By Our Special Correspondent

The question echoes across generations, continents, and political divides: How does one become an Oromo freedom fighter?

The answer, like the struggle itself, is complex. It defies the simplistic caricatures often peddled by those who would reduce the Oromo quest to a single narrative of violence. The reality is far richer—and far more demanding.

To become an Oromo freedom fighter is to commit oneself to a cause that transcends any single organization, any single leader, or any single moment in history. It is to join a continuum of resistance that stretches from the 19th-century resistance to Abyssinian expansion to the Oromo popular uprisings of 2014-2017, and into the present-day struggle for recognition, justice, and self-determination.

This commitment can take many forms. Some choose the path of political advocacy and grassroots organizing. Others dedicate themselves to academic and cultural scholarship, reclaiming a history long suppressed. Still others—driven by circumstances and conviction—take up arms in the forests and mountains of Oromia.

Each path carries its own risks, its own rewards, and its own profound responsibilities.

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The Path of Political Advocacy: Building Power Through Participation

For many, the struggle begins not with a weapon but with a ballot, a placard, or a community meeting. Political advocacy and grassroots organizing represent the most accessible—and often the most sustainable—forms of participation.

Joining Political Parties

Ethiopia’s constitutional framework, for all its imperfections, provides space for political organization. The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) , once a rebel movement, is now a legally registered political party operating within the country’s electoral process. Alongside it, the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) —formed in 2012 through the merger of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement and the Oromo People’s Congress—advocates for Oromo rights within the federal system.

These parties, along with others, have issued joint statements calling for the unconditional opening of political space and the cessation of conflict ahead of national elections. For those who believe in change through established channels, joining and supporting such parties offers a legitimate, if often frustrating, avenue for political expression.

Civic Engagement and Community Organizing

Beyond party politics lies a vast landscape of civic organizations. In the diaspora, Oromo community organizations have emerged as powerful platforms for advocacy, education, and cultural preservation. Groups like Advocacy for Oromia (A4O) , founded in 2014, work to improve the settlement process and advance the wellbeing of the Australian-Oromo community. The Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association (OLLAA) connects and organizes Oromos around a common cause—creating positive change in Ethiopia and the world through advocacy, education, and community organizing.

These organizations organize peaceful protests, fundraising campaigns, and global awareness initiatives. They amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard, documenting human rights violations and advocating for international attention. In the words of one such organization, they work to “promote universal human values by supporting, advocating, and amplifying the voices of the human rights violation victims”.

The path of political advocacy is not without its perils. The OLF has accused the government of deliberately closing the political arena and obstructing the lawful activities of opposition parties. Political activists face arrest, harassment, and worse. Yet for many, the risk is worth taking. As one activist put it, “Silence is not an option when your people are suffering.”

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The Path of Scholarship: The Weapon of Knowledge

There is an Oromo proverb: “Namni waan hin beekne hin dhaabatu” —One who does not know does not stand firm. This principle lies at the heart of the academic and cultural path to freedom.

Oromo Studies: Reclaiming a Suppressed History

For generations, Oromo history was written by others—often by those who sought to justify conquest and marginalization. The Oromo were treated as “historical objects,” their agency erased, their contributions ignored. The Ethiopian knowledge elites, as scholars have noted, “treated the Oromo as historical objects or have ignored them because of their subordination and powerlessness”.

The emergence of Oromo Studies as an academic discipline represents a profound act of liberation. It is, as one scholar has written, an attempt to “replace colonial history by a history of liberation”. The Oromo Studies Association (OSA) , founded in the last quarter of the 20th century, publishes the Journal of Oromo Studies (JOS) , a premier peer-reviewed publication for interdisciplinary scholarship on the Oromo. Now fully open-access, the journal publishes articles, research notes, and scholarly book reviews in both English and Afaan Oromoo.

The OSA plays a vital role in “making the world community aware of Oromo aspirations and grievances”. For intellectuals and students, contributing to this body of knowledge is a form of resistance—a refusal to accept the erasure of Oromo history and identity.

Combating Historical Marginalization

Academic scholarship is not confined to university libraries. It extends to the broader project of combating historical marginalization through education, cultural preservation, and public awareness. Organizations like the Mecha and Tulaama Association —founded in 1963 not as a militant front but as “a critical socio-cultural and intellectual awakening”—provided an organized platform at a time when “the very fabric of Oromo identity was under systemic pressure”.

Today, this tradition continues through cultural festivals like Irreecha, language preservation efforts, and the promotion of the Gadaa system—an indigenous democratic governance framework recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

To become a freedom fighter through scholarship is to understand that liberation begins in the mind. It is to recognize that a people who know their history cannot be easily conquered, and that knowledge, once planted, grows into something no army can destroy.

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The Path of Armed Resistance: The Oromo Liberation Army

For some, the path to freedom leads not to a lecture hall or a political party office, but to the forests and mountains of Oromia. This is the path of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) —the armed wing of the struggle that has been engaged in a prolonged conflict with the Ethiopian government.

Who Joins and Why

The OLA’s ranks have historically included farmers, students, and intellectuals who joined the movement to achieve self-determination. They come from diverse backgrounds but share a common conviction: that peaceful avenues for change have been exhausted, and that armed resistance is the only remaining option.

The OLA operates out of remote forest outposts across Oromia, a region with a population of roughly 40 million people. Its commander, Jaal Marroo (also known as Kumsa Diriba), is a wanted man who moves constantly to stay ahead of government drones hunting him from the skies. The group has taken several towns in western, central, and southern Oromia, at times facing little resistance from government forces.

A Complex Legal and Political Status

The OLA’s relationship with the OLF is complex. The OLA split from the OLF after a 2018 peace agreement between the OLF and the Ethiopian government. While the OLF is a legally registered political party operating within Ethiopia’s political system, the OLA is proscribed by the government as a “terrorist organization”.

The OLA says it is fighting for the self-determination of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo. It has welcomed international human rights reports and called for impartial, internationally mandated investigations into alleged atrocities. Yet the conflict has taken a devastating toll on civilians. The International Committee of the Red Cross has highlighted the “devastating” impact of the Oromia conflict on civilian populations, and both government forces and the OLA have been accused of human rights violations.

The Risks and Realities

The path of armed resistance carries extraordinary risks. Fighters face death, injury, and imprisonment. They live in constant danger, moving through remote territories, evading government forces and surveillance. Their families face harassment and persecution.

Yet for those who choose this path, the risks are outweighed by conviction. As one fighter reportedly said, “We did not choose this life. It was chosen for us by a government that left us no other option.”

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The Common Thread: A Shared Commitment

Despite the differences between these paths—political advocacy, academic scholarship, and armed resistance—they share a common thread: a commitment to the fundamental principles of the Oromo struggle.

These principles are not merely separatist or nationalist. They are transformative, aiming to reshape, support, and sustain a more just and inclusive Ethiopia. They include:

· Oromia as the territorial homeland and foundation of Oromo identity.

· Afaan Oromo as the linguistic unifier and symbol of dignity.

· Gadaa as the indigenous democratic blueprint for governance.

· Oromummaa as the cultural conscience of the people.

· Finfinnee as the symbolic capital and national crucible.

· Diree Dawa as the multicultural frontier demanding inclusive governance.

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Conclusion: Choosing Your Path

Becoming an Oromo freedom fighter is not a single act but a lifelong commitment. It requires historical literacy, strategic clarity, ethical grounding, and profound personal readiness. It demands that one count the cost—whether that cost is imprisonment, exile, or death—and choose nonetheless.

The path one takes depends on circumstance, conviction, and opportunity. Some will march in peaceful protests. Others will write scholarly articles or teach Oromo history. Still others will take up arms in the forests of Oromia.

Each path is valid. Each path is necessary. And each path, in its own way, contributes to the larger struggle for justice, recognition, and self-determination.

As an Oromo elder once said: “The struggle is not about what we take from others; it is about what we build for ourselves and our children. It is about reclaiming our dignity and offering it as a gift to the nation we share.”

The question is not whether to become a freedom fighter. The question is: Which path will you choose?

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“Namni waan hin beekne hin dhaabatu” — One who does not know does not stand firm.