Subtitle: The Brutal Abduction of Two Oromia Officials and a Crisis of Trust

A chilling Oromo proverb cuts to the heart of a profound societal betrayal: “Abiyootiin ilmaan ishii nyaachutti ceete fakkaata.” – “The hyena, having eaten her own children, licks her lips.”

This week, in West Hararge, this proverb ceased to be a metaphor and became a terrifying reality. In a brazen and cowardly act, two local administrators—the very figures entrusted with the safety and governance of their communities—were violently abducted from their own homes. Hassan Mahammad, Administrator of Odaa Bultum District, and Sufiyan Ahmad, Administrator of Habro District, were reportedly taken by armed men from their residences late on Saturday night. As of this report, their whereabouts remain unknown, and their fate is a source of agonizing dread for their families and constituents.

This is not merely a crime; it is a symbolic catastrophe. These men were not just officials; they were the embodiment of the local social contract. They were the points of contact between the people and the state, responsible for development, justice, and order. Their abduction from the sanctity of their homes sends a seismic shock through the very foundations of community trust. Who, then, is safe? If those appointed to protect can be so easily seized, what security exists for the ordinary farmer, teacher, or merchant?

The hyena of the proverb is an apt image for the perpetrators, whomever they may be. It represents a force that preys upon its own, that violates the most sacred bonds of protection and community. This act consumes the very social fabric it pretends to guard, leaving behind only trauma and a bitter taste of fear.

The deafening silence and lack of immediate resolution amplify the terror. The unknown is a weapon. The community is left suspended in a nightmare, caught between grief for their leaders and fear for their own futures. This event exposes a terrifying vulnerability and raises urgent, unanswerable questions about who holds power in the shadows, and to what brutal end.

We stand in solidarity with the families of Hassan Mahammad and Sufiyan Ahmad, and with the people of Odaa Bultum and Habro. We demand immediate and transparent action from all relevant authorities to secure their safe return. A community cannot be governed by the law of the jungle. The hyena must be exposed, driven out, and held to account. The lips of the predator must be stained not with satisfaction, but with the dust of defeat.

#BringThemHome #OdaaBultum #Habro #WestHararge #Oromia