The oromo liberation front olf, including origin, mandate, leadership, structure, legal status, and membership. The islamic front for liberation of oromia abbreviated iflo was an oromo based political and paramilitary organization founded in 1985 by its commander in chief, sheikh abdulkarim ibrahim hamid, otherwise known as jaarraa abbaa gadaa. English abbreviation olf is an organisation established in 1973 by oromo ethnonationalistssupremacists to promote the session of the oromo people from perceived abyssinian colonial rule in ethiopia. The role of opdo, andm and sepdf is simply to rubber stamp tplfs agenda. Oromo liberation front wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. This paper first provides the historical background for these complex issues. Article 1f of the refugee convention and the instruction on restricted leave. English abbreviation olf is an organisation established in 1973 by oromo. The coalition, known as the ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front, was made up of four ethnic parties. The oromo liberation front firmly believes that sustainable and permanent political solution to ethiopias century old complex political problems could only be attained with an all inclusive participatory talks among ethiopias political forces at this point. I assume that although the oromo can rightfully trace their history to antiquity, over the years their elites have manipulated the notion of an oromo ethnicity so as to expand the concept of nation. Protests and online activism in recent months have brought a resurgence of ethnic oromo nationalism in ethiopia. The information has been carefully selected and compiled from unhcrs global network of field. Oromo liberation front political program preamble the political and military struggle of the oromo people led by the oromo liberation front olf has contributed to the survival of the oromo people from centuryold subjugation, oppression and exploitation.
Professor, you are absolutely right about the history of the oromo. This system is called gadaa, and is a system that has guided the religious, social, political, economic, philosophical, art, history and method of time keeping of the oromo people. The ogaden contains oil and gas fields, but development has been hampered by. The oromo liberation front olf was one of the various organizations fighting against the domination and. Memorandum of understanding this memorandum of understanding heralds an agreement that has been reached in the formation of coalition between oromo liberation front olf and united liberation forces of oromiya ulfo reaffirming the objective of the oromo national struggle as the establishment of independent democratic republic of oromia. If you have noticed, i begin with its formation in the 1970s and end in the present. Oromia is located in the horn of africa bordering on the north and northwest by ethiopia, on the east by ogadenia and republic of djibouti, in the northeast by the regional state of afar, on south east by the republic of somalia, on the south by kenya, on the southwest by the regional state of southern peoples and on the west by regional. Jul 29, 20 this claim is popular among the oromo liberation front olf organization and consequently among some diaspora oromo nationalists living in america and europe. Oromo nationalism on the rise in ethiopia africa al.
Political competition in oromia human rights watch. The proponents of the movement hold that the oromo people constitute a nation. The history of finfinne reflects the way the oromo people. Ethiopian rulers of abyssinian amharatigray origin have been ruling. The country of the oromo is called biyya oromo oromo country or oromia oromiyaa. The oromo and the war on terror in the horn of africa us. And how many such lies over 5 millions oromo killed from 9 millions of ethiopian population, where deception is conscious and purposeful. This is for the benefit of all and sundry as history was rewritten. Nov 01, 2010 the following documentary was aired on esat, the ethiopian satellite television, and was posted on oromo nationalists, who have watched the video with critical eyes, agree that esat could have used its airtime wisely had it focused more on the root cause of the oromo struggle, i.
The outlawed oromo liberation front olf is widely supported at least in principle among ethiopias largest ethnic group. Jan 15, 2019 even the few extreme nationalists, such as the oromo liberation front, are generally reacting to rampant injustice in the past rather than challenging the existence of the state. As a consequence, oromo refugees and asylum seekers are still coming to the united states from refugee camps in kenya and elsewhere. The oromo conflict was an armed conflict between the oromo liberation front olf and the government of ethiopia.
The olf began as a student movement in 1973 with the purpose of. The oromo liberation front olf decided to withdraw from the eprdf coalition in 1992 and was pushed out. Krapf 1860 proposed the term ormania to designate the nationality or the country of the oromo people. To see new federal republic of ethiopia where the oromo people contiguously live with. Nov 07, 2016 diversities of opinion resulted in dissensions that became factions, beginning with the islamic front for the liberation of oromia iflo, followed by the oromo peoples liberation organization oplo or ibso, the oromo liberation front transitional authority olfta, the reformed oromo liberation front rolf, the oromo democratic front odf. Oromos introduction, location, language, folklore, religion. Oromia is a name given by the oromo liberation front to oromoland, now part of the ethiopian empire. 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 oromo liberation front is an organisation established in 1973 by oromos in ethiopia. The oromo liberation front has been shaken by the recent killing of 40 of its members near the kenyan border.
This claim is popular among the oromo liberation front olf organization and consequently among some diaspora oromo nationalists living in america and europe. Refworld is the leading source of information necessary for taking quality decisions on refugee status. Most oromos support this liberation organization and its army, the oromo liberation army. Even the few extreme nationalists, such as the oromo liberation front, are generally reacting to rampant injustice in the past rather than challenging the existence of the state. For the first time in the history of the oromo national struggle, a political organization with a political program and a clear set of objectives emerged to lead the. The project methodology focused on interviews of members of the. Oct 03, 2018 the coalition, known as the ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic front, was made up of four ethnic parties. The following documentary was aired on esat, the ethiopian satellite television, and was posted on oromo nationalists, who have watched the video with critical eyes, agree that esat could have used its airtime wisely had it focused more on the root cause of the oromo struggle, i. Observers of the situation claim that the former leaders were planning to set up a dialogue with. Olf statement on a bogus press release in the name of olf pdf. Memorandum of understanding oromo liberation front.
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. Under the leadership of the oromo liberation front olf they work to achieve selfdetermination. Later, the southern ethiopia peoples democratic front sepdf was added to the. The big debate beyond assimilation and accommodation. The history of finfinne addis ababa in a way reflects the way the oromo people were conquered, robbed off their land and properties, reduced to serfs and slaves, and kept under inhuman subjugation. The oromo liberation front olf is established to struggle for the. One particular example used by ethiopianist oromos, like dr.
The oromo liberation front, an armed ethiopian movement struggling for independence of the oromo people, has a flag with three horizontal stripes of red, green and red. Prior to colonization of oromia, the present day addis ababa had an oromo name finfinne. Asafa jalata the oromo movement is engaging in struggle to empower the oromo people in order to restore their control on their economic resources such as land and cultural resources and to overcome the effects of ethiopian state terrorism and globalization. A history of tensions and pragmatism, journal of modern african studies, vol.
Before colonization, the oromo nation had their own social, political and legal system. 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. The conflict began in 1973, when oromo nationalists established the olf and its armed wing, the oromo liberation army ola. A call to action for all political forces in ethiopia.
English abbreviation olf is an organisation established in 1973 by oromos in ethiopia. I believe that lasting peace is possible in the horn of africa when the oromo people take their rightful place in the horn and the oromo liberation front is the only oromo political organization with a long history, experience and support that can bring the oromo people to any future political arrangements. Opdo to deny the oromo liberation front the claim to be the exclusive representative of the ethiopian oromo. Ethiopias ethnic violence history with oromos, amharas. It occupies the barren plain between the somaliaethiopia border and the ethiopian eastern highlands, on which the cities of harer and dire dawa are situated. Well of course, the history of the olf and the history of the oromo people would be connected since it is an oromo organization hence oromo liberation front. By may 1991, with eprdf forces controlling tigray, welo, gonder, gojam, and about half of shewa, it was obvious that the army did not have sufficient morale, manpower, weapons, munitions, and leadership to stop the rebels advance on addis. Most arrests took place in the oromia regional state, where the persecution of dissenting political views has a long history. Dont let ethiopia become the next yugoslavia foreign policy. Dissension between factions supporting the old olf leadership of gelasa dilbo and lencho leta and those who back the new leadership also appears to have undermined the groups strength. Like its predecessors, the government dominated by the tigrean peoples liberation front was vicious in its brutality against the oromo people. Tadesse birru 1921 march 19, 1975 was an ethiopian general of the ethiopian imperial army and an oromo nationalist. While a different version or a rearrangement of the wording might still be truein general, the oromo nation as a whole was never colonized by another ethiopian ethnic group. Adda bilisummaa oromoo or abo, or olf, is an organization established in 1973 by oromo nationalists to promote selfdetermination for the oromo people against abyssinian colonial rule.
In the process an imagined community has become an imagined pristine nationstate, comprised only of oromo, a development that. Oromo nationalism on the rise in ethiopia africa al jazeera. The islamic front for liberation of oromia abbreviated iflo was an oromobased political and paramilitary organization founded in 1985 by its commander in chief, sheikh abdulkarim ibrahim hamid, otherwise known as jaarraa abbaa gadaa. Exploring new political alternatives for the oromo in ethiopia. Diversities of opinion resulted in dissensions that became factions, beginning with the islamic front for the liberation of oromia iflo, followed by the oromo peoples liberation organization oplo or ibso, the oromo liberation front transitional authority olfta, the reformed oromo liberation front rolf, the oromo democratic front odf. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks. The movement is the culmination of over 70 years of uncoordinated resistance by oromos against ethiopias central government. Project muse ethiopia, the tplf, and the roots of the. The tplf also brought together military captives of oromo lineage from the war with the derg, and, together with defectors from the oromo liberation front olf, created the oromo peoples democratic end page 14 organization opdo to claim legitimacy in oromia. Understanding the historical responsibilities fall on the shoulders of this generation of olf leaders, after careful assessment of the struggle from all corners, we. Islamic front for the liberation of oromia wikipedia. This note provides country of origin information coi and policy guidance to. Merera gudina, against olf is the historical accounts on oromo rule of ethiopia in the 1700s. Initially a strong proponent of ethiopian unity, tadesse eventually became an activist for the empowerment of the oromo.
The 2005 parliamentary electionsthe first in ethiopias history to be. Challenges to the regime southern ethiopia, where the longdormant oromo liberation front olf became active. Oromo liberation front ethiopian resistance organization. Authorities claim that people were detained for rehabilitation training. The oromo liberation front olf, which has been engaged in an.
The experiences of oromo people who fled their country provide an important historical context to understand the current human rights situation in ethiopia. At least 75 members of the oromo liberation front olf were detained amid the upcoming general elections in ethiopia. 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. Other local peoples of the south, such as gurage and sidama, also wanted to create separate states, but. The dramatic arrest of olf oromo liberation front chairman dawud ibsa and proposal to. 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. In north american parlance, one can describe the members of opdo, andm and. I do not want to hear about thats not true information. In the centre is a yellow rayed disc in which is a green oromo tree, above which is a small red 5pointed star. 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. The ogaden contains oil and gas fields, but development has been hampered by instability in the region. Shakeup in oromo liberation front cultural survival. I believe that lasting peace is possible in the horn of africa when the oromo people take their rightful place in the horn and the oromo liberation front is the only oromo political organization with a long history, experience and support that can bring the oromo.
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