Hangaasuu Bilisummaa Journal Volume 1 - ULFO

its ultimate political goals. It
is only on a common
ideological base that a lasting
unity could be anchored.
3. Where tokkummaa is not
possible because of difference
in ideological persuasions,
Oromo organizations must
not engage in slash and burn
politics. Instead they have to
make every endeavor to form
some sort of political alliance
(tumsa) and work on common
programs that could help
advance the cause of the
Oromo nation.
4. Oromo political organizations
should build on existing
frameworks of unity. ULFO is
one such frame. Much has
been sacrificed in terms of
resource and time to create
ULFO. It ought to have been
revamped and not relegated
merely to reinvent others.
Creating institution is one
thing building it is another.
Oromo political forces must
not just create but dwell on
cultivating a common existing
institution such as ULFO.
5. The role and commitment of
Oromo intellectuals need to
improve. Intellectuals ought
to study and assess objective
conditions of our national
liberation struggle and
recommend solutions for real
or potential problems it
encounters / could encounter.
They must give critical
support for political
organizations and not become
cadres who regurgitate petty
political messages. They must
labor hard to come up with
visionary ideas on tokkummaa
and set examples in helping
The Essence of Tokkummaa Defiled VOLUME 1 SPRING 2010
to implement them. As
learned individuals, they
should not be on the sideline
passively watching when
tokkummaa of our people and
political organizations is at
stake. With heightened
commitment, they must be in
the forefront dealing with
such a political issue that is
threatening the very existence
of our society. This critical
mass owes Oromiyaa so
much and they are expected
to disproportionately pay
back in terms of their
intellectual power and
resource that could uplift
Oromiyaa from its present
misery.
6. The political landscape of the
Oromo liberation struggle is
littered with (a) internal
enemy functionaries who eke
out their living stabbing the
cause of the nation, (b)
egotistic personalities who
think that the struggle will be
in tatter should they retract
their involvement from it for
a minute and literally see the
struggle within themselves
not them within the struggle,
(c) floaters completely devoid
of ethics, unwavering political
stand, and disciple who like
herds flock to everywhere
they spot green pastures, and
(d) mediocre individuals who
with I-know-it-all approach
delve into the political affairs
of the nation and do more
harm than good. These
elements are dangerous for
our struggle and shackle its
progress tremendously. The
Oromo public must guard
against such social ills. It
must treat them or cleanse
them from the field of the
struggle.
7. The Diaspora Gorillas, out of
the Oromiyaa wilderness, are
roaring and groaning in Paltalk
rooms dissipating their
energy in a totally
misdirected fashion. The
Oromo youth, the future
leadership hopefuls of our
nation, is a victim of the Paltalk
Syndrome. Tied up 24-7
in front of a computer screen,
the Oromiya this
demographic group attempts
to build through rhetoric in a
Pal-talk room is not only an
illusion but it is a disorder
that our society has to grabble
with. Our youth must tap on
to the latent energy of the
young generation and
redirect it for the welfare of
the nation- to enhance
tokkummaa and to give a
major leap to the progress of
our national struggle. The
Oromo youth must step back
and reflect on how their
forefathers against all odds
maintained the unity of the
Oromo nation. It must seize
the opportunity of access to
various communication
media to further build and
NOT dismantle tokkummaa
Oromo by misusing Pal-talk
rooms and engaging in
parochial matches.
8. Above all, if every Oromo
soul thinks of what a nearly
40 million strong people
could do and pitch in his/her
fair share in mending our
unity, the current state of
affairs of Oromiyaa in all
aspects would radically
Hangaasuu Bilisummaa 12