The people of Oromiyaa fell under the Abysinian colonial rule at the turn of the last century. It was only after several battles and a bitter war that the Abyssinians, with moral and material support of European colonialists, were able to occupy Oromiyaa and other neighboring peoples. The conquest resulted in ethnocide, destruction of natural resources, and suppression of the culture of our people. However, our people have always resisted colonialism and its inhuman treatments. The Raayyaa armed resistance and the Bale armed struggle and the politico-cultural movements of the Afran Qalloo and the Metcha Tulama Association were few of the most visible forms of resistance. Such resistance by the people of Oromiyaa was an indication that Oromiyaa is never to succumb.
Since the last three decades, scattered armed struggles waged in different parts of Oromiyaa gained momentum gradually and emerged as an organized national liberation struggle led by the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromiyaa (IFLO), United Oromo Peoples Liberation Front (UOPLF), Oromo Peoples Liberation Organization (OPLO), Oromo People's Liberation Front (OPLF). The armed struggle was also promoted by different organizations, such as the Union of Oromo in North America (UONA), Union of Oromo Students in Europe (UOSE), Oromo Democratic Organization in America (ODOA), Waldayaa Tokkummaa Oromoo Amerikaa (WTOA) etc. However, lack of unity of purpose among Oromo liberation forces have hindered the Oromo national liberation struggle from achieving its final goal. Hence, this constraint of the Oromo struggle demands a unifying organization that facilitates coordination of efforts of all forces aligned for the liberation of Oromiyaa.
Therefore, the first step towards achieving the independence of Oromiyaa is to establish an Oromo-inspired form of organization. This organization should promote and strengthen the reunification of the Oromo people who have been forcibly separated from each other following the occupation of our country by the Ethiopians. It must invite and involve all organizations, fronts, unions, community associations and other segments of Oromo society in the formation of an organization that expresses Oromo values and suits Oromo personality. Such an arrangement will free the Oromo people from the restrictions and barriers imposed upon us by Ethiopian colonial forces and bring us together for a common purpose they all cherish B Bilisummaa.
The liberation of Oromiyaa will be accomplished by constructing institutions that serve the needs of the Oromo people for self-expression, self-realization, well being, peace and development. Such institutions that we build should suit the needs of the Oromo people and operate without external interference. This demands all-inclusive efforts. All Oromos of any religious, linguistic, political, economical, educational, social, and cultural experience have the right and the opportunity to join in this effort and work towards fashioning the tools that craft and build institutions that are indispensable for the liberation of Oromiyaa.
Included in what was targeted for destruction by Abysinian occupation were the indigenous administrative system of the Oromo people known as Gadaa, natural resources, and the rich linguistic and cultural expressions shared by all Oromos. The Gumii Bilisummaa Oromiyaa (GBO) is committed to de-colonize Oromiyaa and revitalize and restore all natural and cultural resources ravaged by the colonialists. In order to undertake such a monumental task, it needs to involve and unleash creative energies of all the Oromo people.
Acknowledging that the Oromo have been ruthlessly and systematically divested of both resources and rights, the GBO accepts the challenge of involving all Oromo in the task of deciding where and how to begin and build new independent Oromo institutions. The GBO plans to build on what has already been done by all Oromo forces (liberation fronts, political and social organizations) and expand on any gains to accomplish the great task of liberating the Oromo from subjugation and rebuilding our nation.
The objective of Gumii Bilisummaa Oromiyaa (GBO) is to enhance the liberation of Oromiyaa from Ethiopian colonialism and the establishment of a free and democratic state of Oromiyaa where all its citizens are protected by the law of the land.
To achieve this objective, GBO shall:
Guided by the above guiding principles, the GBO will immediately engage all member organizations in the process of building institutions with national stature. The GBO believes that all organizations should right away start to take part in some projects that would constitute the bare minimum program that they have in common and that deal with urgent issues. Participation of all members in such projects is necessary for a better implementation. Further more, it will establish communication bridges and build better understanding among member organizations that will ultimately translate into creation of a common national front that will carry out the GBO program in its entirety.
National projects will eventually be developed in a number of areas. However, the following areas would need immediate attention;
Projects geared to studying the most prevalent diseases affecting the people of Oromiyaa will be developed and worked on immediately. Results of such projects will be presented to international organizations to help them understand the magnitude of health problems that our nation faces. Most importantly, a project that puts together a focal group will be formulated in order to have continuity of research that contributes towards the development of awareness of the health issues in Oromiyaa. This focal group will be assigned to the responsibility of carrying out specifically health-related research and establishing a National Health Research Institution (NHRI) in the long run.
Although the problems that need to be addressed in the area of education are many, the ones that need immediate attention are those that develop the Oromo language (Afaan Oromoo). The Oromo language will be a medium of instruction and official communication, and all impediments to its free development will be tackled. To begin undertaking this mission, a project on the process of building a National Oromo Language Institution (NOLI) will be initiated. All activities related to Afaan Oromoo will be coordinated through a national task force under such institution.
Natural resources of Oromiyaa are fast deteriorating. Although this fact has been well documented, there is lack of organized effort that disseminate this fact to all concerned and mobilize them to reverse the alarming environmental degradation. To have an organized effort of national significance, there has to be a body that serves as an environmental vocal group. A project that starts the process of establishing such a group and eventually an agency, Environmental Agency of Oromiyaa (EAO) that handles all national environmental issues will be developed.
Human rights abuse of Oromos by the Ethiopian government is quite rampant. However, this case is barely documented. More often the existing documented cases by certain organizations lack depth and broader national coverage. There is no national body that takes the duty of systematically compiling all cases, reports its findings to international human rights organizations and seeks their support, and that presents compelling evidences and strongly argues on behalf of the people of Oromiyaa in the international human rights tribunal. Therefore, establishing such a body will be one of the major projects of the OLC.
Because of war and well-founded fears of persecution, hundreds and thousand of Oromos have become refugees. Particularly those who fled to the neighboring countries are in dire need of basic necessities and international protection in their host countries. These refugees need to be supported and protected. In order to meet their immediate basic needs and get them international protection, a national relief body that is responsible for securing resources, coordinating relief efforts, and publicizing plight of refugees to international communities must be established. Not only in the area of relief, such a national relief agency will also engage in designing projects that help in rehabilitating refugees.
One of the fundamental reasons why most former colonies, particularly in Africa, find it utterly difficult to build healthy social order and economy during post-colonial era is that there is a general tendency on the part of elite of such colonies to apply socio-economic models and use technological know-how borrowed from elsewhere without duly testing their applicability to their soils. Learning from such experiences, the OLC will begin to implement policy based on thorough research. For such implementation, the OLC will form a body that is solely responsible for research and development in all areas.
To carry out the aforementioned national projects, the OLC obviously needs adequate resources. First, it requires skilled human resource. To mobilize skilled Oromo professionals and expatriates, who will volunteer to participate in various national projects, member organizations of the OLC will form a task force that develops a database of all skilled Oromos, particularly those in the Diaspora. The available human resource will be organized and encouraged to participate in various projects of their interests.
For the purpose of liberating Oromiyaa and defending what has been gained from our defense struggle, a national defense force that is constituted from all Oromo liberation forces shall be established.
The Oromo struggle for self-determination is the struggle for freedom, justice, and peace. As such, it complements the international efforts to make this world peaceful. On the contrary, the Abysinian colonial order is violent and incompatible with the norm and value of the international community of the 21st. The knowledge and understanding of this fact by the world community is quite limited. In this respect and generally in the effort of establishing and building international relations, the OLC shall:
The GBO is a co-ordinating and directive body; a place where council members who are represented from each participating organizations act together to make decision that affects us collectively. The council shares the responsibility for the overall direction and development of the national projects. Through such national projects, GBO will begin the process of institution building that ultimately brings about the liberation of Oromiyaa.
Oromiyaa shall be free!!!