Statement of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)
“Oromummaa” Is an Identity, Not a Security Threat – Rejecting Political Manipulation
May 26, 2025 | Finfinne

1. On Eritrea’s Independence Day: Acknowledgment and Critique

The OLF acknowledges Eritrea’s 34th Independence Day and the sacrifices of its people. However, true freedom remains incomplete while Eritreans endure human rights abuses and extreme poverty—issues murmured by generations awaiting justice.

President Isaias Afwerki’s speech, framed through ERI TV, raised alarming misrepresentations:

• He portrayed Africa’s instability as rooted in foreign dependency, yet ignored his regime’s role in regional crises.
• He falsely linked Ethiopia’s conflicts over the Nile and Red Sea to “Oromummaa,” a deliberate distortion of Oromo identity.

This is not ignorance—it is a strategic conspiracy to scapegoat the Oromo people for broader geopolitical failures.

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2. The Dangerous Misrepresentation of Oromummaa

Oromummaa is not a political agenda. It is the cultural, historical, and social identity of the Oromo people—a symbol of self-determination and unity. Yet, Eritrean leaders and Amhara elites (heirs of the Minilik regime) are:

• Weaponizing Oromummaa as a “security threat” to justify repression.
• Promoting divisive ideologies (Ethiopiawinet, Eritreawinet, Tegaruwinet, Amharanet) to erase Oromo identity.
• Aligning with Ethiopian elites (e.g., calling Abiy Ahmed a “prophet”) to suppress Oromo rights.

This is a historical betrayal. The Eritrean government, once a ally in liberation, now fuels oppression.

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3. Historical Betrayal: Eritrea’s Role in Undermining Oromo Liberation

The OLF fought alongside the EPLF and TPLF against the Derg, envisioning a free, federal Ethiopia. Yet, after victory:

• The EPLF conspired with TPLF to sideline the OLF, strangling democracy and enabling TPLF’s 27-year dictatorship.
• The 1998–2000 Eritrea-Ethiopia war, waged for political gain, cost countless lives.
• In 2018, Eritrea again sabotaged Oromo aspirations by backing Abiy’s regime, extinguishing hopes for freedom.

Hindering Oromummaa is not just historical revisionism—it is a plot to deny self-determination and perpetuate dictatorship.

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4. Oromummaa: The Path to Unity, Not Division

The Oromo people reject the false narrative that their identity threatens the Horn of Africa. In truth:
✔ Oromummaa is the solution—it fosters ethnic unity, democracy, and lasting peace.
✔ Propaganda against Oromummaa will fail, as it has throughout history.
✔ No nation can silence the Oromo struggle for equality, sovereignty, and justice.

To the Eritrean and Ethiopian regimes: Your fearmongering only exposes your weakness. The Oromo people cannot be erased.

To the world: Recognize these lies. Stand with truth.

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5. Conclusion

1. Oromummaa is our identity—not a weapon for regimes to exploit.
2. The Oromo struggle is unstoppable. No propaganda can break our resolve.
3. The people’s will prevails. Victory belongs to the masses.

Victory to the Oromo People!
Victory to All Oppressed Nations!

Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)

The deliberate misrepresentation of Oromummaa—by both internal and external forces seeking to undermine the Oromo people—must end. It is time we stand firmly together to defend our identity, reclaim our truth, and uphold our dignity against these malicious distortions.

Oromummaa Is Not a Political Ideology—It Is Our Soul

Oromummaa is the cultural essence, historical memory, and lived identity of the Oromo people. It embodies:

• Pride in our heritage,
• The values of the Gadaa system—justice, democracy, and balance,
• A demand for equality—not domination—among all nations and nationalities in Ethiopia.

This is not an ideology; it is who we are.

The Dangerous Lies Being Spread

Extremist factions—particularly within Amhara nationalist circles and the Eritrean regime—are aggressively pushing a false narrative that frames Oromummaa as a “dangerous political ideology.” This is:

• A lie designed to delegitimize our identity,
• A tactic to justify repression against the Oromo people,
• A distraction from the real issue: Ethiopia’s failure to ensure equality and justice for all.

By labeling Oromummaa as a threat, these actors reveal their true goal: to silence Oromo voices, suppress our demands for fairness, and maintain systems of exclusion.

The Real Threat: Division and Scapegoating

The true danger lies not in Oromummaa, but in:

• Fear-mongering that turns cultural pride into a political weapon,
• Ethnic scapegoating that blames the Oromo for broader governance failures,
• Manufactured divisions that destabilize the region.

This propaganda does not just harm the Oromo—it poisons the possibility of peaceful coexistence for all peoples in Ethiopia.

Our Right to Exist, Celebrate, and Demand Justice

The Oromo people, like all others, have the right to:

• Define ourselves on our own terms,
• Celebrate our culture without being labeled “extremists,”
• Demand justice without being branded as a threat.

When asserting these rights is twisted into “radicalism,” it exposes the hypocrisy and fear of those making the accusations.

A Call to Action: Vigilance and Unity

We must:
✔ Reject distortions of Oromummaa—whether from internal opportunists or external agitators.
✔ Stand united in defending its true meaning: cultural survival, equality, and unity.
✔ Challenge lies wherever they appear—in media, politics, or international discourse.

Oromummaa is not a tool for power struggles. It is the banner under which we assert our rightful place in history and in the future.

To our allies: Stand with us in truth.
To our adversaries: We see through your fabrications—and we will not be silenced.

Together, in unwavering solidarity, we resist lies, division, and hate.