We can win the war against Ethiopian Imperial army

By Jirma Raasaa

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Many people think that when I voice against what OLF is doing it seems that I am against the organization. However, the truth is not what others think. The main reason why my voice goes parallel to what OLF leaders and their follows believe is because I want to see an Oromo organization with fixed principles but flexible tactics to achieve the independence of Oromia, strong military muscles, well netted Organization with members well informed  politically, in an organization in which democracy and centralism are fairly balanced in the civilian wing of the organization and where rule of law is practiced, and highly disciplined leadership, truthful to its best and dedicated to the cause with no compromise on Oromo national interest and independence of our country.

Under the current vagueness created by continued breakdown of Oromo liberation organizations mainly the decay in OLF in the face of tribalism and regionalism, sometimes blended with religious differences a stumbling block and a hurdle and a  challenging to make Oromo youth to understand what national liberation struggle really demands to be a realty. The road ahead requires a very conscientious work to show them the right path of the struggle.

The type of organization we need to execute the job the struggle requires need to be correctly spelled out and division of labor needs to be defined.  What we need to focus on needs to be drafted carefully. The job of the cadres, the nature of the propaganda they wage, what type of propaganda should be used within and without needs to be set up. Our cadres must know what is inviolable and what can be dealt with at their level without involvement of the upper echelons of the organization.

 Above all the negative journey made by the struggle the last twenty years has created a circumstance of mistrust and securing loyalty is harder than ever. As experience of many nations indicates knowledge is power and unless the masses are empowered with knowledge, unless the masses are aware of what is under a thought provoking circumstances and what is not our journey would be up the hill. Most of all  unless the loyalty of the masses especially of the youth and the intelligentsia  is ascertained for the  cause the liberation of Oromia is quiet impossible  to achieve the desired goal no matter how our enemies are weak and disorganized. In all cases planning, efficient organization, deliberately operating manpower is required. It’s a tough journey and tough minded people are need.

 We can compare our situation with the situation of other colonial and colonized nations. It is in line with this situation that we must taste our capacity to conduct the struggle. “War is inevitable if central state have the will to resist emerging nationalist (secessionist movement, but these movements can win freedom without violence if the will is missing. Many sub Saharan African States gained freedom in the 1960s without violence because the European colonial powers lost their imperials will. Likewise, the emergence of non Russian nationalisms in the former Soviet Union was accompanied by (and encouraged by) the loss of imperial will in Moscow; this loss of will at the center allowed non Russians to escape the soviet empire without waging wars of secession. French decolonization was far more violent, spawning large wars in Vietnam and Algeria, because the French motropole retained its will even after nationalism gained momentum in the French empire.” (Nationalism and ethnic conflict pp38)

It is this fact that must purify our vision, our policies and our form of struggle. If Ethiopia lost its will when Oromo nationalism is gaining momentum there is no reason why one must preach war. Contrary to what has taken place in sub Saharan Africa and ex-Soviet empire  Ethiopia’s imperial will is still stronger than 1880’s with a hope to hold onto Oromia.

Secondly, we must also consider situation that comes after Oromia won its independence. The will of the central State is largely governed by its domestic politics, but is also determined partly by demographic facts. Specifically, central government can allow secession more easily if secession would leave a homogeneous rump central state, since permitting secession then sets a less damaging precedent.

In the current mind set and viewing the future of Oromia with Ethiopianist mind and Ethiopian prism the viewers may see not a refracted light of hope but inverted image which they hope to correctly erect it the right way up. The pseudo nationalists attempt to reach Oromia through democratization of Ethiopia is nothing but adding more concerts aggregate to the statuesque to make it more solid. Many may think that winning the war of liberation is up the hill journey. But the science of national liberation struggle  still confirm to us that oppressed people if they operate in unison and fearlessly  can carry out their historic responsibilities even under nerve-racking conditions and  there is nothing that they cannot achieve. This statement may sound too idealistic in the era of globalization and one polar world. But still the people can write their history as beautiful as those nations before them. The type of propaganda we conduct has more effect than the guns we carry in arising the will of our people. The French revolution was energized by an out pouring of war like commentary in then newly free French press. We must believe that conventional wisdom is right in focusing on inflammatory propaganda as source of energy for nationalism. We must value the power of Oratory. The impact of Hitler’s oratory before his rise to power was mainly in motivating supporters who were already predisposed towards his outlook.

Kwame Nkrumah once said” Mass movement towards reality and brotherhood is well and good when it is lead by bold and realistic leaders” people need bold and realistic leaders who without any fear can walk them through glorious and challenging moments. There is no doubt that all Oromos are looking forward to one bright day in the life of our nation. This day can only come through our unparalleled sacrifice but not through gifts that may come from some benevolent force within the Empire or the international community that is heavily focused on its own national interest. One must believe that empire is destined to disappear.

If there are Oromos who hope that Oromia can be liberated by collaborating with Abyssinians they lack political sophistication about liberation struggle. The main reason why Oromia cannot be liberated without putting strong resistance is because the minority in power in Ethiopia dependence on the pillage from Oromia which is the fuel to their will to hold onto the colonial territory by any means available in their reach and we also apply all means necessary to liberate our country. This leads us to war which we are claiming as war of no other option.

The Abyssinian regime is irremediably hostile to liberation of Oromoia because of multiple reasons; minority oppressing nationalism can cause war in two ways. 1. We are provoked into violent secession by our captives because they are still interested to keep us in bondage. 2. Secondly, the liberation of Oromia would become the cause for the liberation of many oppressed nationalities. This is the main fear factor for the dissolution of Ethiopia. Weighing these factors our captives will do everything possible to keep the statuesque which Oromo Ethiopianist has not considered in their decision to join Abyssinian political arm to cripple the struggle of our people. Remember Britain can live without buy Cocoa but Ghana cannot live without selling Cocoa. Likewise Oromia can live without Ethiopia but Ethiopia cannot live without Oromia. Thus, it requires us to have larger preparation and solidify the camp of national liberation struggle for the liberation that cannot take place easily.

There are good reasons why we can win.  

 

1.  We can win because we are oppressed and the oppressor is isolated and cannot sponsor war for a long period of time especially its army can’t supply itself with fresh man power and this is a great advantage to the nationalists of all oppressed people. This is the main factor for our victory.

 

2. Our war is a popular war of liberation deeply rooted in the minds and body of our people and other peoples of the colonies and this allows us to conduct a protracted war commanding over a vast economy and man power allowing us to slowly tearing down the enemy.

 

3. The difference between proletarian war and nation liberation struggle is: the working class needs the factory workers to be conscious and organized under a communist party or workers party and it seeks strong alliance with rural poor. However, national liberation struggle is headed by nationally conscious group of intelligentsia that can inject into the mind of the city population and rural youth to win popular support and our struggle has passed this stage and it has full support of our people and so we do not wait until all conditions mature to make the struggle and the insurrection can create the conditions for itself..

  4. The Ethiopian empire is one of Africa’s under developed country. Its rural area is not accessible by the state war machinery, and the terrain is equally hostile for mobility of heavy war equipments and state air supremacy would not contain the guerrillas that are operating over a vast area in a smaller band that is systematically feeding on the country’s economy thus making the country side basic area for our armed struggle

 

Of these four points contradict the defeatist attitude of pseudo-nationalists who remain inactive and take refuge in the pretext that against a professional army nothing can be done, and who sit down and wait until in some mechanical way all necessary objective and subjective conditions are given without working to accelerate them. These problems of subjective and objective conditions are many times mentioned by Oromo leaders claiming that our people are not well aware of their sufferings and not ready for liberation struggle- That clear tendency of capitulationism. Naturally there are no such objective conditions that mature by itself but men make it ripe quicker.

Ernesto Che Guavera in his book guerrilla war fare wrote “Guerrilla war fare, the base of the struggle of a people to redeem itself, has diverse characteristics, different facets, even though the essential will for liberation remain the same. It is obvious and war responds to a certain series of scientific laws; who ever ignores them will go down to defeat” Guerrilla war fare as a phase of war must be ruled by all of these; but besides, because of its especial aspects, a series of corollary laws must also be recognized in order to carry it forward. Though geographical and social conditions in each country determine the mode and particular  forms that guerrilla war fare will take, there are general laws for all fighting of this type.

Che Guavera high lights “ the task of the Guerrilla leadership at the moment is to find out the basic principles of this kind of fighting and the rules to be followed by people seeking liberation, to develop theory from facts;…………..who are combatants in guerrilla war fare? On one side we have group composed of oppressors and his agents, the professional army, well armed and disciplined in many cases receiving foreign help as well as the bureaurocracy in the employ of the oppressor. On the other side are the people, the people of the nation or region involved. It is important to emphasize that the guerrilla war is war of the masses, war of the people. The guerrilla band is an armed nucleus, the fighting vanguard of the people. It draws its great force from the masses of the people themselves. The guerrilla band is not to be considered inferior to the army against which it fights simply because it is inferior in fire power. Guerrilla war fare is used by the side which is supported by the majority but which possesses a much smaller number of arms in defense against oppression”   That is why I believe that Oromo people are superior to any force in the empire of Ethiopia.

 

This fact that che Guavera put in front of us shows that our struggle is inferior arms wise but has support of great majority of Oromo people. Secondly, for the past years of the struggle our guerrilla army was receiving full assistance from the people and will continue to receive more support in finance, information, food, clothing, and medicine and man power. Our youth is like ocean that cannot be dried.

 However, under the current circumstance it sounds that we failed to utilize this indispensable support of our people. Thus history evidently shows us that we have missed the basic rules of guerrilla warfare and let our people down. Major Johnnie Gombo of the United States army once wrote “Guerrilla war fare is unconventional type of warfare involving limited combat against military targets. It consists of three phases: phase one is the development of local support (which in our case is   awe-inspiring) phase II is organizational growth, (in our case we are at rudimentary stage of organizational level which needs to be worked on) to combat against the enemy. Phase III is the transition of the guerrilla organization into a conventional force, and the defeat of the enemy.

My readers may agree with me that our struggle must pass through the three stages put down by Major Johnnie Gombo and fundamentals of guerrilla warfare set forth by Che. Before setting on the armed struggle our leaders need to understand the definition of guerrilla warfare philosophy, organization, support, equipment, and tactics of the guerrillas. The guerrillas’ philosophy is that they represent the will of the people, and must remove the oppressive hold the enemy has on the masses. To initially accomplish this goal, the guerrilla’s tactical organization consist of small units with over all organization patterned along the line of conventional force (the issue of conventional force and its use we will get back to it in the future).

              What can we do to correct our past?

 Unless we adamantly deny our past mistakes we need to reverse our course of action and our method of operation must be fully corrected and built on traditional guerrilla warfare to reach our destiny. Otherwise, simply existing in the name of national liberation organization and fighting among us and becoming the cause for the people to be victimized alone is not doing well.

First we should clearly set what we are fighting for and all effort must be directed towards war of national liberation for the independence of Oromia and the liberation of Oromo people.  Our guerrilla army must have intense political indoctrination process, such that, our fighters are not only fighting for military goals, but also for political objectives to make our people their own masters. This adds to intensity and dedication of our fighters which we have been lacking in the past. We must always keep in mind that part of normal guerrilla training is to be continually indoctrinated in the political goal of national liberation movement. These goals must always revolve around the desire of liberating the country and people from the oppression of the enemy. Our army wants to fight for the motherland, and against the cruelties, avarice, and maltreatment that the enemy inflicted upon our people. In return to what the enemy is doing we need to improve our relation with local people where our units are operating. Our organization must unflinchingly believe that to continue the struggle, the support of the masses is very necessary. Our attempt to win the people’s support must come from our action against the occupying force in defending the people. Here Guerrilla force must always be able to apply the law of Hammurabi, “an eye for an eye, life for life.” And above all the masses must be treated with respect.

 

On issue of discipline.

 

 What wins the heart of the masses is the discipline of the fighters and the way they give respect to the masses and readiness to defend them at all times is important for a guerrilla force to survive among the masses the following are very basic and a requirement at all times.

a. Behave correctly. Never leave the camp alone or separate yourself from your unit or platoon at all times. You could endanger yourself and your comrades.

b. Respect their persons and property at all times after you used them. Never take peasants property without being given or without paying for it..

c. Refrain from molesting or interfering with their legitimate activities.

d. Assist them to solve their problems and where possible give material aid in their labor, and

e. Demonstrate high moral qualities in words and deeds. Never temper with their household.

 If we continue walking on the right pass of the liberation struggle no doubt our struggle can bear fruit and Oromia will soon be ours.

 Revolutionary discipline and consciousness. 

 To defeat the enemy in combat, our fighters must be disciplined, trained to obey commands promptly, ready to spring into battle immediately when ordered. Vigilance, alertness and readiness to engage the enemy at a moment’s notice are qualities that can develop only out of discipline, proper training and political consciousness. By conducting such activity we reach at instilling the following general regulations.

a.       All army units shall preserve and safeguard political and military and organizational information related to army’s security and well being.

b.      All combatants must defend the organization and be loyal to it, the army and the national liberation movement.

 

If such and other remedial action is taken among the Oromo organization especially with the leadership being firm and the army being built on models of traditional guerrilla army like that of Vietnam, china, Angola or DFLP the success of our struggle is inevitable.

On issue of mass organization.

National liberation struggle is not an easy job. Especially leaders are always walking on the edge of a sharp knife which they do not know when it is going to cut them. By this we mean they are the target of their enemy assassins, renegades from the camp of struggle, and they are always focus of criticism from their supporters and are also responsible to see the dream come true. Leaders must always trust the masses since they cannot function without them and also the masses are the only tool to carry out their ideas. Therefore, must be organized and attached to the organization through underground works. This work is not optional for a guerrilla army that wants to be successful.