June 2, 2025

“Oromummaa” Is an Identity, Not a Security Threat – Rejecting Political Manipulation

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)