Henry Owuor
15 August 2009
column
Nairobi — Whenever any group fights for self-determination, in most cases, it is a cry by a smaller fish against the sharks.
Watching the four-part series broadcast by NTV recently, one may think that Ethiopia's Oromos are a minority group being squeezed out of their land.
The facts are different. First, the Oromos are the majority group in Ethiopia with a population estimated at 28 to 31 million. They also occupy 50 per cent of the land.
But they are a bitter lot because they played a major role in placing the current government in power after a prolonged armed struggle against the regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam.
In 1991, the Oromo Liberation Front was part of the transition government that took power after Mengistu fled the country. However, OLF disagreed with the new leader, Mr Meles Zenawi, and quit to start another armed struggle.
The Oromos, known for their vibrant dance style and athletic acumen, have one goal -- autonomy and independence from Ethiopia highlanders -- the Amhara and Tigrians. They have never ruled Ethiopia and that's their main bone of contention.
And one may ask: Why was Ethiopia very concerned about the series aired by NTV to the extent of sending a protest note to Kenya's Foreign Ministry? The answer is that this is not a simple matter as Ethiopia already faces various separatist groups such as the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
OLF's main issue is that Mr Meles's party, the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF), from the Tigray ethnic group that forms only six per cent of the population, dominates each and every sector of Ethiopia's economy.
But even as OLF soldiers appeared dancing in the series run by NTV, the group is split into different factions. The chairman of the main OLF faction is Mr Dawud Ibsa Ayana.
Mr Dawud's OLF is supported and hosted by Eritrea as part of the proxy war Asmara is waging against the government of Mr Meles. OLF's head office, besides its operations in Asmara, is based in Germany and it also has a Press office in the UK.
The splits in the group mean that OLF itself does not agree on the final outcome of their struggle -- whether autonomy or full independence from Ethiopia.
One of the most vivid signs that Addis is getting concerned with the activities of OLF is the decision in the past to expel 300 Oromo students from Addis Ababa University, claiming they had links to OLF.
But Oromos have representation in the Ethiopian Parliament and in the Cabinet under the country's federal political system.
Mr Owuor is the Daily Nation's Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs writer.
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