A lot has been said and written about the importance of Tokkummaa Oromo (unity of Oromo people) in order to achieve our Kaayyoo (goal), which is the Bilisummaa (freedom) of Oromo people and the Walabummaa (soveregnity)of Oromia. Just for our objective understanding of what we are talking here, let me first put the operational definition of the two important terms (Tokkummaa and Bilisummaa). Tokkummaa is defined as the state of being undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting. It is the smallest whole numeral representation. It has the quality of being united into one. Unity can denote a combining of all the parts, elements and individuals into an effective whole. It is appliable to people and objects forming whole notions of any concept. It implies oneness when there is a certain usual division. Bilisummaa (liberation) may refer to either liberty, the condition in which an individual or a collective has the ability to act according to his/her or their own will like liberty of Oromo people or it may show the freeing of a place from a tyrannic regime, e.g. liberation of Oromia from Weyane's tyranny. According to the hitherto known history of Oromo, it was the Tokkummaa under the democratic Gadaa rule which helped Oromo people to defend its self from all possible invasions till the mid ninteenth century. It was the lose of this Tokkummaa due to the tendency of some Oromo groups in the north, centeral and west part of Oromia to accept Monarchy as the way of adminstration replacing Gadaa. As an example we can just look at the Yejjuu Oromo dynasty which even could rule over the Abyssinians from the mid sixteenth century to the mid ninteenth century. The brutal move of King Theodros of Abyssina being supported by Brtish empire was the beginning of Oromo's lose of power and its territory to Abyssinians. Then slowly the whole Oromia was occupied by King Minilik of Abyssina, since when Oromos used to call for Tokkummaa against the occupation. Regarding the occupation of Oromia by Abyssinians, we don't have to entertain any illusion. It is the same to occupation of Somalia in 2007, against which almost all members of international community were. The only difference is the timing: Oromia was occupied at the time of the colonial scramble for Africa, the time when the international community was not against such occupation. As far as the difference between the current reactions of Oromos and Somalis against Abyssinian occupation is concerned, let me compare it with the following parable. If we put a frog in a boiling water, it jumps out immedeiately and saves its life. But if we put it in a comfartably warm water and boil the water slowly, the frog adapts to the heat so it never jump out, but will die slowly. Similarly Oromos are adapted to accept Abesha occupiers in Oromia for the last about 150 years, whereas Somalis, who are not yet adapted to the occupation, just acted to save their country as the frog did in the first instance. To get rid of the occupation, Oromo's main instrument is Tokkummaa. Abesha occupiers knew the danger of Tokkummaa Oromo from the very beginning, that is why they devided Oromo area in to many regions (qiyn-gizat, xeqilay-gizat and kifle-hager). They used as well as they are still using it for their devide and rule tactic. Specially now Weyane is using this regional identity given to us from the conquerers as a very good opportunity to sow a discord among Oromo, e.g Wellega Vs Arsi, Shoa Vs Wellega, Hararge Vs Arsi etc. This was what we used to hear in paltalks and read in forums in the past years of Weyane rule. Weyane cadres were and still are very busy to do this deviding job. No wonder that they are nowadays designated as rabid dogs, flies and pigs, who are always busy where ever there is a dirt aka conflict. Weyane dogs found in general the best dirt they used to eat for the last 18 years (conflict between the two BIG nations aka Amharas and Oromos). Additionally they also feed on the specific dirts like a conflict between different Amhara groups like AEUP Vs UDJ as well as an other specific dirt such as a conflict between different Oromo factions like OLF-Shannee Vs OLF-Jijjiirama. If we vigilantly observe them in every forum, we do surprisingly see a lot of them being camouflaged as conservative Amhara to attack Oromo and as nationalist Oromo to demonize Amhara; as moderate UDJ/G7 supporters to insult AEUP or as conservative AEUP members to blame UDJ/G7; as “progressive” OLF-Kemal to attack the “reactionary” OLF-Daud and vice versa; now they are busy as pro Ethiopian unity to attack Medrek/FDD (i.e they do play the game: Medrek Vs Unitarists). Specifically seen, any word, sentence and phrase directed to sow a discord among Oromo groups and said in paltalks as well as written in forums are mostly from our "smart" foes, not always from our naive friends doing it unkowingly. This continous effort of our foes to devide Oromo community and Oromo polity was successfull to some extent. For instance the split of different factions in OLF since 1978 is one of their impact on our liberation movement. As already recorded all factions except General Waaqo's Tokichummaa (UOPLF) are the splits from OLF, so are the rest six rebel organization aka OLF-Shanee, FIDO, Gumi (now COPLF), AWO (FIO), OLF-QC and OLF-Jijjiirama the factions from OLF. This spliting of our vanguard liberation organization in to many mini-fronts is the anti-thesis of the needed Tokkummaa for Bilisummaa. Some people try to convince us that the spliting was because of their difference in Kaayyoo. I personally don't think that it is constructive to talk about Kaayyoo ganama or galgalaa. Actually all Oromo political groups have no difference of Kaayyoo, but difference of startegy aka Karaa. Those who struggle for Oromian autonomy in Ethiopian context, like OFC is now doing, have opted for the Mid-goal based on the circumstance they are in. Those who make the rhetoric of self-determination are smart enough to use it in order to persuade international community with the concept it accepted and respected in the international law. Of course those who tell spade as spade say our Kaayyoo is Bilisummaa Oromo and Walabummaa Oromia. Actually self-determination is the process of choice of the liberated public to have as the out come either autonomy or independence per referendum. So both liberation in the form of Oromian autonomy and liberation to excercise referendum are the two important stops on the way of our liberation journey towards our End-goal aka liberation in the form of independence. Fortunaterly, in contrast to the effort of Abesha domination forces to devide and rule Oromo, different Oromo liberation forces used to call and are still calling for Tokkummaa Oromo. What were the efforts done till now in this direction? Let me mention few measures taken up to now. The effort of Maccaa Tulema association by bringing Oromos of all region and religion together; the measure of OLF leadership from different regions and religions to die together as they were attacked by Somalis and were ordered to be devided as christians and moslems; the hitherto measures taken by Oromo community to realize Tokkumma for Bilisummaa such as demanding Oromo political organizations to stop ololaa (propaganda) against each other; songs from different Oromo artists to promote Tokkummaa and articles from different Oromo scholars in favour of Tokkumma; last but not least of course the practical steps taken by Oromo individuals in all walks of life to live the life of Tokkummaa against the effort of our enemies to devide Oromo nation. Now we started to earn encouraging results from such effort to promote Tokkummaa. Different Oromo groups started to call for reconciliation and re-unification of the different Oromo political organizations; the two main Oromo political organization operating "legally" at home forged an alliance called OFC, eventhough the Weyane election board still refused to give a necessary certificate to legalize the alliance. Weyane's effort to hinder the legalization of OFC shows how much fear it has from Tokkummaa Oromo; OLF-elders started again the process of reconciling different OLF factions; all OLF factions started to advocate and support the effort of the elders; Oromo liberation army (OLA) of southern Oromia took very good step to encourage the reconciliation of the OLF factions; some political groups have already decided to be "melted" in to only one Organization under the name of OLF, which is to be ratified on 31/10/2009; and last but not least there is a good view to have such Tokkummaa of all Oromo political organizations fighting for Bilisummaa Oromo and Walabummaa Oromia as an important strategy till all groups can come under only one OLF with one clear Kaayyoo, one leadership and one strong liberation army. These are very encouraging steps and specially the reconcilliatory tone of the three OLF factions still runing under the name of OLF being free from ololaa in the last few weeks is commendable! Thanks Waaqayyoo, now we started to see the fruit of our war against Weyane propaganda in cyber world, who did a lot to devide Oromo liberation camp. They used all their resources, energy and time to sow a discord among Oromo based on region, party and religion. They also opted for a devide like 'leaders Vs members', 'new generation Vs old generation', 'elites Vs ordinary'...etc. Now all their effort is becoming futile and Oromo is now starting to strengthen Tokummaa for Bilisummaa, which is the best anti-dote against the effort of the enemy to devide us and rule further. I would like to recommend the necessary move to be taken in the future after consolidationg the unity of Oromo federalist parties under OFC and Oromo liberation fronts under OLF. We need to organize further the cooperation and coordination of Oromo forces for self-determination, who are active in the ruling party (OPDO), opposition party (OFC) and rebel front (OLF). Here we need to differentiate OPDO as an institution, which is the mercenery instrument used by Weyane to enslave Oromo people, from individual Oromos in the organization, which can be classified in to three: comrades, slaves and criminals. That meanse there are non-criminal Oromo individuals in it doing their job in their own way, be it they are compelled or convinced. These individuals can be seen as our comrades. Slaves are those who unkowingly serve the enemy against Oromo's interest just because of their biography being programmed since their child hood to have Abesha mind in Oromo blood. Criminals are both Oromos and non-Oromos in OPDO doing a crime on Oromo people against our liberation movemnet. The crime action of these individuals should be condemned and also need to be registered in history for the generation to come. To achieve Tokkummaa of Oromo groups, we need to work on it. It can't be real only by singing, talking and writing about it. We all Oromo individuals and groups have to do our part to realize and keep it. What are the necessary works? For instance, stop ololaa on each other; be part of integration or solution, not part of division or problem; contribute our talents, mony and time to promote it; be pragmatic and active in Oromo communities, mass organizations and parties; take hid of and watch all what we talk and write to evaluate whether their effect is division of Oromo or Tokkummaa of Oromo.....etc Next to Tokkummaa of all Oromo organizations for Bilisummaa, we need a coalition with forces of other oppressed nation to push togetehr for self-determination and we may need an alliance with some Abesha democratic forces, who do believe in freedom, democracy and human right including the right of nations to self-determination, be it as a union within Ethiopia or without a union. I think such groups might be in a situation to accept Union of Independent Nations in the region called Ethiopia or Horn of Africa as an END-Kaayyoo, which can be a very good base for the already planned United States of Africa. Here it should be clear that they work together for both national independence and regional union, like Oromian national indipendence with Ethiopian/Horn regional union. The only two groups, who are against such move are unitarist Amhara forces and hegemonist Tegaru front aka Weyane. So my recommendation for Oromo individuals and organizations is, let's be wise further and promote our Tokkummaa in our songs, talks and writings as well as let's take hid of Weyane cadres in paltalks and forums like Bilisummaa.com and Manabuna, who do talk and write as if they are Oromo, but the essence of their message is division and distintegration of Oromo liberation forces. Beside, such "smart" foes, of course there are many naive Oromos talking, acting and writing like our enemies, knowingly or unkowingly being against Tokkummaa, which we desperately need to achieve our Bilisummaa. As I tried to show above, it is clear that we lost our Bilisummaa just after losing Tokkummaa. Now in reverse, we will have it back by forging the necessary Tokkummaa as the best means to arrive at our Kaayyoo aka Bilisummaa Oromo and Walabummaa Oromia based on self-determination. This is the main reason why Weyane cadres are working 24h/7d in a week agasinst our Tokkummaa. For that reason, we also need to work continously to promote Tokkummaa Oromo for Bilisummaa! Let Rabbii help us to forge such strong Tokkummaa for Bilisummaa!
Waaqayyoo bless Oromo people and Oromo land (Oromia)! Galatooma!!
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