Statement by Oromo Action Group on Recent Clash Between Amharas and Oromos in Western Oromia

The Oromo Action Group (OAG) has been following the Amhara Oromo clash in Western Oromia with keen interest. The situation has become of gross human rights concern to all Oromos. We are also afraid it could develop to a larger scheme of conflict if not handled properly. This prompted us to post this notice.

Over the last few years a large number of Amhara settlers started moving into Western Oromia, to a lowland area covering the bank of the Angar river, bordering Nekemte and Horo Gudru districts. The settlers arrive without any legal permission or regional consensus. Although the total number of these settlers is unknown, local Oromos estimate that there are more than 10,000 settlers from Gojjam on each side of the river basin, bringing their total to more than 20,000. Sources say that many of the settlers are well armed, and majority of them happen to have served in the former Ethiopian junta (Derg.) This unplanned and violent settlement has already depleted the natural wilderness of the Angar valley known to domicile large numbers of exotic flora and fauna.

We believe the instinctual sentiment of Oromos toward their ecosystem should be treated with utmost care and respect. To Oromos, nature is sacred: their spiritual world is tied to their environment with rituals and traditional ceremonies that honor nature. Those who have had the privilege of observing the "Irechaa" ceremony performed under the majestic Odda trees at Haroo Horaa, Bishoftu can fathom our point. Also, according to the Oromo tradition, it is under the shade of the "Dambi" tree that justice was sought and provided. Here, elders deliberate and resolve problems between individuals, families, and the community at large. The Oromos use trees as a place of religious gatherings, courts, and a symbol by which they acknowledge virtues and important cultural memories. When a hero passes away, the community honors him by planting two "Qilxuu" trees side by side in his name. As the trees grow, trophies of the fallen hero ("faacha") are hung there for a display, and the symbolic trees are eternally cared for by the community, keeping the memory alive for years.

This centuries old commitment to their environment has been disrupted by continuous war of aggression, particularly by armed settlers from the North. As witnessed by the most recent developments in the conflict between Oromos and recent Amahara settlers in Western Oromia, the calamity continues unabated putting Oromo cultural traits under a serious threat.

The site of this most recent assault from the North is the Angar river basin, used for resettlement and large scale state farming during the Derg. As Derg's centralized planning crumbled, the area was gradually abandoned leaving empty camps with small number of Oromo farmers from the neighboring areas. The area did recover much of its lost forest, and wild animals once again started using the grassland as refuge. The Angar river basin is also traditionally used as a hunting ground by the highland Oromos who use the trees for honey production (laga gaagura.) As such, each large tree colony is labeled and owned by Oromos who have legal and at times tacit agreement to place beehives on them. Ownership of the trees is traditionally accepted, and was legally recognized in the former imperial years. As a result, honey farmers paid tax on their trees.

The first recent encounter of the illegal settlers from Gojjam with local Oromos took place few years ago when the Gojjam settlers cut and burnt the forest on arrival. The land was owned by farmers who live on the highlands of the neighboring area. The Oromo farmers complaining to the local authorities, produced photos and interview tapes of the illicit settlers as evidence. The ring leaders were caught and brought to justice, some of them still serving prison time in Nekemte. However, this did not deter the wave of settlers from cutting and burning forests that often grew wild and consumed adjacent homes and livestock. Another fact-finding mission was dispatched from the local government (Woreda) about a year ago to assess the situation and recommend a solution. This time, the settlers opened fire on the delegates, wounding two of them. Since this incident, several clashes have taken place with local Oromo farmers, and since the settlers are well armed, the Oromo farmers have been on the run. Only from the Sibu area bordering Angar on the South side, at least 12 Oromo farmers have disappeared this year in Angar lowland where the settlers have camped. No Oromo farmer has ever disappeared in the previous years or decades.

As the clash between Oromos and the Gojjam settlers continued, frustration also grew among Oromos on the north side who exhibited a higher number of the settlers. The destruction of the forest was particularly intense on the northe side since there was no interference from the local authorities. The number of Oromos who continued to disappear only added to the frustration. As a result, the Oromos started defending themselves, and a larger clash took place over the last months. This is what we have been hearing in North America through e-mails and rumors.

Based on high government officials who defected from the Tigrean led minority government of Ethiopia, the large number of settlers have been supported by the government to dilute indigenous Oromo cultures conceived inferior by Tigreans, to frustrate the growing Oromo nationalism, and plant infiltrators among peoples of the region. We appeal to all peace loving people to object the sending of armed settlers to Oromia or any other part of Ethiopia to destroy the ecosystem and destabilize the region. It is particularly bitter for Oromos in the West to witness another wave of armed settlers following the route of Teklehaymanot bout acentury ago, whose army terrorized and conquered the same region now under attack by Gojjam Amharas. There is no justification for Gojjames to leave their fertile land and settle in Wollega without re-colonization of Oromia in their minds.

Oromo Action Group (OAG)