Statement of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) Executive Committee

Oromo Liberation  Front (OLF)  Spetember 10, 2012

The OLF Executive Committee (OLF-EC) has successfully concluded its regular meeting held from 4-9 September, 2012 in a time when the opportunities for and challenges to the struggle is heightened and the  situation of the region of the Horn of Africa is farther from stability. The executive committee has intensively deliberated on the relevant issues in Oromia, the Empire of Ethiopia and the region in general and concluded by passing the following relevant resolutions.

The situation of the Oromo people at home has been progressively deteriorating. The widespread criminal eviction of farmers, high unemployment of the urban dwellers accompanied by hyper inflation has reduced our people to life style of beggars. The reckless policy of illegal enrichment of the regime’s cronies has caused unprecedented pollution of the environment to the detriment of high human and animal lives and natural vegetation. Consistent with the regime’s categorization of the Oromo people as its enemy, the killings, maiming, imprisonment and torture of the Oromo individuals has been intensified. The OLF-EC therefore calls upon the Oromo people to intensify the ongoing resistance and uprising as the only way out of this predicament and renews the organization’s commitment of full engagement in this effort.

Neither did the Oromos who fled the TPLF regime fare better. The regime has pursued them to their destination countries and secured forceful repatriation in cooperation with the countries concerned, which in some cases; commit acts of the categories of crime against humanity on our people. The recent acts of the regime in Somaliland of enticing their people against defenseless refugees and burning humans, including children, alive are the case in point. The regime seems to overlook the fact that relation between the peoples out lasts the regimes and crime of this magnitude will go down in the history of the peoples with a long term effect. Therefore we call upon all the countries where the Oromo individuals sought refuge and the UNHCR to shoulder their responsibilities in protecting these refugees in accordance to the international conventions.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) regime, besides its policy of pitting peoples against each other, is engaged in interference in the internal affairs of religious communities, especially Muslims, causing chaos. The OLF- EC condemns such interference in the religious affairs of the peoples and reaffirms its full support for the struggle of the Muslim community to regain their right to freely exercise their religion.

The recently intensified activities of different OLF cells and other movements like the Youth Movement “Qeerroo” is indicative of the heightened consciousness of the Oromo people. They have opted for these as the only means of getting out of the predicament stated above. This is a fact and the OLF- EC calls upon our people to raise the level of support and participation especially the fast expanding energetic youth movement.

The death of the late head of the Ethiopian totalitarian regime, the way it was handled and the uncertainty of succession has created suspense for all concerned parties and optimism for the victimized peoples and others. The removal of the head of a totalitarian regime is conducive to change of the system to a better or worse. However, it is the belief of the OLF- EC that, only the concerted and coordinated struggle of the victimized peoples and sectors’ aspiring for genuine freedom and democracy will influence the direction of the change of the system. Therefore the OLF- EC calls upon all the concerned parties in general and the Oromo people in particular not to be misled by false optimistic rhetoric but instead double their effort to unseat the oppressive system by all means possible.

The OLF- EC noticed that, despite increased consciousness of the people and the encouraging situation of the struggle underway inside our country, the situation of political groups in the Diaspora is less than encouraging. To influence the direction of change, it is the belief of the OLF-EC that coordination of the effort of all forces of genuine freedom and democratic organizations in general and Oromo forces in particular are a decisive factor. The OLF has taken the first step towards realization of this goal by issuing a separate statement and calls upon the Oromo people to play their role in realizing this objective.

The cooperation of the organizations struggling for the right to self-determination of the oppressed peoples is crucial. The OLF will intensify its cooperation with such organizations and calls upon our people to consciously play their role towards realizing this goal.

We also call upon organizations that refuse to recognize the rights of peoples to selfdetermination in order to maintain the imperial nature of Ethiopia to understand that their objective will end up turning people against each other and instead work for the realization of a system that will promote freedom, equality and genuine democracy.

The TPLF regime has been sustained by the unconditional military, economic and diplomatic support by external powers like the USA, UK, EU and China. There are plenty of evidences that such massive support has been used by the regime to grossly violate human rights. We call upon these governments to reconsider their position of backing this regime and play a positive role geared towards the wellbeing of the peoples.

Victory to the Oromo People!

OLF – Executive Committee

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