Hangaasuu Bilisummaa Journal Volume 1 - ULFO

Rooting out the Oromos and exposing them to hunger VOLUME 1 SPRING 2010
Cambodia received $35 million in
food assistance from the Asian
Development Bank (ADB). In
Philippines, nearly 70 percent of
the poor live in the countryside,
and approximately 90 percent of
the rural population lives below
the poverty line.
Even if the product of large-scale
farm is not transported to other
countries, there is another
problem the land grab creates:
the inability of local farmers to
purchase food. The main concern
of any foreign investor is the total
return manifested in the total
percentage change in the value of
an investment over a specified
time period, including capital
gains, dividends, and the
investment's appreciation or
depreciation. Simplified, the
foreign investor is after his/her
profit. This results in increased
dependency of locals on foreign
markets. Moreover, to make
profit, the investors use cheap
labour paying workers small
amount. The landowners and
inhabitants will be forced to sell
their labour cheaply on their own
backyard and possibly can even
make them jobless exposing them
to abject poverty and famine. The
local Oromos do not have the
capital to compete on the foreign
market and could not buy food.
As such food security of millions
of Oromos is endangered.
Finally even if the above two
factors are met, i.e., even if the
product of large-scale farm is
remained locally and local people
could be able to purchase food,
there is still another concern that
affects food security of the locals:
the nutritional content of the
available food. Foreign investors
produce mainly one or two type
of crops such as maize and/or
rice. Nutrition wise such crops
deliver carbohydrates and not
enough of or nil protean,
vitamins, and minerals and so on.
To meet their dietary and
nutritional needs, small-scale
Oromo farmers usually divide
their land to cultivate barley,
beans, lentils, vegetables and
fruits from which they get the
proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins
and minerals. With their land
grabbed the Oromo locals would
loose the capability of producing
crops of their choice that provide
them with balanced nutrition.
Consequently millions of Oromos
will be affected by diseases
related to nutritional deficiency.
In the long-run, this results in
physically crippled and mentally
enfeebled future Oromo
generations.
By leasing land that affects food
security, the Ethiopian
government violates international
agreements. Article 11 of the
International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights obliges states to ensure for
everyone under its jurisdiction
access to the minimum essential
food which is sufficient,
nutritionally adequate and safe.
A state that does not respect,
protect and fulfil food security of
its citizens violates human rights
to food.
Rooting out the indigenous
population
Large-scale land lease drives the
native landowners off their land
rooting them out of their
aboriginal backyards. Since their
land is gone, these landowners
depart to cities and other location
in search of work so as to sustain
their life. They might not find
work. Consequently they are not
only being rooted out from their
ancestral land but also exposed to
beggary, misery and hunger at
foreign place where no one
familiar is there to stretch a
helping hand.
Evicting Oromos from their
ancestral land is a violation of
international law. Under Article 8
Para. (2b) of the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, states shall
provide effective mechanisms for
prevention of and redress for any
action which has the aim or effect
of dispossessing indigenous
peoples of their lands, territories
or resources.
Moreover, the Oromo people
have a distinctive spiritual
relationship with trees, rivers,
lakes and hills that surrounds
them. For example Oromos
celebrate Irreechaa (Thanksgiving
Day) once a year. Irreechaa takes
place at the banks of lakes, rivers,
or Odaa trees. Oromos go to these
places for seeking quiet and
natural scene that is suitable for
attention to thank and worship
God with full concentration.
Furthermore, Oromos believe
that green is holy, water is life,
and the places are peaceful where
the spirit of God is found.
Besides, according to Oromo
spiritual tradition one house is
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