GBO Memorandum of Understanding

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

The Union of Oromos in North America organized a two day seminar on Self-determination and national unity and invited all Oromo liberation fronts, political organizations, and individual Oromo activists. The seminar was conducted on August 2 and 3 , 1997 in Metropolitan Washington D.C. Fronts and organizations that responded to the invitation and actively participated include: Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia (IFLO), Oromo people=s Liberation Organization (OPLO), Union of Oromos in North America (UONA), Oromo Democratic Organization in America (ODOA), United Oromo Association in North America (UOANA), and Gurmu Sabaa (GS). Many Oromo nationalists who have serious concern on national unity and who wish to make their utmost contribution towards the effort of forging unity of purpose among all political organizations also took part in the seminar.

The seminar participants explored and discussed the international political situations that have implications on the Oromo national movement for Self-determination. Likewise, it looked into issues that may impede Oromo national unity. After thorough discourse, the participants have reached at the following points of understanding and made recommendation that could help promote unity particularly among Oromo liberation forces.

Points of understanding

1. On Self Determination:

The concept of self-determination, in the Oromo case, shall be understood as independence (Bilisumma). It means:

politically, the Oromo people determine their destiny without any external imposition.
economically, the Oromo people have abundant resources to sustain their nationhood, and oppose dispossession and alienation from full control of their resources.
Ideologically, the Oromo people can draw upon their indigenous Gadaa system as it fits the current reality of the Oromo people for their outlook, liberation and self governance.

2. On National Unity:

The seminar participants assessing the issue of national unity recognized that: a) the Oromo people are conscious and united more than ever before regardless of persistent attempt by enemy forces to sow discord within the Oromo people to portray them as disunited in order to satisfy their sinister motives of perpetuating divide and rule policy of colonization; b) there is absence of effective communication and dialogue among Oromo liberation forces; c) the Oromo liberation forces lack coordination of efforts that could have effectively and fully mobilized the material and human resources for the liberation of Oromia;

Recommendation

To overcome the aforementioned impediments to the national liberation movement, the participants agreed upon the urgency of formulating a solution and recommended that a task force consisting of representatives of each organization that has taken part in the seminar be established to:

facilitate communications among all Oromo political organizations,
organize an all inclusive convention of all Oromo forces within a time period of one year, for the ultimate objective of establishing a united and effective leadership that leads the Oromo liberation movement to its goal - bilisummaa.