ለኦሮሞ ወንድሞቼና እህቶቼ

[Abba Tobia]

My Dear Oromo Brothers and Sisters

I am an Ethiopian who has always been worried about the relationship between Amharas and Oromos in Ethiopia. So I went out for a fact finding mission and I am glad to report back to you what I believe is the true stories of Oromos and Amharas in Ethiopia. You can check the books I have obtained the following story for yourself and they are all displayed in brackets in my report below. My aim is to prevail the truth so that everlasting peace would be gained. Please comment back.

About Galas (Oromos) in Ethiopia.

1. “ These Gallas are one of the Abyssinian problems. They burst into the country in the sixteenth century. Where they came from is uncertain, but they made good their position, and contributed in no small degree to the ruin of the Abyssinian Empire, especially after the queen mother, about the middle of the 18th century, for purposes of her own, brought about a marriage between the king, her son, and a Galla, and thereby introduced Galla intrigues into the political complications of the kingdom. The name "Galla" is said to signify, in their tongue, "invader," but the Mohammedans have a curious legend that it was given them by Mohammed, when a messenger sent by him to their chief to require them to profess the Mohammedan faith, returned, saying, "He says, no" (ga la). "Then," answered the prophet,” let that name be henceforth the name of the whole race who have refused to believe the revelations of the Angel Gabriel."
There can be no greater mistake than to confound, as has been done, the Gallas with the Moors. They are a completely different race” (Views in Central Abyssinia, Sophie F. F. Veitch, 1868).

2. The first appearance of Gallas in Abyssinia

... Mohammed Gragne, who was himself shot in the action by a Portuguese marksman.

It was at this time, in the middle of the 16th century, that the Galla tribes first attracted attention. A horde of Gallas came from the south, and swept up to and over the confines of Abyssinia. Men of lighter complexion and fairer skin than most Africans, they were Pagan in religion and savage in manner. Notwithstanding frequent efforts to dislodge them, they have firmly established themselves. ...(” Record of the expedition to Abyssinia, Vol 1, By Trevenen Holland, 1870).

3. The Gallas, with the usual pride of wild and independent nations, call themselves exclusively Orma, I. e. " men," " the people "; and an individual among them is Ilm 'orma, " a son (or one) of the people," corresponding literally with the Arabic ibn-el-nas— " gentilis," " well-born," "free"— as opposed to the abd or slave.

In the same way, therefore, as the free Galla styles himself Ilm 'orma, he calls his language Afan Orma, "the people's tongue"— lit. “ mouth." (Philological Society (Great Britain)., Philological Society (Great Britain), Louis Loewe – 1846)

4. About the word “ Orma” ..

The Orma is a tribe found in Eastern Kenya, mostly along the lower Tana River. They are also called Galla, a term used in Ethiopia (but now considered pejorative) to refer to Oromo people.

The Orma are semi-nomadic shepherds. They live in the south-eastern deserts of Kenya except during the rainy season when they move their herds inland. The tribe has a population of about 70.000 people (2005). It has its own language, also called Orma (Encyclopaedia).

5. “ ...They (Gallas) came out from Guinea and have subjugated and invaded the following provinces of Abyssinia; Gedma, Angota, Dawra, Fatagar, Wied, Ifar, Gurage, Ganz, Cont, Damota, Walcka, Bizama, Shewa and Bali” (Ancient and Modern History and Geography, Jean B. D’ Audiffret, 1694).

Find the above mentioned places in old map of Abyssinia and locate them in current map of Ethiopia.

6. About the Ogaden…

The region is sparsely populated with Somali-speaking nomadic pastoralists. Their ancestors migrated there in the 16th century, displacing the Oromo (Galla) who previously lived there. The Ogaden has no large towns (Encyclopedia Britannica).

7. About Amhara… .

“ Proper Amhara is a mountainous province of that name, to the south-east, in the centre of which was Tegulat, the ancient capital of the empire, and at one period the centre of the civilization of Abyssinia. This province is now in the possession of the Galla, a barbarous people, who have overcome all the southern parts of Habesh” (Researches into the physical history of mankind, Volume 2, James Cowles Prichard, 1837).

8. Finally in the second half of the 19th century, Abyssinian campaigns started to restore itself back.

At the start of his “ Campaign Ethiopia” , Emperor Teodros told his friend Plowden “ I will first conquer the Gallas, who have seized on Christian lands, devastated churches, and, by force, converted the inhabitants to Islamism; and, after that, the Mussulmans now residing in Abyssinia will have the option of being baptized or of leaving the country” (Travels in Abyssinia and the Galla Country. An account of a mission to Ras Ali in 1848, from the Mss of the late Waltee Chichele Plowden, her Britannic consul in Abyssinia, edited by his brother Teevoe Chichele Plowden. London, Longmans, Geen, and Co. 1868).
From the above stories, one can conclude that

1. the true name of Gallas is Orma not Oromo

2. Gallas(Oromos) invaded Abyssinia from its south in the 16th century just after the invasion of The Turks lead by Governor Gran of Zeila. Abyssinia was at its weakest point to defend her. the gallas managed to hold firmly especially Southern Habesh. Two hundred Years after their invasion started, Emperor Teodros rose to restore back lands of South Habesh.

3. the meaning of the word "Gala" is" invasion" in the language of Gala. Muslims too have their own version which is "he said no" in Arabic.

4. The home of Gallas(Oromos) prior to invading Habesh, is lake tana now found in Kenya.

5. Gobana Datche was right and telling the truth when he campaigned with Menelik.

6. Menelik and Teodros campaigned in the south to return back lands of Abyssinia lost to the invasion of Gallas and the Turks. it is absolutely a crime and murder to condemn this campaign as invasion, colonisation and expansion.

Therefore, Kilil administration and Article 39 of Woyane’ s constitution is wrong and need to be removed.

Abba Tobia
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i oppose woyane because i disagree forever about ethnic federalism and article 39, the right to secede.

[ጎተራ]

አይ አባ ሴጋ አበድክ አይደል ውይ ምስኪን አሳዘንከኝ አሁንስ :: የሚያዋራህ ጠፍቶ ሰማይ መሬት ዞሮብህ ማመልከቻ መፃፍ ጀመርክ :: በል እንግዲህ ቀላሉን ያድርግልህ :: ጎተራ ባጫ ከድድ ማስጫ ::
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Some people are alive only, because it's illegal to kill them.

[Abba Tobia]