The Renaissance Book and Oromo Nationalism

Chapter 4-Period of Derg Military Regime

This chapter covers the period of Derg rule under Mengistu Haile Mariam from 1974 to 1991. It documents the brutality of the military regime toward the Oromo people including mass killings, arbitrary detention and repressive policies. Details are provided on the Red Terror campaign which disproportionately targeted Oromos.The overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 initially brought hope to the Oromo people that decades of imperial oppression would finally end. However, the brutal military Marxist dictatorship known as the Derg that subsequently took power continued the suppression and underdevelopment of Oromos.Mengistu Haile Mariam emerged as the strongman leader of the Derg regime. While espousing socialist rhetoric, the Derg continued the centralized authoritarian rule that denied Oromos political rights and civil liberties.
The Derg adopted harsh repressive measures against any dissent. Thousands of Oromo civilians were killed, tortured, imprisoned or disappeared in the campaign known as the Red Terror during the late 1970s. The Derg crushed any inkling of Oromo nationalist activism.Land reform under the Derg dispossessed the Amhara elites but the Oromo peasantry also did not benefit.
Oromo farmers were encapsulated into state-controlled cooperatives and suffered from requisitioning of produce along with devastating famine.The Derg regime continued the long-standing state suppression of Oromo language and cultural expression, treating them as threats to the unitary state. Use of Oromo language was discouraged even under the supposedly socialist and egalitarian principles espoused.This combination of political repression, economic exploitation, and cultural suppression drove some Oromos to join armed liberation struggles led by groups like the Oromo Liberation Front. But the Derg countered with even harsher militaristic rule putting down dissent with brutal force.
While the fall of Selassie's empire signaled the end of old imperial domination, the Derg's emergence maintained the entrenched social hierarchy and pervasive underdevelopment faced by the marginalized Oromo populace during previous regimes. The socialist dictatorship brought no real change to the oppressed status of Oromos within the Ethiopian state.Here are some additional details about the oppression of Oromos under the Derg regime:

The Derg continued the imperial policy of settling Amhara peasants in Oromia to maintain control over the restive region. This added to Oromo grievances.Thousands of Oromos were forcibly conscripted into the military to fight the Derg's wars against insurgencies and Eritrean separatists. Many conscripts died or faced abuse.The Derg coopted Oromo collaborators from the balabat class, using them to implement exploitative policies that enriched the regime at the expense of average Oromo farmers.
Severe droughts and famine through the 1980s hit Oromia hard due to neglect, triggered displacement and mass starvation with callous state response.Derg adopted "Ethiopian socialism" based on Amhara culture and history while ignoring the identity and needs of Oromos and other groups.Oromo students were forced to learn in Amharic and teachers penalized for using Afaan Oromoo in classrooms during the Derg era.
Oromo intellectuals, business owners and community leaders were particular targets of the Red Terror, aimed at destroying progress made by elites.Bombing and strafing campaigns were used against Oromo villages suspected of supporting liberation fighters, inflicting significant civilian casualties.Overall, the Derg applied military might and a harsh security apparatus to crush any Oromo aspirations while failing to address the underlying injustices fueling discontent. the oppression and abuses faced by Oromos under the Derg regime:Large-scale forced villagization programs were implemented by the Derg in Oromia.
Rural Oromo communities were forcibly relocated into state-run communes.The Derg co-opted the Orthodox Church to help maintain social control in Oromia. The church fostered assimilation and suppressed indigenous Oromo beliefs.State development continued to be concentrated in the Amhara region with only meager investment in infrastructure, schools and healthcare in Oromia.Oromo cultural artifacts, gold jewelry and religious objects were confiscated by the Derg's cadres or stolen to enrich officials.
The Derg intensified mass conscription drives in Oromia, forcibly drafting boys as young as 14 years old into military service.Oromo women were victims of mass rape used systematically to demoralize communities and break resistance. Perpetrators enjoyed impunity.The regime banned Macha-Tulama and other Oromo self-help groups as well as trade unions and farmers' cooperatives independent of the state.Repression and stagnation under the Derg pushed many Oromo youth to flee the country, creating a wave of refugees that included future OLF leaders.
The Derg wielded an iron fist to maintain exploitative control over Oromia without addressing historic injustices. Its downfall was welcomed by Oromos. the oppression of Oromos under the Derg regime: The Derg suppressed Oromo traditional governance systems like the Gadaa councils, replacing them with party-controlled Peasant Associations dominated by Amhara cadres.Qubee, the Latin alphabet adopted for writing Afaan Oromoo, was banned by the Derg which saw it as promoting Oromo nationalism.
Only Amharic script was allowed.Oromo worship practices, rituals, and pilgrimages were targeted by Derg officials. Sacred trees and sites were destroyed or coopted by the Orthodox church.Severe torture methods were systematically used against Oromo dissidents and rebels by the Derg's security forces. Public beatings and killings created an environment of terror.
Thousands of Oromos "disappeared" after being detained by Derg security services. Secret mass graves have been uncovered in recent years.The Derg dissolved the autonomous status that had been granted to Harar province within Ethiopia's federation, putting it under direct Amhara control. The Derg retained a highly centralized and violent apparatus of control while failing to address the political and economic inequities that marginalized the Oromo within the Ethiopian state.
There has been very limited accountability or redress for the human rights violations committed against the Oromo people during the Derg military regime in Ethiopia. Some efforts that have been made include: Memorialization - Groups like the Oromia Support Group have collected testimonies and worked to memorialize the victims of Derg atrocities through public education campaigns, memorial events, museums and monuments. However, government support has been lacking.
Exhumations - Human rights groups have exhumed mass graves and burial sites to uncover evidence of mass killings and identify victims. However, only a fraction of believed sites have been accessed and investigated systematically.Oromo diaspora advocacy - Oromo exile groups have advocated internationally to raise awareness about the atrocities and pressured groups like the UN to condemn the Derg's human rights record.

However, there has been little concrete action.Court cases - A small number of Derg-era officials have faced trials within Ethiopia or in absentia overseas for crimes committed under that regime. However, most perpetrators have gone unpunished.Truth commissions - Ethiopia had a short-lived truth commission in the 1990s which documented some grievances but had limited scope, did not focus on Oromos, and failed to recommend meaningful accountability measures.
Reparations - There have been no systematic efforts by the government to compensate victims and families impacted by Derg abuses through reparations programs. Most have suffered in silence.So while Oromos bore the brunt of the Derg's repression, there remains little formal redress. The lack of justice continues to resonate as a collective grievance within the Oromo community today. Broader reconciliation is still required.Oromo Prosecution Under Military Rules,the persecution and prosecution of Oromos under military rule in Ethiopia:In 1974, the Derg military junta overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie in a coup. This led to a period of severe political repression across Ethiopia from 1974-1991 under military rule.
The Derg regime continued state domination over Oromos and other ethnic groups. All opposition political activity was banned.Land reform initiatives by the Derg regime ultimately worked against the Oromo population, as land was brought under central state ownership and Oromo farmers were relocated.The regime forcibly suppressed Oromo nationalist groups like the OLF, imprisoning, torturing and killing many members. The OLF was driven underground.
The Oromo language, culture and identity faced further marginalization under the Derg, as Amharic remained the sole official language.The military government responded brutally to any signs of Oromo dissent or regional autonomy. Reports of mass killings, detentions and atrocities against Oromo civilians surfaced.Economic conditions in Oromia remained extremely poor under the Derg regime, with recurring droughts and famines exacerbating dire poverty.
By the late 1980s, intensified rebellion by Oromo freedom fighters and other groups led the Derg to lose control, culminating in the regime's collapse in 1991.the era of military dictatorship continued the oppressive legacy and systemic persecution of the Oromo population under Ethiopian state rule.
The persecution of Oromos under military rule in Ethiopia: When the Derg regime came to power; it initially gained some support in Oromia by promising to address the marginalization of non-Amhara peoples. However, these promises never materialized.In the late 1970s, the regime initiated a harsh crackdown in response to the growing Oromo nationalist movement. The Derg labeled Oromo activists as "narrow nationalists" and "enemies of the state."Oromo cultural centers, community organizations and student groups were closely monitored and controlled by the military. Local Oromo self-help associations called Idir were banned.
The regime introduced "Resettlement Programs" which relocated Oromo farmers and pastoralists away from their home regions into poor agricultural lands to break up nationalist sentiment.Oromo political leaders, intellectuals and business owners were prime targets of the Derg's repressive programs such as Red Terror and 198. Thousands were arrested, tortured, killed or disappeared.Under the 1987 villagization program, Oromo peasants were forcibly evicted from ancient land holdings into inadequate government-constructed villages causing widespread displacement and loss of livelihoods.
• The banning of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and repression of Oromo activists drove the resistance movement underground and fueled the rise of armed struggle in Oromia.Continued banning of Oromo language, culture and identities
• Suppression of Oromo nationalism and dissident groups like the OLF
• Brutal crackdowns, killings, torture and detentions of Oromo civilians
• Forcible villagization and resettlement programs displacing Oromo farmers
• Land reform policies that ultimately disenfranchised Oromo people
• Economic exploitation of Oromia and worsening poverty/famine
• Targeting and elimination of Oromo leaders and intellectuals
• Crackdown on Oromo cultural centers, associations and student groups
• Clampdown on development of Oromo society under military rule
The harsh repression drove Oromo resistance underground and intensified the struggle for self-determination; I have provided the full extent of details and analysis I can offer regarding the prosecution of Oromos during this period from 1974 to 1991. Please let me know if there are any specific policies, events or impacts you would like me to elaborate on further. I'm happy to provide clarification if need