The Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM) & Its Heroic Sacrifices at Glance!

The Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM) is over four decades old organisation of the Sidama nation fighting for nation's Freedom, Justice, Liberty and Equality. The nation has had this organisation informally for the period of over six to seven decades although it has been organisationally re-structured in early 1970s under the leadership of few groups of Sidama personalities from whom Kaala Woldeamanuel Duable was the one. Tragically and Sadly the late aforementioned SLM leadership finally surrendered his cause when he, during the May 15, 2005 Ethiopian highly rigged and fake election went back to surrender and work for the regime enslaving his own Sidama nation during his final days on earth. He campaigned on behalf of TPLF's brutal regime stating to the Sidama nation that TPLF is God's messenger for the Sidama people (a very unpalatable end for a person who claimed fighting for the freedom and justice of the nation).

Besides, SLM has tremendously contributed to the struggle of then Ethiopian opposition groups which has facilitated the downfall of diabolic dreg's regime for nearly two decades until up to Derg's final time in power (June 1991). The bigger question is, what has the Sidama nation shared from the fruits of its breath taking struggle annihilated Derg's over 4 brigades army and for the heavy prices the sons and daughters of the Sidama nation have paid? The answer is simple and symbolic gesture. In reality however, the current regime has helped under 100 miscreants renegades Sidama's (from the entire Sidama region) handpicked and systematically groomed by TPLF to be their messengers known as SPDO Cadres. Whilst these groups of Sidama TPLF messengers are given ultimate power to decide on the entire affairs of over 6 million Sidama nation; the wider society is left to lead the life of abject poverty, misery and subjugation without representation. Others who demand their rights are subjected to harsh treatments including live bullets, unlawful imprisonments, systematic and psychological regime coordinated terror. The May 24, 2002's Looqqe massacre of 100s of Sidama civilians can make one of such examples.

Meanwhile, the Sidama nation's genuine and concerned personalities are all alienated from decision making process, often harassed, intimidated, unlawfully imprisoned and made to flee the country leaving enough room for the messengers and their federal bosses to milk the Sidama resources whilst the Nation is made to live under abject poverty and deprivation of unimaginable proportion. The saddest and tragic share of Sidama nation from the fruits of its sacrifices today became giving the Sidama wealth to others/ruling elites and its Sidama massagers systematically impoverishing the nation. SLM's Sidama freedom fighters have paid ultimate sacrifices with their precious lives; yet today a handpicked renegades such as criminal Shiferaw Shigute and his likes triumph over our sufferings. The Sidama nation is even blatantly denied elementary success others enjoying (constitutional rights) to the regional self-administration (nominal rights) which has been granted to the nations of the entire country. The Sidama nation is in a scenario similar to Witch hunts by the regime and its Sidama messengers for firmly demanding these blatantly denied constitutional rights to this date.

Diametrically opposing to the previous, the current SLM's leadership are reenergised with fresh bloods of the Sidama intellectuals with versatile experiences, expertise, unshakable determination and indefatigability. The Sidama nation's farsighted, well-informed, able, articulate and internationally mature sons and daughters are spearheading the struggle of the Sidama nation to enable it to assert its long overdue dream. Not only the current SLM's leadership are focussing on Sidama issues, but also they are taking a leadership roles in forging unity with likeminded organisations of oppressed peoples such as its cosine Oromo and others. To help the realisation of the Sidama's national dream of living in a free society where the rule of law overrides personal ambitions and greed; and people are able to make free choices by making decisions on their own affairs; the current SLM leadership is playing the correct game in a field where fair paly is unthinkable.

The lost opportunity of SLM when the international geo-political dynamics have been extremely favourable for any opposition leadership and organisations could only be remembered with regret and anguish. SLM had much stronger fighters than TPLF junta by the time its fighters and leadership were disintegrated and surrendered. SLM would have been potentially capable of liberating the entire Ethiopia. During these periods of times it has shaken the foundation of Derg's regime whenSLM's army has liberated the Sidama people of about 5 Sidama districts out of then nine. The reason for its failure and subsequent surrender was due to the lack political maturity from its leadership and international awareness, lack of vision and dream as to what they aspire to achieve, lack of farsightedness and clarity about why the leadership was out there and numerous others. Therefore, the then leadership wasn't able to equip the fighters with the necessary knowledge, dedication, determination and political maturity to be able to show the wider Sidama nation that the SLM was there to liberate them from encroaching injustices and systematic slavery imposed on the nation since 1890s. However, the Sidama nation heroically fought Derg's regime and was able to completely dismantle its over four brigade army from all directions of the Sidama region for the entire 8-10 years.

Over 35,000 Sidama's SLM fighters and civilians have scarified their lives for vaguely defined or hardly clarified objectives as to why they were fighting for simply because of the above shortfalls. The current SLM is a continuation of such heroic resistances of the gallant Sidama nation. There are tremendous opportunities and strong belief that the new leadership is filling in the aforementioned gaps by garnering the necessary knowledge and wisdom from the gallant Sidama nation to help the nation achieve its long overdue national rights to self determination and ultimately to others fundamental rights to unrestricted politico-economic justice and socio-cultural equality. Therefore, the current SLM is gloriously shining despite the drawbacks caused by the regime in power is therefore reaching all segments of Sidama society. The Sidama nation from corner to corner is working with SLM and SLM is also working hard to assert the successful alliance with brother nations of the country whose peoples are at Sidama position. The Sidama nation within Sidama region and Diaspora unanimously support the genuine and just causes of Sidama nation SLM's over 40 years hard work.

Sidaanchu Sidaami Gobanni!

Keerunina Qeele Jawanteteni!

Source: Ethiopian Review

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