Oromia, a region-state in Africa (i.e. a state formed based on colonial regions), in contrast to the nation-states of Europe, is one of the countries still suffering from the sequel of the attempt of European colonization in the region and from the impact of the realization of Abyssinian colonization over other nation-states like the Oromoland. We all know that the name Ethiopia is a contaminated and abused name. It has got different meanings: according to the Bible, it is Cushland; according to Greeks, it is the land of blacks (burned face); according to Tigreans, it is the Axum empire; according to Amharas, it is Abyssinia; and according to the Ethiopianists from the oppressed nations like those from the southern nations, it is the current geographical Oromia. For Oromo nationalists, it is the symbol for the system of domination. Oromia that is free from this system of domination is the vision of Medrek, which is a very good vision indeed!

NB: Oromia = formerly Ethiopia as defined here – http://finfinnetribune.com/Gadaa/2014/1 … he-center/ – is a union in which the following five points (FADOB-score) will be implemented: F = Freedom from the system of domination; A = Afan Oromo as a working language of federal government; D = Democracy as rule of game in the union; O = ‘Oromia’ instead of ‘Ethiopia’ as name of the union; and B = Black-Red-White as Cushitic flag of the union. This Upper Nile country called ‘Oromia’ by the native owners of the land is used to be named as ‘Abyssinia’ by the Portuguese; ‘Kush’ by the Jews; ‘Alhabesh’ by the Arabs; ‘Punt’ by the Egyptians; and ‘Ethiopia’ by the Greeks.

The system of domination has existed from the time of Minilik-II in different forms: as a monarchy of both Minilik and Teferi Mekonnen, as a military dictatorship of Mengistu, and as a dictatorial revolutionary democracy of Mele and cos. Will the next step be forging of democratic federalism by Medrek and others? According to the Mini-Program of Medrek, it is understandable that the move is towards democratic true ethnic federation in contrast to the TPLF’s dictatorial fake ethnic federation. The only mistrust the oppressed nations in the empire had was based on the presence of UDJ, the unitarist party, in the Forum at the beginning. We heard/read that as a precondition for the entrance of both Negasso Gidada and Siye Abraha into the party, UDJ made a reform of its program. What was this reform? Accepting the right of nations to have the right to self-administration (if not self-determination) in their national areas? If so, then the mistrust of oppressed nations will be resolved!

Regarding Medrek’s Mini-Program on the administrative structure, it supports the right of all nations and nationalities to be organized in their territories at community, district, province (zone) and state levels. What a fantastic structure! This can be a good example for the whole of African region-states. To tackle the problems of nations in Africa and to deal with the present global challenge, Africans are trying to come together and forge UGA (Union Government of Africa). We are looking at U.S.A. or EU (European Union) as an example. For instance, Amhara democrats, who want to get rid of ethnic federation and want to establish Ethiopia as a melting pot (melting all nations in to Amharaic speakers), do look at U.S.A. as a model, whereas Oromo liberation fronts, who want to establish independent democratic republics of different nations, which may further forge a union of free nations based on free will, do like the model of EU. But both US and EU can not be good examples for Africa. US is the melting pot for all nations around the world migrating to America and learning the English language. EU is the union of well developed and independent mono-national-states, all using their own respective languages.

Africa can be neither a melting pot nor a union of developed mono-national-states. The nations in Africa are diverse in development and size. What is good for Africa is to build a union (federation) with autonomous national areas for all nations aka “ethnies”. Based on their size and development, some nations can forge mono-national-state like the Oromo region. The others, which are too small to have their own state can forge multi-national-state like SNNP of Oromia, with all nations having their own province, district or community as autonomous national areas based on their size. Relatively bigger nations like Sidama can have their own autonomous province, nations smaller than this like Alaba can have autonomous district, and the smallest nations like Dorze can have their own autonomous community. Based on their geographical position, certain small nations like Agew and Harari can join the bigger neighbor nations like Amhara or Oromo region, but have their own autonomy, be it as province, district or community. Such 5 tier organization (African Federation — Mono-/Multinational States — Mono-/Multinational Provinces — Mono-/Multinational Districts and Mono-/Multinational Communities) is the best way of administrative arrangement for Africa.

In Short, Medrek’s Oromian model can be used as a prototype for African future federation, just changing ethnic federation’s fake status under the TPLF to a very genuine one, for which Mederek, the ODF are struggling. Then we will have not only an integrated regional union named Oromia, but also an integrated continent Africa, which will be build on the center called Oromoland with Finfinne as a capital. Oromo state will be a sovereign state in a United States of Africa, so can be Amhara state, Tigrai state and other nation-states. The only question we people need to ask ourselves is that, at which administrative level are we thinking, talking and walking when we try to deal with politics? If we are ready to accept and think at the level of the above five tiers, then we can look at the fact that ethnic federalism or language-based federalism, rather than geographical federalism or geography-based federalism, is the panacea for regional integration of Oromia and for the continental integration of Africa.

In respect to the development in this direction, thanks to CUD and OLF, the formation of AFD was the first nightmare the TPLF ever experienced. The formation of similar alliance at home (Medrek) by the OFC and UDJ with parties of other nations like ATSD was the second nightmare. But if and only if parties like the UDJ would accept and respect ethnic federation, then the move of Negasso Gidada to join UDJ instead of OFC was not disappointing for the Oromo. If the UDJ would remain to be a unitarist party, Gidada was a failure, not only a disappointment. Otherwise, Medrek is a better hope in comparison to TPLF’s fake federation (mind you the TPLF is good in comparison to unitarist elites), but not the best hope; AFD definitely will be the best hope for the nations in the empire. Having regional (Oromian) union of nations as envisioned by both Medrek and ODF is really good, but unfortunately, Medrek did it based only on the consensus of the involved parties, whereas the PAFD fortunately will have the same result based on referendum by the concerned public. PAFD’s action will lead to the lasting result and the end-goal (regional union of nations per referendum), whereas that of Medrek is only temporary and leads us only to a mid-goal of nations in Oromia, i.e to regional union of nations per consensus of the involved parties without taking into consideration the will of the concerned public.

The hope is because of the fact that both Medrek and PAFD are on the same middle line (in the political spectrum of the empire) trying to establish regional union of nations, on the contrary to the ultra-left fronts needing to achieve only unconditional national independence without a possible union of nations in the empire and on the contrary to the ultra-right parties striving for unconditional regional integration in a form of assimilating all nations in to Amharinya speakers. Now Medrek is sending a shocking wave in to TPLF circle. According to Negasso’s interview in VOA’s Afaan Oromo program, UDJ pursued to achieve the goal of regional union of nations per public verdict in the future (union per referendum). If this is true, then Medrek is almost the same to PAFD. The only difference is that Medrek wants to get the freedom from the TPLF fascists only legally and peacefully, whereas the PAFD tries all-inclusive method. Then, the future political move in Oromia will be from the status quo, from the position of the alliance of revolutionary democrats with their fake ethnic federation, first to the position of the alliance for federalism and democracy aka Medrek to forge true ethnic federation (self-administration) and then finally to the position of the PAFD to realize the right of nations to self-determination!

According to the recent interview given by the leaders of the different Oromo liberation fronts on Oromo community radio of Minnesota, their fronts are moving towards a united front, then to move further together to revive AFD (PAFD + UMSED), the alliance with the democratic forces and the freedom fighters of other nations. This will be a very good move to strengthen the struggle of Medrek at home against fascist TPLF. I hope this alliance in Diaspora will be reactivated soon and will galvanize the struggle for freedom and democracy at home being cooperated and coordinated with the struggle of Medrek.

As far as other African region-states formed by colonial powers are concerned, they should learn from Medrek’s Oromia two things: firstly, they need to learn to accept and respect the God-given right of their nations and nationalities in order to help them to have self-administration and self-determination, so that they can use and develop their own respective national languages instead of still worshiping colonial languages; secondly, they need to foster ethnic federation with different administrative levels of the five tiers as described above to promote cultural, economic and political autonomy of all nations and nationalities in Africa, which will be the democratic bases for the future United State of Africa, which should be free from the negative influence of both the hitherto colonial borders and colonial languages. Read more:https://unionoromia.wordpress.com/

Galatooma!