Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman
Encyclopedia
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (in Arabic
: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير عُمان - al-Jabha al-Sha'abiya li-Tahrīr 'Uman, PFLO) was a Marxist and Arab nationalist
revolution
ary organisation in the Sultanate of Oman
. It fought against the Sultan
(ruler) in the Dhofar revolution
from the PFLO's foundation until the suppression of the revolution
in 1976.
(ANM) and began armed struggle in June 1965.
(al-Jabha al-Sha'abiya li-Tahrir al-Khalij al-'Arabi al-Muhtall, PFLOAG). Its members were inclined towards the leftist, Marxist-Leninist
tendency in the ANM, and were also influenced by the revolutionary experience of neighbouring South Yemen.
In June 1970 the National Democratic Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf
(al-Jabha al-Wataniya al-Dimuqratiya li-Tahrir 'Uman wa-l-Khalij al-'Arabi, NDFLOAG) was founded in the north of Oman. It merged with the PFLOAG in December 1971. The new organisation was called Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf (al-Jabhah al-Sha'abiyah li-Tahrir 'Uman wa-al-Khalij al-'Arabi, PFLOAG). By 1973 reports surged that PFLOAG had formed clandestine cells within the UAE armed forces.
The group took its later name, PFLO, in 1974 when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain
(PFLB) was established as a separate organisation. The PFLO appears to have maintained some underground activity afterwards. The youth wing of PFLO was the Oman Youth Organization, and it published the Uman al-Thawrah
revolution against Sultan Sa'id. It suffered a split in 1970 when some of its more right-wing members decided to accept the offer of an amnesty
from the newly-enthroned Sultan Qaboos. The new ruler was successful in pacifying most of Dhofar, with the help of considerable military and financial aid from the Western bloc, and by 1976 the rebellion was at an end.
. Its secretary general in 1992 was Abdul Aziz al-Qadi.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير عُمان - al-Jabha al-Sha'abiya li-Tahrīr 'Uman, PFLO) was a Marxist and Arab nationalist
Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language and literature of the Arabs, calling for rejuvenation and political union in the Arab world...
revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
ary organisation in the Sultanate of Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. It fought against the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
(ruler) in the Dhofar revolution
Dhofar Rebellion
The Dhofar Rebellion was launched in the province of Dhofar against the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, which had British support, from 1962 to 1976. It ended with the defeat of the rebels, but the state of Oman had to be radically reformed and modernised to cope with the campaign.-Background:In...
from the PFLO's foundation until the suppression of the revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
in 1976.
Background
The main forerunner of the PFLO was the Dhofar Liberation Front (Jabhat al-Tahrir al-Dhofar, DLF) which was based in Dhofar, the southern province of Oman. It was founded in 1962 by the Dhofar Benevolent Society (DBS), the Dhofar Soldiers’ Organisation (DSO) and the local branch of the Arab Nationalist MovementArab Nationalist Movement
The Arab Nationalist Movement , also known as the Movement of Arab Nationalists and the Harakiyyin, was a pan-Arab nationalist organization influential in much of the Arab world, most famously so within the Palestinian movement.-Origins & Ideology:The Arab Nationalist Movement had its origins in a...
(ANM) and began armed struggle in June 1965.
Formation of the Popular Front
In September 1968 the DLF was renamed the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian GulfPopular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf
The Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf , later renamed the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arab Gulf , was a Marxist and Arab nationalist revolutionary organisation in the Persian Gulf Arab states. The PFLOAG was organized in 1968 as the successor to the...
(al-Jabha al-Sha'abiya li-Tahrir al-Khalij al-'Arabi al-Muhtall, PFLOAG). Its members were inclined towards the leftist, Marxist-Leninist
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
tendency in the ANM, and were also influenced by the revolutionary experience of neighbouring South Yemen.
In June 1970 the National Democratic Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf
National Democratic Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf
The National Democratic Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf was a guerrilla movement in the Arabian peninsula.NDFLOAG was formed in Iraq in 1969 by Omani students and other emigrees. Some had been members of leftwing organizations , others were hithero unorganized opponents of...
(al-Jabha al-Wataniya al-Dimuqratiya li-Tahrir 'Uman wa-l-Khalij al-'Arabi, NDFLOAG) was founded in the north of Oman. It merged with the PFLOAG in December 1971. The new organisation was called Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf (al-Jabhah al-Sha'abiyah li-Tahrir 'Uman wa-al-Khalij al-'Arabi, PFLOAG). By 1973 reports surged that PFLOAG had formed clandestine cells within the UAE armed forces.
The group took its later name, PFLO, in 1974 when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain
Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain was an underground political party in Bahrain with origins in the Arab Nationalist Movement. Its members were inclined towards the leftist Marxist trend within the ANM...
(PFLB) was established as a separate organisation. The PFLO appears to have maintained some underground activity afterwards. The youth wing of PFLO was the Oman Youth Organization, and it published the Uman al-Thawrah
The Dhofar Rebellion
Upon its establishment, the PFLOAG became involved in the ongoing DhofarDhofar
The Dhofar region lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen. Its mountainous area covers and has a population of 215,960 as of the 2003 census. The largest town in the region is Salalah. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense in the world. However, its frankincense...
revolution against Sultan Sa'id. It suffered a split in 1970 when some of its more right-wing members decided to accept the offer of an amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
from the newly-enthroned Sultan Qaboos. The new ruler was successful in pacifying most of Dhofar, with the help of considerable military and financial aid from the Western bloc, and by 1976 the rebellion was at an end.
The PFLO After 1976
In 1992, the party was renamed to People's Democratic Front of Oman (al-Jabhah al-Sha'abiyah al-Dimuqratiyah al-'Umaniyah, PDFO) which struggles peacefully for democracyDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. Its secretary general in 1992 was Abdul Aziz al-Qadi.
Sources
- Omania.net discussion board (in Arabic)
- Nadyelfikr.net discussion board (in Arabic)
- Dhofar Rebellion in Oman 1964-1975, OnWar.com, December 16, 2000