One Response to “Commemorating 50 Years of Oromo Struggle led by General Waqo Gutu”

The Bale movement led by Gen. Waqo Gutu sparked Oromo movement against Abyssinian colonialism not only in the southern part of Oromia, but also in the eastern part of Oromia. The expansion to eastern Oromia was due in large part to, Jarra Abba Gada joining the Bale movement when he was young eventually expanding it to two Hararghe.
It is probably appropriate to also say that the Bale movement led by Gen. Waqo Gutu also sparked Oromia wide movement for Oromo liberation in general, since the Oromo movement took shape Oromia-wide and was consolidated under the leadership of OLF after the 1970′s.
There are also very hard and serious questions that we need to ask and get answers to regarding Gen. Waqo Gutu. These issues are very uncomfortable to discuss for some, but history should reflect facts and facts should be addressed and registered.For example, we do not know the details of the movement led by Gen. Waqo Gutu also working very closely with the Somali government and also how he took on the name Somali Abo in the 1970′s. Why did Waqo Gutu took on that name when Jarra Abba Gadaa refused and told Ziad Barre that he is not Somali but Oromo and is fighting for Oromo liberation? What were the damages of taking on the name Somali Abo to Oromo national movement? Did Gen. Waqo Gutu believe in the Somali agenda or did he use that to get arms from Somalis and use against both Somalia and Abysinnians? What can our struggle for Oromia freedom learn from past organizations such as Somali Abbo, IFLO, OLF, on the one hand and Oromo Ethiopianist organizations such as those led by OPDO, Marara Gudina, Bulcha Damaqsa and the recently baptized and Christianized ODF and others?
I am requesting Oromo scholars and other historians to do an in-depth research on the history of this movement and register for future generations, particularly before we lose some of the active participants of Bale movement due to age. The current leaders of Oromo liberation can also learn a lot from past mistakes and build on the good deeds of our past leaders.