Itoophiyaan baay’inaa fi garaagarummaa Saboota keessa jiru hooggantee deemuun hin yaadamus jedhan.
Mirga dhuunfaa kabajuu fi mirga gareef beekamtii kennuun utubaa sirna federaalizimii ta’uu qabas jedhan.
Eenyummaa ofii qabatanii Itoophiyaa ta’anii jiraachuun utuu danda’amuu sabummaa kee gatii Itoophiyaa ta’i yaadi jedhu balaa sirna federaalizimiiti jedhan.
Furmaata rakkoo keetii anatu siif beekaa osoo hin taane hirmaachisuudhaan namni hunduu rakkoo isaaf qaama furmaataa akka ta’u haala mijeessuutu nu baasas jedhan.
Gama biraatiin mata duree ‘Aangoo Diinagdee fi Siyaasaa mootummaa giddu galeessaan qabame’ jedhurratti waraqaa qoranno kan dhiyeessan Dr. Ammayyuu Godessoo Itoophiyaa keessatti rakkoo guddaa kan ta’e mootummaan federaalaa aangoo mootummaa naannolee keessa seenuun sarbuu isaati jedhan.
Mootummoota naannoleef aangoo qooduu dhabuu, saboota hundaaf beekamtii kennuu dhabuu fi qoqqoodanii bulchuuf yaaluun sirna federaalizimii biyyattiirraan dhiibbaa ga’eera jedhan.
Haala jiruu fi jireenya hawaasa daangaa Oromiyaa fi Beenishaangul Gumuz irratti waraqaa qorannoo digirii sadaffaa(PhD) isaanii kan hojjetan Dr.Ammayyuun waldhabdee saboota gidduutti yeroo sana uumamaa tureef Ministira Dhimmoota Federaalaa yeroo sanaa komatan.
Ammas taanaan sirna hunda walqixa tajaajiluu fi ummata Itoophiyaa hundaaf ta’u fiduuf Paartileen Siyaasaa waliin mari’achuu akka qaban dhaamaniiru.
Hayyoonni lameen erga waraqaa qoranno dhiyeessanii booda gaaffilee ka’aniif deebii kennaniiru.
Gaaffilee ka’an keessaa mootummaan Itoophiyaa amma bulchaa jiru akkaataan dhufiinsa isaa gama humna waraanaatiini, akkamiin sirna dimokiraasii mariirratti hundaa’e bu’uuressuu danda’a jedhuuf paartileen siyaasaa Oromoo kanarratti dirqama akka qabantu himame.
Gaaffii walitti dhufanii sirna federaalizimii uumuun haala Itoophiyaan amma keessa jirtuun dhuguma furmaata ta’aa jedhuuf waldanda’uun dhimma ijoo ta’uutu himame.
”Lammiileen Itoophiyaa hunduu aadaa fi duudhaa, eenyummaa isaanii qabatanii walitti dhufanii waldanda’uudhaan waliin jiraachuu danda’u, yoo tokko balleesse, inni kaan danda’aa, akkasiin waliin jiraachuutu furmaata ta’a” jedhan Pirofeesar Baqqaleen.
more at #OSAinOromia
OSA’S STATEMENT ON DISPLACED OROMOS: AN URGENT CALL TO THWART THE ESCALATING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA November 26, 2017
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Africa, Genocide, Genocide Against Oromo People, Horn of Africa Affairs, Oromia, Oromo, OSA, Statement on displaced Oromos
3 comments
OSA’S STATEMENT ON DISPLACED OROMOS: AN URGENT CALL TO THWART THE ESCALATING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA
Oromo Studies Association (OSA) | November 26, 2017
The Oromo Studies Association – a multi-disciplinary academic organization established to foster scholarly studies in all fields pertaining to the Oromo people – would like to bring to the attention of prominent political leaders and influential policy makers, the building humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa; with the so-called Liyu Police of the Somali region – a paramilitary force that has been organized, trained and armed by the Ethiopian government – waging an undeclared war against Oromo communities in eastern, southeastern and southern Ethiopia. While these undeclared wars have subjected the Oromo to crimes comparable in magnitude to the one the Rohingya of Myanmar are currently facing (the offensives have already claimed the lives of thousands, and caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Oromo civilians) ; they are not gaining the attention they deserve in the global centers of power and among the international media for reasons that are neither convincing nor clear.
But, for the social norms of tolerance and coexistence built over centuries of largely positive interactions, interdependence and intermingling among the brotherly peoples in Ethiopia , these aggressions could have conceivably plunged the country into chaos and bloodletting that would have surpassed the Rwandan genocide. There is no guarantee that these norms will hold indefinitely with the Somali regional government continuing to unleash its unaccountable force against Oromo communities in the border areas; committing all sorts of appalling crimes, likely with the intention of uprooting them from their ancestral lands (Qe’ee). OSA is deeply concerned that this will end in humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions unless extreme interventions are undertaken immediately to stop these unprovoked and deadly aggressions.
Some are erroneously reporting these outrageous attacks by one side as inter-ethnic conflicts between Oromo and Somali forces , based on a glib observation that the former are naturally fighting back to defend themselves and their Qe’ee. The fact of the matter is that these conflicts are taking place with encouragement from, and an active participation of, the powerful group that currently dominates the Ethiopian government, aka the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Indeed, credible evidences suggest that these assaults are instigated by Ethiopian generals working in close concert with the enigmatic character Abdi Iley (the president of the Somali regional government) and his criminal enterprise known as the Liyu Police.
The Liyu Police – a Janjaweed-like paramilitary group – was instituted by the Ethiopian military in 2008 as a counter insurgency force against the Ogaden National Liberation Front(ONLF), an outfit that has been fighting for the rights to self-determination of the Somali people in Ethiopia. Even though this paramilitary group has been implicated in mass killings, kidnappings, rape, and other disturbing human rights abuses documented by respectable human rights organizations , it has never been held to account, largely because it is doing the dirty work of the Ethiopian central government. It should be noted here that numerous calls for independent investigations into the troubling activities of this group have always been rejected by the regime in Addis Ababa, with media organizations affiliated with the TPLF becoming reliable defenders of the Liyu Police. The deal is that Abdi Illey executes – through his clan-based militia – TPLF’s pernicious schemes, in return for being allowed to wield absolute political power over his captive population, while being protected by powerful forces in Addis and beyond.
Unable to stop the ever widening #Oromo Protests even after deploying its vicious army unit known as the Agazi (recall the Irreechaa Massacre of October 2, 2016 and the subsequent declaration of a state of emergency that lasted for ten months ), the TPLF appears to have chosen waging a proxy war with the Oromo people using the Liyu Police, with a hasty calculus that the strategy might weaken its arch-enemy, the Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromo (QBO) – the youth group behind the ongoing #Oromo Protests. It is to be recalled that the QBO had forced the TPLF to abandon its secretly-hatched major policy initiative – the inaptly named ‘the Addis Ababa and the Nearby Oromia Towns Integrated Master Plan’ – a ploy that was meant to empower a few fat cats in Addis Ababa at the expense of millions of farmers in central Oromia.
Finding itself in unfamiliar territory because of #Oromo Protests – and quickly losing its carefully-crafted image of a ‘strong developmental-state’ capable of ‘delivering the goods’ and policing not just Ethiopia but the entire Horn-of-Africa – the TPLF appears to be in a desperate bid to regain some of its mojo, by activating the deadly Somali-region militia and unleashing it on innocent Oromo citizens. As some have pointed out, the key rationale behind this reckless and deadly move was to goad the Oromo to start fighting with the brotherly Somali people, with the aim of deflecting their attention from (and weakening their resolve of resisting) the tyrants in Addis Ababa. The TPLF has perfected this approach in its nearly three-decades-old rule, effectively using it to exploit the pre-existing fault-lines between the elites of the two major ethno-national groups in the country, the Oromo and the Amhara. With leaders from the two groups showing signs of rapprochement, the TPLF appears to be on a fishing expedition of orchestrating conflicts between the Oromo and the Somali populations to prolong its oppressive rule in the country.
As of yet, the Oromo have refused to take the bait, by and large keeping their focus on the real enemy that has been the cause of much of their misery. Despite being subjected, essentially because of their identity, to a myriad of atrocities by the heavily-armed tag team of the Ethiopian army and the Liyu Police, the Oromo have not taken any kind of retaliatory measures against innocent Somali citizens living in Oromia; instead, they are marshalling their limited resources in trying to rehabilitate the hundreds of thousands of their compatriots that were evicted from the Somali region and the border areas, practically keeping the situation from devolving into inter-ethnic conflicts that could have devastating implications in the region and beyond.
The question responsible people should ask under these circumstances ought to be: is this a sustainable state-of-affairs? Should leaders with a stake in World peace continue to count on the goodwill and the essential comity of the Oromo people and ordinary Ethiopians to justify their lack of focus and serious interest in the looming disaster in the Horn of Africa? OSA scholars – most of whom are serving in Western universities with distinction – believe that the call for liberty and justice in Oromia in particular and Ethiopia in general can no longer be muzzled by sheer force; nor can it be twisted with any amount of political machination. Therefore, we call upon influential and responsible political leaders and policy makers in the West to find creative ways (there are plenty, as they hold the purse strings) that will force the Ethiopian government to: 1) disband the Liyu Police, bringing to justice the principal players in the violence that uprooted close to half a million Oromo civilians from their homes and livelihood; 2) rehabilitate the displaced population, making sure they are properly compensated; 3) make a complete U-turn in how it deals with the predominantly peaceful #Oromo Protests; and, 4) address – without any delay – the legitimate political, economic and cultural demands of the Oromo people and the other ethno-national groups in the country. OSA believes strongly that the cost of doing nothing will be orders of magnitude higher than the cost of measures that may have to be taken immediately to induce the TPLF to change its behaviour.
Respectfully,
Teferi Mergo, PhD
President, Oromo Studies Association
Cc:
Donald Trump, President
The United States of America
Angela Merkel, Chancellor
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Theresa May, Prime Minister
The United Kingdom
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister
Canada
Emmanuel Macron, President
République Française
Xi Jinping, President
中华人民共和国
Paolo Gentloni, Prime Minister
Repubblica Italiana
Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister
The Commonwealth of Australia
Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister
大日本帝國
António Guterres, Secretary General
The United Nations
Donald Tusk, President
The European Union
Idriss Déby, Chairperson
The African Union
Oromo Studies Association 2017 Annual Conference: Gadaa as an organizing theme of Oromo life July 29, 2017
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Africa, DC, Oromia, Oromo, Oromo Studies, Oromo studies Association 2017 Annual conference, OSA, Sirna Gadaa, The George Washington University, USA
add a comment
WALGAHIIIDILEE OSA BARA 2017 WASHINGTON DC
Oromo Studies Association 2017 Annual Conference: Gadaa as an organizing theme of Oromo life: Tradition, knowledge and contemporary significance
OSA 2017-Annual-Conferece-Program
Ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of OSA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, I want to welcome you all to this evening’s events. It is with a great sense of satisfaction that I stand before you to open the 31stAnnual OSA conference. The first time I came to Washington was 33 years ago in 1984 to attend the annual conference of Oromo Union in North America. In early July the same year, we had also an international Oromo conference in Berlin organized by the Union of Oromo Students in Europe. Bonnie Holcomb and the late Mammo Dibaabaa attended the conference from the US. The late Sisai Ibssa sent a paper to be read at the conference. It was then that we started to think about organizing an Oromo studies association. Few years later, OSA was formally organized. Since then, I have been coming almost every year, sometimes twice a year, to this country because of Oromo studies.
By and large, we have been conducting Oromo studies for more than three decades without financial support or institutional backing. Given the circumstances, I never imagined that we could write so many articles and books on Oromo history, culture, and language. When I say many books and articles, I am talking in relative terms reflecting on the knowledge that existed about the Oromo people when we started. If we take the gadaa system, for example, we had only Professor Asmerom Legesse’s classic book, Gadaa: Three Approaches to African Society published in 1973. Today, we have several books, doctoral dissertations, and journal articles on the gadaa system and many other topics concerning the Oromo society. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were very few articles published on Oromo history in international journals. Today, there are many books on the subject, most of them written by Oromos themselves. New ones keep on coming.
Although what has been achieved is what we had never imagined, what we have done so far is not more than a scratch on the surface. There are great gaps in our knowledge about Oromo history, Oromo language, and Oromo culture that are waiting to be filled. Without adequate knowledge about our past, we cannot make an adequate assessment of our present concerns, or have a clear vision of our future as a nation.
That said, Oromo studies should not limit itself to Oromia or the Ethiopian region. It must go beyond the present Ethiopian borders, look into the cultural and historical affinities the Oromo seem to have, particularly with the peoples of Nubia and ancient Egypt. It is interesting to note that culturally, significant similarities in hair style, dress, etc. that resemble Egyptian hieroglyphics motifs are still found among the Oromo. There are many artifacts and outfits used by Oromo abba gadaas and qaalluuswhich resemble the outfits that decorate the statues of Egyptian pharaohs. The resemblance between the ancient Egyptian concept of maat and Oromo concept of nagaa, both of which reflect ethics that regulate order and harmony provide execiting area for scholarly investigation regarding the probable affinity between the philosophies and cultures of the two peoples.
In addition, there are intriguing linguistic elements that indicated similarities between Afaan Oromooand the ancient language of the Berbers of North Africa. In short, there are historical, cultural, and linguistic factors which suggest Oromo affinity with the ancient peoples of Northeast Africa, countering the controversial theory about Oromo migration from the south in the sixteenth century in Ethiopia.
When we turn south, the interaction of the Oromo people with the inhabitants of East Africa is not less interesting. As brilliantly presented in Professor Gufu Oba’s new book, Herder Warfare in East Africa, the Oromo influence in the region from 1300 to 1900 seems to have been very substantial. Starting from Jubaland in southern Somalia and stretching south to Tanzania, the Oromo role in the history of the region was very significant.
That colonialism alienates the colonized from their true history is well-known among scholars. Hence, it is needless to stress here that distortion of history and suppression of information about Oromo society has been the policy of Ethiopian regimes for more than a century. Ethiopianist scholars have also contributed much to the distortion and cover ups. Consequently, there are important areas in Oromo culture and history that remain barely touched by researchers to this day. For example, very little study is done on Oromo social and environmental ethics. The Oromo moral and philosophical principles of Safuu and Nagaa which offer a unique model for passing over life on to future generations are waiting for exploration by scholars. The usefulness of Oromo philosophies, eco-knowledge, and social ethics in these times of glaring lack of environmental ethics, religious fanaticism, right wing political extremism, and lack of respect for human lives should be appreciated and mediated to the rest of the world. The recognition of the gadaa system and the irreecha festival by UNESCO as intangible heritages of humanity in 2017 can be used as an opportunity to share with the world from the pool of traditional Oromo knowledge mentioned above.
In short, opportunities are abound for those who are interested in Oromo studies. As indicated above, there are numerous untouched areas to investigate. However, there are many challenges to be confronted as well. Acquisition of institutional and financial support requires hard work from OSA members.
The future of Oromo studies depends on our ability to recruit young scholars for research in Oromo language, history, and society. Therefore, building networks with researchers at home is very important. Our cooperation with non-Oromo scholars engaged in African studies is also crucial. As a diaspora organization, OSA cannot do everything, but a lot more can be done.
Much more can be said about available research opportunities that OSA has as well as challenges that are confronting it. But, since we have many panels and round table discussions on dozens of topics in the next two days, I will not take more of your time with what should be done, I will use the few minutes I have to thank those who have been working hard to discharge their duties as members of the Board of Directors and OSA Executive Committee since August last year. ….. Last, but not least, I would also like to thank the local organizing committee who made this splendid evening possible.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attention and please enjoy your dinner and the rest of the evening.
OSA: Statement on the Draft Law on Oromia’s Special Interest in Addis Ababa July 1, 2017
Posted by OromianEconomist in #ABCDeebisaa, #OromoProtests.Tags: Africa, Ethiopia, Ethiopia’s secret genocide, Finfinnee, Master Killer 2.0, Oromia, Oromo, OSA, Why do the Oromo Resist the Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) Master Plan?
1 comment so far
Statement on the Draft Law on Oromia’s Special Interest in Addis Ababa
For Immediate Release June 30, 2017
The Oromo Studies Association (OSA) believes the draft law’s utter neglect of the Oromo people’s demands risks reigniting conflict on the unresolved issue of Oromia’s right over Addis Ababa.
On June 27, 2017, the Council of Ministers of the Government of Ethiopia announced that it has adopted a draft legislation to determine by law the “special interest” provision of the 1995 Ethiopian Constitution and sent it to the House of People’s Representatives. The legislation was an abridged version of the draft law the government had leaked a few weeks earlier and quickly disavowed after a backlash from a deeply skeptical public about the intent and contents of the legislation. On June 29, the draft legislation was taken up by House of People’s Representative with a view to promulgating it as law.
The Ethiopian Constitution posits, in Article 49 (5), that the special interest of the State of Oromia in Addis Ababa concerns three important areas: the provision of social services, the utilization of natural resources and joint administration of the city in lieu of the fact that Addis Ababa location within the State of Oromia. The law that was designed to determine these issues would be expected to explain in detail the meaning and process of implementation of the constitutional provisions.
Assessed by any measure, the draft legislation is not worthy of its name. Nowhere does it attempt to define the “special interest” provision of the constitution or recognize the struggle of the Oromo people and their demands regarding Finfinnee/Addis Ababa. The draft legislation doesn’t designate the Oromia regional government as the beneficiary of the constitutional “special interest.” The boundary of Finfinnee is not delimited, even though that is a sin qua non for implementation of the proclamation. Instead there are indications of intent to expand the city limits into the Oromia state territory. With regard to social services, the proclamation only reiterates conventions and practices already in use and in place.
Rather than defining the constitutional provision, the “proclamation” rehashes policy issues that any city government must undertake to serve its citizens. Providing inter-state transport services shouldn’t be a matter defined by law as a “special interest;” market forces are already at work in this respect. Providing youth employment is a responsibility of an incumbent in any city government. It cannot be designated as a special interest of a state. Overall, if there is anything resembling a definition of the constitutional provision, it is allusions to the rights of Finfinne residents who happen to be Oromo rather than those of the Oromia regional state as stipulated in the constitution. The proclamation also re-grants constitutional rights to Oromo residents as if their rights within Finfinnee aren’t already protected by the Ethiopian Constitution.
In this sense, OSA considers the draft proclamation a mockery of the process of legislation that should be solemn and dignified. Even worse, the proclamation is an insult to the legitimate demand of the Oromo people for which, in the last two years, thousands have given their lives, limbs and livelihoods. To reduce the Oromo people’s demands to issues of youth unemployment, compensation for confiscated properties and provision of services is a dangerous political ploy that entails severe consequences.
As a scholarly organization that has documented the struggle of the Oromo people for freedom, justice, dignity and human rights, OSA condemns the Ethiopian regime’s blatant disregard for the Oromo people’s demands over Finfinnee. OSA scholars have documented the history of violent conquests and the consequent dispossession of Oromo lands, dislocation of homesteads and displacement Oromo people from the area today known as Addis Ababa.
It is unconscionable that the Ethiopian regime, when it is given the chance to correct historical injustices, has chosen to pursue the short term goal of perpetuating in power a group that has been there for more than a quarter century by force. OSA feels that the complete failure of the Ethiopian government to heed the cry of the Oromo people can only pave the way for more violence and bloodshed.
Cognizant of the long history and the intensity of the current demands of the Oromo people, OSA calls upon the following to take immediate action to obviate conflict and its horrendous consequences.
To the Ethiopian Government
The Oromo interest on Finfinnee is not “special.” It is historical and inherent. If this draft legislation were to have a chance of being accepted as adequate, it should respond to the Oromo people’s articulation of their interest during their protests last year. At a minimum, the draft legislation must include the following provisions.
- Delimit the boundary of Finfinnee the city boundary as it existed in 1991. Continued expansion is a recipe for renewed conflict.
- Recognize the Oromia regional government’s right to joint governance of the city. – Establish the Oromo language as a working language.
- Respect the political, economic and civil rights of all the residents.
- Recognize the city resident full democratic right of municipal self-governance instead of treating them as subjects of federal authority.
- – Restore and legally establish the city’s indigenous name, Finfinnee, as the official name of the city.
- Established by legislation the Oromo people’s right to socio-cultural, economic, environmental, and political benefits in the city and take measures to facilitate the enjoyment of these rights.
To Oromo people all over Oromia and Ethiopia:
- OSA is believes that your protest last year has brought you to the verge of victory. Your gallantry and fearless engagement of security forces has caused the Ethiopian government at all levels to heed your demands. OSA salutes you on your achievements and your discerning wisdom concerning timing and appropriateness of direct action.
- OSA believes the government is aware of the power of your commitment to peaceful protest. We reckon that it will quickly abandon its misguided draft legislation. At the same time, we fully support your commitment to peaceful protest.
- OSA affirms its commitment to continue to provide the institutional support and intellectual materials needed to press on the Oromo people’s struggle for ensuring Oromia’s interest on Finfinnee.
To Foreign Governments and Donors supporting the Ethiopian government:
- The issue of land and the Oromo interest over Finfinnee were the main causes of the protests that lasted for nearly a year in Oromia in 2016. This draft legislation on Oromia’s “special interest” is now being described as a backdoor attempt to implement the dreaded Addis Ababa Master Plan that triggered the protests. Governments and representatives of the international community have an obligation to use their good offices and leverage to persuade the Ethiopian government to refrain from forging ahead with this draft proclamation.
- OSA urges all parties to understand that Oromos are a force for peace and stability in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Respect for human rights and commitment to peace and justice have been the traditional governing principles of Oromos. It is in the interest of those states that have security and other interests in Ethiopia to support these enduring Oromo values and denounce the rule of violence and rule by administrative fiat. OSA is aware that all foreign parties in Ethiopia pursue their own interests. However, an interest that is singularly self-serving cannot guarantee long term stability.
To Non-governmental organizations and rights groups
- In line with OSA statement on the Master Plan and the Oromo protests, issued on December 9, 2016, we reiterate our commendation of the courageous work of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and International Crisis Group in
- investigating crises affecting the Oromo over the years. The irresponsible act of the Ethiopian regime in drafting the Oromia “special” interest legislation undermines the demands of the Oromo people over Finfinnee. As such, it is bound to provoke public anger. We urge you to continue to document the injustices that are being perpetrated under the state of emergency that has been in effect since October 9, 2016.
To International and Foreign Media Outlets:
- OSA calls upon all forms of print, broadcast and online media to document and publicize the events underway in Ethiopia. The issue of Finfinnee is a potent political issue. We urge you to watch the events surrounding this draft proclamation as it is pregnant with all the elements that ignited a historic protests movement that resulted in the death of thousands of people in 2016.
The scheme to dispossess the Oromo of their land and homeland, to dislocate them from their livelihood, and destroy their language and cultural identity, whether expressed blatantly as a Master Plan or shrouded with a cloak of a “special interest” draft law, is a threat to the economic wellbeing and survival as a nation. OSA affirms its commitment to offer all possible intellectual and scholarly assistance to strengthen the efforts to prevent its implementation.
Signed
Ezekiel Gebissa, PhD
President, Oromo Studies Association
Mekuria Bulcha, PhD
Chair, OSA Board of Directors
Related Article:
Manii Marii Ministeroota Itoophiyaa faaydaa addaa Oromiyaan Finfinnee irraa argattu jedhee irratti wixinee baasee labse. Master Plan (Master Killer) 2.0
OSA: STATEMENT ON THE ATTEMPT TO ALTER THE QUBEE (ALPHABET) OROMO WRITTEN ALPHABET. #ABCDeebisaa #OromoProtests June 12, 2017
Posted by OromianEconomist in #ABCDeebisaa.Tags: #ABCDeebisaa, #OromoProtests, Africa, Ethiopia's Colonizing Structure and the Development Problems of People of Oromia, Indigenous People, Oromia, Oromo, OSA, Qubee Afaan Oromoo, Qubee koo, Tartiiba qubee jijiiruun fumaata hin ta'u
1 comment so far
OSA: STATEMENT ON THE ATTEMPT TO ALTER THE QUBEE (ALPHABET) OROMO WRITTEN ALPHABET
Today qubee is the identity of a new generation of Oromo, it is a monument to the triumph of Oromo nationalism, and a symbol of the bitter sacrifice the Oromo have paid to be free from oppression, domination and marginalization. It is engrained in the minds of the new generation of Oromo and entwined with the Oromo struggle for self-determination. A violence against qubee amounts to a violence against the Oromo struggle for freedom and justice and freedom from violence. OSA asserts that the order of the alphabet used in written Afaan Oromoo is sacrosanct. It is inalterable.
Mekuria Bulcha, Chair, OSA Board of Directors
OSA 2017: Oromo Studies Association Mid-Year Conference: Social Media and Social Movements: Leadership,Transnationalism and the Oromo Quest for Transformation April 2, 2017
Posted by OromianEconomist in Oromo Studies, Oromo Studies Association.Tags: Africa, Akershus University, Leadership, Oromo, Oromo Studies Association (OSA), OSA, OSA Mid year Conference 2017, Oslo, Social Media and Social Movements
4 comments
Social Media and Social Movements: Leadership, Transnationalism and the Oromo Quest for Transformation
Date: April 1-2, 2017. Venue: Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA)
OSA Mid-Year conference 2017 Keynote speakers, Oslo 2017
Click here for OSA Midyear Conference, April 1-2 2017 OSLO Conference programe
Tamsaasa Kallattii Walga’ii Waggaa Walakkaa OSA ,Oslo Norway kutaa 3ffaa
Tamsaasa Kallattii Walga’ii Waggaa Walakkaa OSA ,Oslo Norway kutaa 5ffaa
Tamsaasa Kallattii Walga’ii Waggaa Walakkaa OSA ,Oslo Norway kutaa xumuraa
OromianEconomist 
You must be logged in to post a comment.