Armed Gumuz croosed over Oromia and massacared civilians
May 23, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethnic clashes erupted in Ethiopia between the neighboring Gumuz and Oromo leaving hundreds killed and thousands displaced in Eastern Wellag of Oromia state.
The clash started on Saturday May 18, 2008, when armed Gumuz crossed over from their regional state to Oromia State and attacked villages before day break”, residents told Sudan Tribune.
Government officials have declined giving the official number of the victims of the conflict so far. Residents said that over 130 people died and about 8000 people have been internally displaced.
People died from both sides of the tribes but eyewitnesses have said, "the attacks were preplanned and nocturnal and the Oromos were caught unprepared ; as result, the majority of the people who lost their lives and whose houses were burned down with children inside were Oromos."
Oromos further accused the federal government of manipulating and arming the Gumuz to attack their neighboring Oromo over land claim.
The Oromo residents also suspect both the regional sate of Benishangul Gumuz and central government have role in arming and mobilizing the Gumuz to attack them.
Benishangul Gumuz state is located in the border with the eastern Sudan state of Blue Nile.
The federal police and Oromia regional police have not intervened to avert the armed attacks, residents claimed. They further say that the conflict is still going on and people are dying, houses and properties are being burned down daily.
For over a century, the two tribes share the same history of repression under successive Ethiopian regimes and lived together peacefully.
The Oromo are the largest single ethnic group in Ethiopia, at 32.1% of the population according to the 1994 census, and today numbering around 25 million.
They are divided into two major branches that break down into an assortment of clan families, however a number of ethnic based political organizations have been formed to promote the interests of the Oromo. Some of it seek to create an independent Oromo nation, some using armed force.
Giving a land that belongs to one group to the other to incite conflict has been seen in many neighboring Southern region since the current regime came to power in 1991. Land is also the cause of the conflict between the invading Sudanese Army in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.
(ST)
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Comments (23 posted):
how I contact you and I have your address?
You can guess. Adureef hantuuta.
If you fear to hear the voice of the prisoners you're either the prisonguard or one of his bosses who ordered the arrest.
If you advocate the voice of the prisoners be heard you are obviously the victim or one of his relatives.
your openion is so lovely even though it is fiction!
with so many shared values I am honored to welcome you on board our big ship bound for free and independent Oromia.
I have personally no problem with people being mixed or not. I see it even as an advantage for the individual.
You love "RESPECT, EQUAL OPRPUNITY, and EQUAL FREEDOM just like the rest of people live in Ethiopia".
I would have loved it more than any one else if only such Ethiopia ever existed, even in theory. It couldn’t and can't exist because people were put into a prison cell by murderous cruel force well over century ago and they all do every thing they could to break out. The cell is too old to contain all prisoners, there is congestion as more prisoners are born, there is fight on resources, etc. In short it is a failed exercise that finally killed all empires. I hope you know more about this.
On the other hand, assume these people entered that same cell by their own free will to seek shelter. They would most likely enjoy it, identify themselves with it, maintain it, clean and develop it, and one day even build a villa on the site because they can plan ahead what they will be doing in 5, 10, 20 50 years time, no fighting, everyone feels responsible for his actions, in short it is a true home chosen by them. This is my personal analysis.
So, as our opinion on certain issues may not be representative of millions, the question is why not on earth respect the rights of peoples in the cell to freely determine their destiny, without any intervention or intimidation by the prison guard? Why not bring our respective cases to them and listen to their voice?
If you really believe in honest discussion I am confident you agree to this, too.
Anything else is like trying to extend the prison sentence to life sentence or more. Isn't it?
I strongly agree with most of your comments and respect your opinion, and I also must admire your thoughts of admiring our legends especially Obbo Lencho Letta’s prominent leadership and influence on the organization and the entire Oromo people. Most of the time countries like ours and similar destroy the life, credit and history of their ancestors and history makers for their own benefits; it happens most of the time because of selfishness and bureaucracy. May be that is probably the reason why we don’t really have that much history to fall back on and reference to. I am not saying we don’t have history but it has been hidden from us.
I am not going to criticize your comment about identity crisis or inconsistent of personality because I am moved by some of your positive and constructive ideas and deep understanding of some of the issue I though concerned both of us. You wrote “Those who witnessed the encampment of oromo fighters, the mass conversion of oromos to missionary at the expense of our religion and culture”…. I was old enough to witness how almost everything went down around that time of the last Oromo fighter’s dismantlement and encampment. From my personal analysis and some others, it seems like the Oromo leaders and officers who understand about civil and military life run out of option at the time.
If you think about it, it was almost impossible at the time to separate the Oromo people from the rest of the nation, let’s just be honest, if you know the whole nation of Ethiopia this is almost impossible. Those people lived together for more than 100 years, and generation has been mixed. This could have been the end road of their goal for people from north. From a leadership perspective and humane society, it is not easy to or even possible to destroy such ties between societies. This is from humane perspective, and leaders circle a very big yard before they throw their arrow at their target. So any leader in this type of situation will make different route of decision especially with the type of pressure OLF was under from the leaders around the world. May be if the goal of OLF was different than becoming an independent country, the outcome would have been different.
My other point that I strongly agree with you is about the conversion of Oromo people in to missionary especially in the down further Wollega region, we all know that the further down Wollega people are the most proactive initiators of the Oromo rights and educated people in Ethiopia, just to name few: Lecho Letta, Dawit Letta, Nagasso Gidada, Solomon Gidada, Ephraim Isaac, Bayissa Sakata, Bulcha Damkissa, Lencho Kena’a, Dimma Nogggo, Ebssa Gutema and so on…. Those people are those who have made a difference or are making differences in Oromo and Ethiopian people’s life. What I am trying say here is those people have faith but also have vision about freedom for their society, but this new generation conversion is different. They are destroying the culture and the society. I was there once and the young generation won’t even party at their own wedding --- -I call that society in crisis.
Agessa
again there are points we can agree upon.
1) There have been thousands of true oromo legends who sacrificed their lives for a CAUSE.
2) Oromoland and people were annexed FORCEFULLY historically not too long ago by Absysinia which later changed name to ethiopia.
3) Obbo Lecho was a prominent OLF leader, perhaps with still some influence in one of the two pieces of the organization.
In fact I thank him or anyone for any positive contribution in promoting oromo cause.
However, one thing oromos are blessed not to have is a living legend who fought for the just cause of his people and gave up this cause to join the enemy camp in the last and most testing minute.
Those who witnessed the encampment of oromo fighters, the mass conversion of oromos to missionary at the expense of our religion and culture, the reversal of kaayyoo and resulting the split of OLF itself, the current status of the organisation and the oromo struggle as a whole have any opinion about him but an oromo "legend".
Concerning his heritage, I think he knows best about this, but as you know there is no shortage of shanqillas and naftanynas with oromo names in the part of oromia or even in the organisation itself.
You wrote:
"If it was not for him and many other legends, there won't be any such a thing called Oromia today."
And you wrote:
"we don’t need to be creating a country called Oromia, what we need is RESPECT, EQUAL OPRPUNITY, and EQUAL FREEDOM just like the rest of people live in Ethiopia. Don’t tell me the same crab the OLF told me"
Some people call this identity crisis,
I call it inconsistent because it implies you caling for clash with oromo "legends" and what they stood for.
Thanks.
I respect your opinion but I have to disagree with some of your comments. Because we can not deny some of the facts of some Oromo legends who sacrifice their life, career, family and many other options for the name of the OROMO people. Since the Oromo people became part of Ethiopia in between 1904-1908, there were many Oromos who had been sacrificed for the love of their people. If you know history, you would know who those legends are. But having said that, there is some thing you really need to understand about Lencho Letta, despite what happened lately in the OLF organization, Lencho was the first only Oromo's organization head who publicly spoke, fought, draft Oromia's map, and introduced the Oromo people to the world. Let's not forget he was one of the top medical school student in Addis Ababa university before he decided to take create OLF along with his brother. About his genuine credibility being Oromo, you can find out your self from Dembi Dolo Base high school and his father. Regardless of what happened to the organization and what is going on today, Lecnho Letta was the first and only Oromo legend who made the Oromo people be known. If it was not for him and many other legends, there won't be any such a thing called Oromia today. Let's the truth be told. About me being Nafategna back ground, I can live with that, only God can judge who we are.
There is some truth in what you wrote.
That is, any border between Oromia and Sudan should be dismantled as it is purely artificially created by wayyanee and and its big condoms like abadula gameda and kuma damaksa to divide ancient oromo land. We must give the Shanqillas a lesson they never forget. Similarly, current wayanne border in the north between Oromia and Abysinia is fake and should be redrawn considering natural and historical facts. Old OLF leaders should give up power to the youth (under 20-40) who are eager to take the risk and push the struggle farther.
Anything else you said about not creating a counry called oromia establishes a Naftanyaa background for whom Oromia is a bitter reality.
Like it or not, OROMIA for which we gave hundreds of thousands of our loved ones and ready give more, can never be compromised, and is the only SOLUTION.
If ethiopia had been a country of "RESPECT, EQUAL OPRPUNITY, and EQUAL FREEDOM", olf and many other Lfs would have been unncessary.
Lechoo Latta doesn't represents OLF or Oromos. Who told you he is oromo at all, BTW?
Thanks
This is my view but reality and facts remain the same. Defend OROMO.
Agessa
Stop living in the Greater Somalia dreamland of the past. Russia or not, Cuba or not, Ethiopia (Derg) defeated you resoundingly without any doubt. It has been more than 30 years now get over it. We live in the present and heading to the future and what should matter to us is how to stop the onslaught on our people now and the future. You guys seem to be fighting for Allah. we Oromos have resisted the temptation to fight and die for some faceless concept imported from the Middle East Arabs. So stop grooming us for your Jihad.
We know for sure that you may fool the Eastern & SE Oromos but not Central Western and Northern Oromos. Our enemey is not Amhara Tigre Russia Cuba or USA. right now we have to face the little Gumuzs and maybe if we can score victory against them, TPLF will know what is heading their way. The idea that you have to go fight the dog owner while the dog is tearing you apart is preposterous. You kill the dog first and head for the dog owner. Oromos who don't get this concept are probably the ones living in the past like you.
from Somaaliya
my dear brothers Oromo's if the ethiopian empire wasnt supported by Russia and Cupa in 1977 then Today Oromo land would have been a free land
we Somalis fought for justice in Ethiopia in 1977 if only those russians never come into east african business somalia and oromo would have been both free independent succesfull states,
but give it some time and we will kick da shit out of those tigrays............................sooon long live somalia and oromo
(Waan hundaafuu barri ni dhufa!!!)
We need to do some cost-benefit analysis Our survival as people doesn`t depend on fighting TPLF it has to be based on piecemeal strategy eliminating th elittle enemies first if possible massacring these monkeys in hordes and then moving on to the bigger challenging targets as TPLF. while We are waiting for the big tree to fall, the little weeds are killing us like flies.
Listen people, if you didn`t burn with the desire to avenge this massacre when you read this as i did when I read this and countless other stories ( as in East Harerghe the previous years) then you have no love for your people.
the damned Oromo Gumii Saba should deal with short-term survival of our people. Not the overthrow of militia armed to the teeth.
We need to do something!
so it is nessasry to create unrest at the boarder , the habitants should be displased, they have to search another place, at the end sudanes government will help them by giving wepons even passport , at the end they protecte them as they are sudanes then Tplf will ask UNto demacreating as the land is belongist to sudanes . so at this time foolishly the clans fight each other at the end they will soild out
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