[ad_1]
Borkena
May 10, 2020
Dawud Ibsa is the president of the Oromo ethnic nationalist party: the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). In the first part of a two-part interview with Dereje Haile, he spoke about himself and his political organization.
Before embracing the political ideals of the Oromo Liberation Front, he said he was part of the student movement at the University of Addis Ababa (according to the interview). And the key political questions at the time were: “land for the helm”, “an end to ethnic oppression” and the formation of popular government.
Then he spoke about the evolution of the party he now leads: the Oromo Liberation Front. Dereje asked a question about why there are several Oromo Liberation Front organizations and the relationship between OLF and OLF Shane.
Dawud Ibsa said, “There is only one Oromo Liberation Front.” However, he did not shy away from explaining why there are other Oromo Liberation Organizations. “It is the dynamics of the struggle,” is his response, but he did not elaborate on it further, except pointing out that “others” use the name of the party.
Regarding the question of a possible link with what most people understood as the military wing of his organization, OLF Shane, an armed group fighting against the Ethiopian government in the Wollega region of Ethiopia, said that relationship officially resigned in the presence of Aba Gedas. There has been a confrontation between the government and Dawud Ibsa led by Oromo Liberation regarding the disarmament of OLF fighters.
On the question of the organization’s political objectives, he denied that secession was never the objective of his organization but “self-determination”.
Dawud also spoke about the attempted murder in his life during the administration of Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam.
Watch the first part of his interview below
Video: embedded from Arts TV YouTube channel
Cover photo: video screenshot
Join the conversation. Like borkena on Facebook and receive updates from Ethiopian News regularly. Also, you can receive news from Ethiopia by following us on Twitter @zborkena
[ad_2]
