First of all, let it be clear that my objection and protest is against the system that is cultivating a culture of Abyssinian domination. This is in no way a hate message against Ethipia or those who consider themselves Ethiopians.

Ethiopia, for many people in the South, is a foreign country. I am from Addis, the melting pot of the empire. I base my arguments on the experiences of those who live in the deep South. For these people, the culture they see being practised in their respective regions is "their culture." From what they hear from thier folktales, they're the greatest people to ever occupy that land. However, in this Ethiopian history, they learn how Menelik II defeated the South, how he conquered the whole land south of the then Abyssinia to establish the great empire of Ethiopia. Here, the Ethiopian history, in its clear aim of demoralizing the South people, is telling them that they're under the Ethiopian colonial yolk. The most striking observation is that these people have to learn about their culture, their history, their great land from their fathers, not from the classroom of the Ethiopian colonial education system.

That is just a grievance against the colonial education system. Other aspects of the discrimination against the South people, including the Oromo are long to discuss in such a short time. To be specific, Amharic is the working language of the government. However, 40% of the population (that's the Oromos) have Orommiffa as their mother-tongue; only 20% of the people have Amharic as their mother-tongue. Therefore, the Oromos have to learn Amharic and compete with those who're minority of the empire to get decent jobs. If an Oromo doesn't speak Amharic with the fluency of the minority, they're laughed at and ridiculed about. The minority doesn't appreciate the fact that the Oromos have to learn the minority's language, when it only represents 20% of the entire population. Amharic is, therefore, a tool the Abyssinians use to again demoralize the Oromos. For that reason, many Oromos detest speaking Amharic; otherwise, the minute they say a word in Amharic, a laughter breaks out to ridicule the Oromo. To give you a clear analogy of this, imagine what you would feel (assuming that you have an African accent) if the Americans laugh at your accent. Oh, one more thing, they laugh at you each day of your life. And, to make matters even worse, you only get a job when you clearly polish your accent. What?

Yes, that discrimination is what Oromos have been under for the last century. An Oromo man/woman is promoted in life when he/she abondons the very culture that he/she is proud of. Only when they side away from being an Oromo, they're showered by admiration from the Abyssinians. This is a deep-rooted system that corrodes the stability of the empire steadily. To save the nation, it's clear that we get rid of this system. However, many Abyssinians feel that will bring an end to the era of their domination. But again, the era of this system will be closed one way or another; choosing the best alternative while time is by our side is what we must do.

The Ethiopian system is dominated by the Abyssinians. The Abyssinians are the people who live in the North of the present Ethiopian empire. That includes the Tigre and the Amhara. Everything you know about the Ethiopian history is that of Abyssinians. From the Axum to the Haile-Sellasie, it's viewed fron the Abyssinian point of view. For Oromos, the Axum is as foreign as the Liberty of Statue is to Ethiopia. For Oromos, Menelik II was a war-monger who invaded Oromia and took away the land of the braves. For Oromos, the Ethiopian history is the same as the European history - both are foreign.

The Ethiopian system of Abyssinian-domination doesn't incorporate the Oromos, the Sidamas, the Afars, the Somalis, the Aderes, etc in its operations. In Ethiopian classes, you learn about the Sidamas and the Afars with the same depth as you learn the people of Bantu or Hutu. All except the Abyssinians are considered foreigns, that's second-class citizens.

Let me give you a clear analogy - the American history starts from the "discovery of America" by Columbus. The history is viewed from the White European perspective. Blacks have to go to school to learn the system that constitutued and supported the slavery and other civil rights plights. With the same mind, let's come to the situation of Ethiopia. Of course, there's no black or white in Ethiopia. However, the Abyssinians feel superior over the rest of the Ethiopian peoples.

The Ethiopian system of Abyssinian-domination is not about history, only. It's about discrimination based on your ethnic background. Oromos are discriminated against in their own land. If Oromos allow this to continue, the case of the Native Americans will be evidenced in Ethiopia - Oromos will disappear. As many Oromos feel, THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. WE'LL STRUGGLE TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND OUR INALIENABLE RIGHTS IN THE LAND OF OUR FATHERS.

According to the passports of many Oromos, they are Ethiopians. However, most feel that the Ethiopian citizenship is a burden that want to unload. Ethiopia, for most Oromos, is hell. Yes, for most Oromos, Ethiopia is nothing but a hell. Ethiopia is where Oromos are being butchered by a state-sponsored system. For Oromos, it's the system that corrupts their everyday freedom and peace. The system is a step-parent to the Oromos; it never seems to treat the Oromos equally in all aspects of life: political, economic and social.

When I speak of Ethiopia, I speak of the system dominated by the North-dwellers. The system favors the North over the South; the South is the breadbasket of the entire empire. However, in order to exploit the South, the North have constituted a system that morally and physically abuses the South people. Oromos, as one of these peoples being persecuted by the system, are englightened more than any time in their history about their future. For Oromos, Oromia is the promised land that they will fight peacefully and through other means to regain control of.

The land and the resource looted by the Abyssinian settlers and their supporters will be under Oromo control one day. The world is about survival of the fittest; to categorize an Oromo as unfit just because he happens to be an Oromo is what the Abyssinian-dominated system does. This is not about a hate message against anyone; this is a message voiced against the system. What can you do to change the system - I don't care if you love Ethiopia or not, I'm sure you don't love the system that's being played in Ethiopia. Therefore, let's talk about the system, not the land. Let's all sense the plight of the Oromo people, the abuse against them, the blood of Oromo children and women, the voices of the oppressed people of the Horn of Africa! Why is it hard to understand and realize the Ethiopian system of Abyssinian-domination is taking this country down the abyss ?????

Oromia is a new nation-state on its way to be a reality. Meaning, it's not a tribe.
Oromos are still being oppressed by the ruling regime.
Oromos don't claim to be the "only" ones to be oppressed by the Abyssinian system. Now, just because they're not the "only" ones, this doesn't prevent them from struggling to gain their freedom, to bring peace to the region and to free their people from the shackles of Abyssinian oppression.Oromos are struggling with their brothers/sisters (the Sidamas, Ethio-Somalis, and others) to free the peoples of Ethiopia from the chains of oppression by the Abyssinian system. If you noticed, I've said "Abyssinian system" several times --- mind you, the struggle is not against any group of people, it's against the system. And, since Oromos are numerous population-wise, they will lead the struggle against the system. Oromos are being butchered by the Ethiopian government. It's against all international laws to systematically destroy a group of people and their ecology. STOP THE GENOCIDE NOW!