In solidarity with Oromo worldwide protests

Michael Aboye

The Oromo, with an estimated population of 40 million, are the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Despite their numerical majority, they have historically been subjected to political, social, and cultural injustices.  Systematic discrimination against Oromo people has left them politically disenfranchised even today, although they have struggled against oppression since the formation of the modern Ethiopian state. There are currently an estimated 20,000 Oromo political prisoners in Ethiopia, lending urgency to the political situation.  The arrest and treatment of these prisoners has been strongly criticized by international human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The Oromo people do not have any representation in the TPLF regime; the voices of the Oromo people are Oromo students protesting non-violently across Oromia. Oromo students are voices of the voiceless Oromo farmers who are being bulldozed off their land by TPLF.

During a mass demonstration in which over 27,000 people participated from Ambo and its surrounding  areas against the Addis Ababa Master Plan, TPLF's Agazi elite military division killed more than 30  unarmed students and members of the general public, including distraught families arriving at the scene to collect the dead bodies of their sons and daughters.

Those student protests were peaceful demonstrations without any violence, but they were met with brutality that included shooting, beating and detentions in unspecified places and numbers. Their question was purely about democratic rights and freedom. Their main question is why such a life threatening decision for millions of people around Addis Ababa was made without any consultation with them and where and when will land grab and sale stop.

The Oromo protests across Oromia state is a developing story and the number of people killed, injured, arrested and disappeared will emerge gradually. The most concerning issue is the fact that the violence against Oromo is not receiving attention commensurate with the amount of violence suffered everyday under Ethiopia's regime.

Thousands of Oromo political prisoners are languishing in Ethiopian prisons for a long time. Even though international human rights organizations denounce these inhuman actions of TPLF junta from time to time, little or nothing has been done to stop it. There have not been more concrete actions done by Oromo opposition parties inside or outside the country.

The massacre of Oromo students in Ambo and other Oromo regions last week should have to be a waking up call for the Oromos and other ethnic groups which have been oppressed by TPLF dictatorial regime. Ethiopia is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country, so we have to be open to the multiple possibilities of what being from Ethiopia might entail. No single group of people can maintain a monopoly on that. Unless we come together and stand together, we will all remain preys to TPLF and remain politically marginalized.

The rallies being held all over the world denouncing the massacre of Oromo students must spread and continue to expose the brutality of TPLF junta. Other Ethnic groups have to participate in these rallies and show solidarity to these movements. All have to take part in worldwide Oromo community rallies against TPLFs tyranny.