By: Najat Hamza*

(A4O, ‪‪#‎OromoProtests‬, August 13, 2016) As much I recall since the beginning of November, 2015 Oromo people have died and they asked all other people of that country to join their fight. I also know those calls fell on deaf ear. We continued on and our precious people fought with resilience and brought us here. In those times I remember, our call of action for others were met with various demands like changing #OromoProtests to ‪#‎Ethiopianprotests‬ in order to make our allies more inclusive as if caring for humanity required a change in a hatshtag. Or maybe consider being not too extreme about our nationalism…etc

We did not care, we kept going while most of you sipped your latte and continue to count our dead and injured from your electronic devices while they continued to fell infront of your doors with indifference. So, when you realize the struggle has brought about changes and actually showed the vulnerability of the regime to the world community, you decided to join in. We welcomed your delayed but important addition to the struggle in your own rights.
We are watching this unfold, history watched it unfold as our young people and our people in general were being hunted like animals with those in power and injured with your inability to answer to your basic humanity.

As an individual, I have no problem with embracing coalitions around common goals or tasks. Those coalitions should however come with clarity of our nation’s uncompromising needs and the collective efforts of toppling the regime that is harming us both. However, this new emerging “Oromo blood my blood” “when you hurt I hurt” slogans are not supported by the reality of what transpired before.

I do not want us to pretend for a second this coalition was forged out of respect for our pain or for care for Oromia’s national interests. You joined in because you realized we will be fruitful whether or not others joined in liberating ourselves and all oppressed people of the Ethiopia. We can move forward, but we have to move forward with mutual respect and honesty as much as possible.

Those who cared for Humanity and human rights have cared always; they do not cherry pick humanitarian moments to get involved in when it suits their needs. Oromo People have a voice of their own, no single party, individuals or a group can speak on our behalf, and we speak for ourselves.
If you think a coalition is about backdoor dealings with few opportunist power hungry individuals you are sadly mistaken. It is not rocket science to figure out that Oromo People have surpassed any party, or group representations or any selfish individuals.

The nation has spoken, Oromia has spoken, and our one and only goal is freedom! This is not the generation that would let you or anyone undercut the goal we fought generations to achieve; this is a generation that would tell you, to stand down, if you refuse to respect the goal.

We are the future, we are able, and we are ready to lead our country out of the darkness and into the light!!! My only concern is, while you are chasing pseudo unity and unfounded promises and easy access, do not miss on the fight of the century and/or victory LED BY OROMO PEOPLE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF HISTORY!!!

SOMETHINGS ARE EVIDENT, coming on board or not…our Freedom does not depend on the coalitions we make with others, it depends on the sacrifices of our heroes, Oromia is supplied in abundance with that!!!

*This story is from Najat Hamza