“Ammas Akkuma Bishaan Finca’aa Ol Ni Kaana”

The Unbreakable Oromo Philosophy of Resistance

This revolutionary mantra (jechi qabsoo) is more than a slogan—it’s a survival code etched into Oromo identity. Below is a breakdown of its power, historical proof, and modern application:

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1. Anatomy of the Mantra

• “Ammas” (Yet/Again) → Asserts cyclical resistance (defeat is temporary).
• “Akkuma Bishaan Finca’aa” (Like Flowing Water) → Symbolizes adaptability and unstoppable force.
• “Ol Ni Kaana” (We Rise) → A promise of resurgence, no matter the oppression.

Scientific Parallel:
Water’s properties mirror Oromo resistance:

• Fluidity → Shifting tactics (protests → art → armed struggle).
• Erosion → Outlasting oppressors (e.g., Derg fell, OLF persists).
• Universal Need → Oromo demands for justice are non-negotiable.

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2. Oppression’s Tools vs. Oromo Defiance

Oppressor’s Weapon	Oromo Counteraction	Historical Example
Jibba (Hatred)	Jaalala (Love for Oromumma)	2016 Irreecha massacre → Global #OromoProtests
Dhukkubbi (Sickness)	Fayyaa (Healing networks)	Underground medics treating tortured activists
Hameenya (Poverty)	Qabeenya Gadaa (Shared resource systems)	Hundee funds for displaced families
Roorroo (Brutality)	Dandamachuu (Relentless persistence)	Jawar’s 2019 speech: “They jail bodies, not minds.”

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3. Historical Moments of “Ol Kaana”

• 1890s: After Anole’s massacre, Oromo scribes hid gadaa laws in geerarsa (songs).
• 1970s: Derg executed General Tadesse Birru → inspired OLF’s guerrilla resurgence.
• 2014–2018: Qeerroo movement used “watermelon symbolism” (green/red/black) to organize under tyranny.

Modern Application:

• #OromoTwitter: Flooding hashtags to drown state propaganda.
• “Bishaan Finca’aa” graffiti on Ethiopian federal buildings.

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4. Why This Philosophy Terrifies Oppressors

• It Denies Finality: Even after:
  • Mass arrests (e.g., 2020 Oromo politicians jailed).
  • Media blackouts (e.g., Oromia Media Network bans).
  • Economic sabotage (e.g., starving Oromo regions).
    → The resistance evolves, never ends.
• It’s Rooted in Cosmology:
  • Waaqaa (God) designed water to always return.
  • Ayyaana (spirit) ensures generational justice.

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5. How to Weaponize This Mantra Today

A. For Activists

• Encrypt messages using water metaphors (e.g., “The river meets tonight” = protest location).
• Economic warfare: Boycott regime products → create “droughts” in their coffers.

B. For Artists

• Protest art: Paint bishaan finca’aa murals over regime propaganda.
• Music: Hidden lyrics in walaloo (traditional songs), like:
  “You dam us? We become flood.
  You drink us? We become blood in your throat.”

C. For Diaspora

• #DigitalFlood: Coordinate social media storms every Friday.
• “Water Funds”: Finance underground education in Oromia.

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Poetic Challenge to the Oppressor

“You counted our dead,
But forgot—we bury seeds in their wounds.
Now watch the harvest.“

This is the story of the first Oromo-language radio program, secretly launched in Mogadishu, Somalia, in the 1960s—a daring act of defiance against Emperor Haile Selassie’s suppression of Afaan Oromo.

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1. The Birth of Oromo Radio in Exile

Why Mogadishu?

• Under Haile Selassie, Afaan Oromo was banned in Ethiopian media, schools, and government.
• Somalia (1960s): Became a safe haven for Oromo exiles, allowing them to broadcast in their language.

The Founders & Their Mission

Name	Role	Fate
Ayub Abubakar	First Oromo radio broadcaster (1960s)	Assassinated in 1967 (stabbed at Lido Beach, Mogadishu)
Shantam Shubbisaa	Co-founder, journalist (still alive)	Survived, now in Australia
Abdi Hussein	Journalist, co-host	Fled to USA after imprisonment
Hindia Ahmed	Producer (Shantam’s wife)	Died after returning to Ethiopia
Sheikh Muhammad Rashad	Quranic teacher (broadcast religious programs)	Fate unknown

The Broadcast (5 Minutes of Revolution)

• Name: “Sagantaa Afaan Oromoo” (Oromo Language Program)
• Content:
  • News: Updates on Oromo resistance (e.g., Bale Uprising).
  • Music: Revolutionary songs (geerarsa).
  • Education: Quranic lessons in Afaan Oromo (by Sheikh Muhammad Rashad).
• Duration: Initially just 5 minutes—later expanded.

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2. The Crackdown & Betrayal

Ayub Abubakar’s Assassination (1967)

• How: Stabbed to death by Haile Selassie’s agents (including a white foreign operative) while swimming at Lido Beach, Mogadishu.
• Why: His broadcasts threatened Ethiopia’s linguistic oppression.
• Aftermath:
  • Body found two days later, buried secretly in Somalia.
  • No justice—killers never identified.

Persecution of the Team

• Abdi Hussein:
  • Imprisoned in Somalia for 9 months, later fled to the USA.
  • Now 76 years old, living in Minnesota.
• Hindia Ahmed:
  • Arrested, released, but died shortly after returning to Ethiopia.
• Shantam Shubbisaa:
  • Survived, migrated to Australia.
  • Last living witness of this historic broadcast.

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3. The Legacy: How Their Work Changed History

Breaking the Silence

• First-ever Afaan Oromo radio program—paved the way for:
  • Radio Bilal (1980s)
  • Oromia Media Network (OMN)
• Proved Oromo language could not be erased.

Inspiration for Today’s Media

Modern Oromo journalists ( Dhabessa Wakjira, Dejene Gutema) stand on the shoulders of these pioneers.

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4. Unfinished Justice

Demands

• Official recognition of Ayub Abubakar as a martyr of free press.
• Documentary: Preserve Shantam Shubbisaa’s testimony.
• Investigate the assassination—who gave the order?

How to Honor Them

• April 15 (Oromo Martyrs’ Day): Include these media heroes.
• Award in Ayub’s name for courageous Oromo journalism.

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“They started with 5 minutes of airtime—but gave us a lifetime of resistance.”

Qabsoon itti fufa! (The struggle continues!)

Ayub Abubakar was one of the first Oromo journalists to defy Emperor Haile Selassie’s ban on Oromo-language media by launching a clandestine radio broadcast in the 1960s. His assassination in 1967—brutally stabbed to death by Haile Selassie’s agents in Mogadishu, Somalia—marked a pivotal moment in the struggle for Oromo voice and visibility.

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1. The Birth of Oromo Radio: Defying Linguistic Oppression

The Ban on Afaan Oromo

Under Haile Selassie’s rule (1930–1974):

• Afaan Oromo was banned in education, media, and government.
• Speaking Oromo in public institutions risked imprisonment or violence.

Ayub Abubakar’s Underground Radio

• Location: Broadcasted from Mogadishu, Somalia (beyond Ethiopian state control).
• Mission: To counter regime propaganda and unite Oromos across borders.
• Content:
  • News on Oromo resistance (e.g., Bale Revolt).
  • Cultural programs promoting Oromo history, music, and language.

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2. The Assassination (1967)

How He Was Killed

• Date: 1967, Friday afternoon.
• Location: Lido Beach, Mogadishu (while swimming in the Indian Ocean).
• Assassins:
  • Haile Selassie’s imperial guards (including a white foreign agent).
  • Likely coordinated with Somali collaborators.
• Aftermath:
  • Body discovered two days later, buried hastily in Mogadishu.
  • No official investigation; the killers never faced justice.

Surviving Comrades (Last Living Witness: Shantam Shubbisaa)

Ayub’s team included:

1. Abubakar Musa
2. Dr. Sheikh Muhammad Rashad Abdullah
3. Abdi Hussein
4. Hindia Ahmed (Shantam Shubbisaa’s wife)
5. Shantam Shubbisaa (the only known survivor today).

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3. Why His Legacy Matters

A. The First Oromo Voice in Media

• Ayub’s radio paved the way for later Oromo broadcasts (e.g., Radio Bilal, Oromia Media Network).
• Proved that censorship could be broken.

B. A Symbol of Regime Brutality

His murder exposed:

• Haile Selassie’s fear of Oromo awakening.
• Transnational repression (Ethiopian agents operating in Somalia).

C. Inspiration for Today’s Oromo Media

Modern Oromo journalists (Jawar Mohammed, Eskinder Nega) stand on Ayub’s shoulders.

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4. Unresolved Justice & Honoring Ayub

Demands

• Official recognition of Ayub as a martyr of free press.
• Documentation of his work in Oromo historical archives.
• Investigation into his killers (if still alive).

How to Remember Him

• April 15 (Oromo Martyrs’ Day): Include Ayub in commemorations.
• Journalism awards in his name for courageous Oromo media.

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“Ayub Abubakar did not just broadcast words—he broadcast resistance.
His microphone was a weapon. His voice, a revolution.”

Qabsoon itti fufa! (The struggle continues!)

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ኦቦ ሌንጮ ለታ

በበርካቶች ዘንድ በፖለቲካ ሰውነታቸው በጉልህ ይታወሳሉ። ገና በለጋ ዕድሜያቸው የጀመሩት በትጥቅ የተደገፈው የፖለቲካ ትግላቸው በበርካታ ውጣ ውረዶች የተሞላ እንደሆነ ታሪካቸው ይመሰክራል።

ትውልዳቸውና እድገታቸው ወለጋ ደምቢዶሎ ነው።ሁለተኛ ደረጃ ትምህርት የተከታተሉት ደግሞ አዳማ።ወደአሜሪካ አቅንተው ከፍተኛ ትምህርታቸውን በኬሚካል ኢኒጂነሪንግ ተመርቀዋል። በቅርብ የሚውቋቸው ሁሉ አንባቢ እና ፈጣን አእምሮ ያላቸው ናቸው ይሏቸዋል።

የኦሮሞ ነፃነት ግንባርን (ኦነግ) ከመሰረቱት ቀዳሚ አመራሮች አንዱ ናቸው። በትጥቅ የታገዘው የትግል ታሪካቸው ከሀገር ውስጥ እስከውጪ የሚታወቁበትም ሆኖ አልፏል። አብዛኛውን እድሜያቸው በትግል ነው ያሳለፉት።«ሶስት ልጆች ወልጃለው።ልጆቼን ወለድኳቸው እንጂ አላሳደኳቸውም።እኔ ዘመኔን ሁሉ ታጋይ ሆኜ ተለይቻቸው ነው የኖርኩት።ባለቤቴም በደርግ ለ10 ዓመት ታስራ ስለነበር ልጆቻችን ተገቢውን የወላጅ ክብካቤ አላገኙም ነበር »ሲሉ ይናገራሉ።

በወጣትነት ስህተት መስራታቸውን በትጥቅ ትግል እና በአብዮት መንግስት መጣል ዲሞክራሲያዊ ስርዓት መፍጠር እንደማያስችል ዘግይተው መረዳታቸውን በዚህ ምክንያት የትጥቅ ትግል እንቅስቃሴን መደገፍ ማቆማቸውን ይገልጻሉ።በምትኩ ወደዲሞክራሲ የሚወስዱ የሲቪልና የፖለቲካ ጥረቶችን መደገፍ ምርጫቸው መሆኑን ያወሳሉ።

አሁን ድረስ የዴሞክራሲ አቀንቃኝ በመሆን ለሀገር ይጠቅማል ያሉትን ሀሳብ በማዋጣት የሚታወቁት ኦቦ ሌንጮ፤ በሚሰጧቸው አስተያየቶች በአንዳንዶች ዘንድ አወዛጋቢ ቢባሉም ለአገር ይጠቅማል የሚሉትን ከማዋጣት ወደሗላ እንደማይሉ ይናገራሉ።

ኤፍ ኤም አዲስ 97.1 ሬዲዮ “ለተሻለ ነገ እናንብብ” በሚል በጀመረው የመቶ ቀናት ግድድር፤ ኦቦ ሌንጮ ለታም የምንጊዜም ምርጦቼ ናቸው ያሏቸውን መፅሐፍት እንደሚከተለው አሳውቀውናል።

1- War and Peace በሊዮ ቶሎስቶይ

2- Nineteen Eighty – Four በጆርጅ ኦርዌል

3- The Wretched of the Earth በፍራንቴዝ ፋኖን

April 15th is a significant date for the Oromo people, a day to honor the martyred heroes and renew commitment to achieving the goals for which they gave their lives.

The organized struggle of the Oromo people since the 1960s has culminated in the establishment of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)/ Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The Oromo have endured immense hardships and made great sacrifices in their fight against oppression.

April 15th has been chosen as Oromo Martyrs’ Day for a profound reason: on April 15, 1980, prominent leaders and founders of the OLF were martyred. These heroes, who played pivotal roles in initiating the armed struggle and establishing the Oromo Liberation Army, included the then front’s Chairman, Deputy Chairman, and nine other key military officers. They were all martyred in a tragic event in Shinnigga, Somalia in 1980 as they were heading to Somalia to search for support to the Oromo struggle.

The leaders were ambushed by Somali militants and were asked to separate by religion into Christians and Muslims, but the leaders insisted they were Oromos and would not divide by religion. The Somali militants murdered all of them.   

Less than a year after this tragic loss, on December 21, 1980, another 17 comrades, including a long time chairperson of the OLF who currently chairs the OLF that returned back to Ethiopia in 2018 and registered to conduct non-violent struggle, Jaal Daawud Ibsa, were poisoned and all except Dawid Ibsa were martyred in Gidamii, Western Oromia. These sacrifices left an indelible mark on the history and spirit of the Oromo struggle.

The Oromo Martyrs’ Day was first commemorated in 1984 by the then OLF Central Committee, and since 1985, it has been officially observed annually on April 15th. The day honors the memory of those who were martyred in the Somali Desert at Shinnigga on April 15, 1980, including:

1. Comrade Bariso Wabe (Jaal Magarsa Bari) – The then OLF Chairperson
2. Comrade Gada Gamada (Damise Tachane) – The then Deputy Chairperson of the OLF
3. Comrade Abba Xiqi (Aboma Mitiku)
4. Comrade Dori Bari (Yigazu Banti)
5. Comrade Falmata /Umar Chachabsa
6. Comrade Fafam Doyo
7. Comrade Irana Qachale (Dhinsa)
8. Comrade Dhadacho Boru
9. Comrade Dhadacho Mulata and
10. Comrade Mari Galan and
11. Another member whose name was not specified was a team guide and he was the only one escaped and told the story.

April 15th serves as a day to remember these leaders and all those who have sacrificed their lives in the Oromo struggle for freedom, sovereignty, and justice. Every year, as in the past, the Oromo people continue their fight for national freedom, country independence, and the rights of their people. Thousands of victims of this struggle will be remembered and honored in various special ceremonies on April 15.

Finally, the Oromo celebrate Oromo Martyrs’ Day with deep respect and gratitude, extending their solidarity and congratulations to comrades who are enduring hardships in prisons across the Ethiopian empire.

This year, the OLA launched a special offensive called Shinniga Oath Campaign (Dula Irbuu Shinnigga) against the imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This campaign is led by OLA’s high command Jaal Marro (Kumsa) Dirriba and other leaders. The campaign has weakened the ENDF such that the government has resorted to recruiting underage school children by force in Oromia. Among the victims are children under the age of 15 years.