OLF urges unity of Ethiopian opposition

December 2, 2007 — The Executive Committee of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) held its regular
session from November 25- December 1, 2007. In its deliberations the
Committee noted that:

1. The political crisis in Ethiopia is deepening. In a futile bid to stamp
out the Oromo Liberation Army and the Ogaden National Liberation Army, the
regime in Addis is conducting a brutal crackdown in Oromia and Ogaden. The
indiscriminate targeting of the civilian populations is causing a
humanitarian crisis at par with Darfur. Political repression is also rampant
through the width and length of the country. To make matters worse by
severely restricting political freedom, even to the opposition in the
parliament, the regime has emasculated the political process and made open
resistance the only route left to seek redress for political grievances.

2. The specter of war, chaos and humanitarian disasters looms over the Horn
of Africa. When the Ethiopian regime made an adventure into Somalia last
year against clear warnings, it boasted that it would accomplish its stated
goals and withdraw within weeks. A year later it finds itself in a
quagmire. To cope with a determined resistance, the Ethiopian army is taking
its wrath on the civilian population, as it has been doing in Oromia and
Ogaden, unleashing a horrendous humanitarian crisis. The saber-rattling by
the Ethiopian Prime Minister against domestic and foreign enemies in a
recent speech to the Parliament does not bode well for a peaceful
resolution. Now that the Border Commission has expired without completing
its mission, the resumption of another disastrous war appears an ominous
possibility.

Based on these observations the Executive Committee makes the following
calls:

To the Oromo People

Despite the extreme brutality visited upon you by the incumbent regime for
17 long years, you have persevered in your noble struggle for freedom,
democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Through your readiness to pay
whatever sacrifices the struggle required of you, you have demonstrated your
yearning for freedom is inextinguishable. Despite its vain rhetoric, your
enemy is weak, its grip on power fleeting. We call on you to remain
steadfast and intensify the struggle. Your worthy cause shall prevail in
the end.

To the peoples of Ethiopia

Upon coming to power 17 long years ago the EPRDF promised you peace,
democracy and development. Today war is raging in Oromia and Ogaden.
Ethiopian troops are dying in Somalia. Soon thousands may perish in another
senseless war in the North. The constitution and the rule of law are openly
and brazenly violated. Political freedom is severely restricted. Poverty is
becoming more and more grinding rather than abating. Despite the lofty
rhetoric by the regime and its apologists, the facts suggest that after 17
long years none of the promises are kept and none are likely to be ever
delivered. How long can you wait in vain? We believe you have waited too
long and call on you to join hands and intensify your struggle to shake off
tyranny and establish a new era of peace, democracy and prosperity. We also
urge the opposition and resistance forces to close ranks and rally under the umbrella of the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD).

To the Ethiopian Government

The Ethiopian military is busy fighting in Oromia and Ogaden. It has bogged
down in Somalia. Another theatre of war may soon open up on the northern
border. A poor and divided country can ill afford to sustain such a costly
and endless war at home and abroad. It is time for a thorough rethink of
policy. The way out is a just political solution, first at home. We thus
call on you to heed the call for dialogue to resolve the impasse.

To the International Community

The political crisis in Ethiopia has reached a critical stage. The regional
situation is pregnant with multiple dangers. The prospects of further
destabilization are alarmingly real. A humanitarian crisis of a magnitude
that dwarfs Darfur could be just on the corner. We thus call on the
international community to grasp the gravity of the situation and set in
motion a process that can bring about a comprehensive regional political
solution.

Victory to the Oromo people!