Reply to critics of AFD

I feel I share your belief that Ethiopian unity should be maintained. But I differ from you on how we should maintain the unity of the country which we all love. For me the way forward is all inclusive politics. A political system and culture which tolerates both those who are ethnically oriented and those who put their Ethiopianness first and dismiss ethnic politics. Maintaining the right balance is always difficult as has been seen from the experiences of India and Canada. But there is no way out. The policy of suppressing ethno-nationalist movements has been tried but did not work. Likewise complete ethnicization of politics as followed by Meles does not help the country. So the alternative is creating balance and understanding. That is why I am cautiously optimistic about the decision of the OLF to engage in national/Ethiopian politics. If you were following the policies of the OLF, you would notice the present dispensation is a major change from its policies in the past. The so-called unity forces should not be freighted when the OLF is coming to the center stage of Ethiopian politics. If the unity forces are genuinely committed to an all inclusive unity they should encourage the OLF and other 'liberation movements' when they decide to come to the center stage of Ethiopian politics. I see the AFD in this light. I do not think demanding the OLF to change its policies or objectives before it is accepted as a legitimate player in Ethiopian politics by the so called 'unity' camp is not fair or for that matter constructive. This is just a small beginning. There would be a long and difficult road ahead. The result of that process depends on the actions and interactions of all actors. That is my position on the AFD.

Yosef said, ' What I mean is the very agenda [of self determination/referendum] is illegal and wrong'. You are entitled to your opinion. But there is both theory and practice where groups within non-colonial countries using self determination and seceding from the established state. The question regarding such issues is not really about legality and morality, it is about what is available on the ground. The issue of power- and the interests of domestic players and international actors. That is why I support engagement of the OLF--encouraging its decision to play a role in Ethiopian politics. The decision of the OLF in joining the AFD is in quite contrast to its previous position which was not concerned about Ethiopian issues other than Oromia.

Meron asked me 'Why do you speak OLF and Oromo interchangeably' --this is a good question. I have been in Ethiopia since throughout the last fourteen years since the coming to power of the EPRDF. I left the country at the beginning fo this year. From my visits in several areas of Oromia and from my own observation the OLF has a wide following. Throughout the last fourteen years--there are regular and period student protests within Oromia-the youth and the educated people of Oromia to a large extent seem to support the OLF. That is why Meles who was so frustrated by the situation said that if you scratch a member of the OPDO (Meles's Oromo organization) you find an OLF. You also look at the situation of the Diaspora--do members of the Oromo community intermingle with the other members of the Ethiopian community. Whom do they support? I think the argument that the OLF does not have supporters of Oromia is illusory. But the real test the OLF is in the field of voting and democratic election. Let there be a democratic process in which the OLF and the other Ethiopian political forces including the Woyane fully and equally participate. All the anxieties about secession and others would be I think vanish, if we have an all inclusive political process. The alternative to this exclusion of those organizations which we think are less Ethiopian than others--this lead to the way to fight them- suppress them and this brings endless conflict.

The issue of referendum and Oromia independence-- I do not think that neither the Oromo nor the OLF would press on independence. The issue of Oromia is a make or break thing to Ethiopia. I do not think that would happen.

Gelila--you have branded the alternative of AFD is alternative of destruction and war. I ask you what your alternative is. But the alternative of many who avowedly oppose dialogue and cooperation is war and destruction. Some in the Diaspora and some of the veteran organizations fo the 1960s are now propagating such divisive and destructive propaganda 'secessionist' and 'pro secessionist'. I think their alternative and road map is--- Beat and defeat the TPLF next fight the OLF and defeat it, then fight the ONLF and defeat it, then fight the SLM and defeat it, then fight the EPLF and take back Asmara and the red sea, then fight with ----- and wow finally maintain the glory of Ethiopian unity and territorial integrity. God save us from this. God save the next generations from such politicians. Such politicians should learn from the history of Serbian nationalists and Slobodan Milosevic--who sought to suppress all the members of the Yugoslav federation and finally ended up losing all of them- even the tiny and blood related Montenegro.