Oromo Martyrs and Heroes Day Marked at ABO Headquarters in Gullalle
Hundreds gather to honor fallen heroes, raise banned flag, and renew calls for justice and peace on Ebla 15
By Daandii Ragabaa
GULLALLE, FINFINNE – April 15, 2026 (Ebla 15)
GULLALLE – Hundreds of Oromo men, women, and youth gathered today at the Head Office of the ABO (Arsi, Bale, Oromo organization) in the Gullalle district of Addis Ababa to observe Guyyaa Gootota Wareegamtoota Oromoo (Oromo Martyrs and Heroes Day), an annual commemoration held on Ebla 15 (April 15).
The event, which lasted from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, included a minute of silence for the fallen, the reading of hundreds of names of martyrs, cultural performances, and the raising of the Oromo flag – a symbol repeatedly banned in public spaces over the years. No violence or security incidents were reported.
The gathering was peaceful but emotionally charged. Attendees included elderly community members, mothers with young children, and large numbers of Qeerroo and Qarree (Oromo youth activists). Organizers described the event as a “people’s holiday” – not sanctioned by any government but observed annually by Oromo communities both inside Ethiopia and in the diaspora.
A banner at the venue read:
“Guyyaa Gootota Wareegamtoota Oromoo – Ebla 15, 2026 – Hin Irraanfatnu. Hin Lolti Dhaabnu.”
(Translation: “Oromo Martyrs and Heroes Day – We will not forget. We will not stop struggling.”)
One of the most powerful moments came when a list of martyrs’ names was read aloud. The names included individuals killed in protests between 2014 and 2026, as well as historical figures from the 19th century. After each name, the crowd responded in unison: “Nu jirra. Hin irraanfatne.” (“We are here. We have not forgotten.”)
An elderly woman, who identified herself only as the mother of a son killed in 2018, held up a faded photograph and told the crowd: “I did not come to speak. I came to show you his face. Do not let his memory die.”
At exactly 12:00 noon, two young women raised the Oromo flag at the ABO compound. The flag – which has been banned at various times in modern Ethiopian history – flew for approximately three hours before being lowered and stored in a wooden box.
Witnesses described an elderly man falling to his knees as the flag rose, weeping and saying: “Forgive us. We are still fighting. We have not given up.”
A senior ABO official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, delivered the keynote address. He outlined five core values that he said Oromo martyrs died for:
- Nageenya (Justice / Peace / Well-being)
- Misooma (Development)
- Badhaadhina (Progress)
- Dimokiraasii (Democracy)
- Nagaa (True Peace / Safety)
“These five words are not decorations,” the speaker said. “They are debts. Our heroes paid with their lives. We must pay with our actions.”
The newspaper spoke with several attendees:
Bontu, 23, university student:
“I was not born when many of these heroes died. But I carry their names in my phone. I read them every morning.”
Jirenya, 58, farmer (traveled three hours by bus):
“My brother was killed in 2015. No one was arrested. No one apologized. Today, I am his memory.”
Marga, 19, high school student:
“The next heroes are not dead yet. They are standing right here.”
Hundessa, 72, retired teacher:
“Each year, there are new names. That breaks my heart. But each year, there are also new young faces. That gives me hope.”
Ebla 15 (which corresponds to April 15 in the Gregorian calendar) has become a significant date in Oromo collective memory. While not recognized as an official public holiday by the Ethiopian government, it is widely observed by Oromo communities as a day to honor both historical figures (including 19th-century horseback warriors who fought colonialism) and contemporary martyrs killed in protests and political violence.
The ABO (Arsi, Bale, Oromo – a prominent Oromo civil society and cultural organization) has organized commemorative events on Ebla 15 for several years, though the scale and location have varied due to security constraints.
A visible but low-key security presence was observed in areas surrounding Gullalle throughout the day. No arrests or confrontations were reported. The event ended peacefully at approximately 3:00 PM, after a collective vow in which attendees raised their right hands and recited a pledge to continue the struggle for justice, democracy, and peace.
Organizers declined to provide an official estimate of crowd size, but eyewitnesses placed attendance between 300 and 500 people.
As of press time, the Ethiopian government had not issued an official statement regarding the commemoration.
The ceremony concluded with the Oromo anthem sung by the entire crowd, followed by a slow dispersal. Many attendees lingered to take photographs with the flag and exchange contact information for future organizing.
A young Qeerroo shouted as the crowd began to leave: “Ebla 15 next year – where will we be?”
The crowd responded: “Stronger! More! Free!”
“Paartiyyoon Morkattuu kaadhimamtoota Mootummaa Egeree Ti,” Nebiha Muhammad, Hoogganaa Komiyuunikeeshinii Na’Ephaa
Finfinnee – Paartiyyoon morkitootaa akka kaadhimamtoota mootummaa filatamaa biyyaa bulchuuf dirqama qabanitti bakka bu’aniitti, haala biyyaa bulchuuf guutummaatti mijeesseen socho’uu qabu jedhanii dhaabbata Walabummaa fi Walqixxummaa (Na’Ephaa) hoogganaa komiyuunikeeshinii dubartii Nebiha Muhammad ibsan.
Hoogganaan kun gaaffii fi deebii Gazeta Plus wajjin godhan keessatti, filannoo biyyaaleessaa 7ffaa kan biyya keenya keessatti gaggeeffamuuf jiruuf waayee dubbachaa turaniin, paartiyyoon morkitootaa itti gaafatamummaa biyyaaleessaa qaban irraa ka’uun, Na’Ephaan imaammataa fi karoora adda addaa qopheeffatee biyya bulchuuf qophii bal’aa godhate jira jedhan.
Qophii Bulchaa Mijeessuu
Nebiha akka jedhanitti, paartichi biyya cimaa fi mootumma cimaa ijaaruuf hojiin manaatti dalagamuutti jiraachaa jira. “Paartiyyoon morkituu kaadhimamtoota mootummaa filatamaa biyya bulchuuf qooda fudhachuu barbaadanii dha. Kanaafuu, haala biyya bulchuuf guutummaatti mijeesseen socho’uu qabu,” jedhaniin ibsan.
Na’Ephaan, akka jedhanitti, paartiin isaanii imaammataa fi karoora adda addaa qopheeffachuun biyya bulchuuf qophii bal’aa godhateera. Paartichi hojiin isaa akka paartii morkituutti mormii qofa utuu hin taane, akka paartii biyya bulchuu barbaadduutti of qopheessuu fi akka kaadhimamaa mootummaa egeree bakka bu’uu isaa mirkaneessuun jira jedhan.
Kaayyoo Filannoo 7ffaa
Hoogganaan komiyuunikeeshinii Na’Ephaa akka ibsanitti, paartichi filannoo biyyaaleessaa 7ffaa keessatti akkaataa seeraatimaa:
- Mana Marumaa Biyyaa (Paarlaama) keessatti Sagalee 100 ol
- Mana Marumaa Naannoo keessatti Sagalee 200 ol
argachuuf kaayyoo qabaatee hojiirra jira. Kunis, akka isaan ibsanitti, humni paartichaa fi amantii uummanni itti qabu mul’isa.
Tumsa Sirna Mootummaa Daldala Paartii
Hoogganaan kun akka ibsanitti, Na’Ephaan filannoo kana keessatti sagalee paarlaamaa hunda mo’achuu ni barbaadu. Kunis, akka isaan ibsanitti, fedhii cimaa sirni mootummaa daldala paartii biyya keessatti haa jiraatu jedhanii qaban irraa kan ka’e.
“Paarlaamaan bakki sagalee tokkoo utuu hin taane, bakka fedhaa fi sagaleen addaddaa itti mariyatan kan dimokraasii ta’uu qaba,” jedhaniin ibsan.
Akkasumas, paarlaamaan bakka sagaleen addaddaa itti dhaga’aman, murtoonni itti fudhataman fi dimokraasiin biyya keessatti itti cimsu ta’uu qaba jedhan.
Ijaarsi Bu’uuraalee Dimokraasii fi Hiikkaa Guddinaa
Nebiha akka ibsanitti, ijaarsi bu’uuraalee dimokraasii fi bal’ina naannoo siyaasaa biyya tokkoo guddina isheef bu’uura guddaa dha. Paartiyyoon morkitootaa hojiilee siyaasaa isaanii yeroo hojjatan, kuni guddina biyyaaf gumaacha guddaa ta’a jedhaniin ibsan.
“Bu’uuraalee dimokraasii ijaaruun fi bal’inni naannoo siyaasaa guddina biyyaaf murteessaadha. Paartiyyoon mormii hojiilee siyaasaa isaanii yeroo hojjatan, kaayyoo kanaaf gumaacha guddaa qaba,” jedhaniin ibsan.
Mul’ata Egeree
Na’Ephaan filannoo biyyaaleessaa 7ffaa kanatti akka paartii morkituutti mormii qofatti utuu hin taane, akka kaadhimamaa mootummaa egereetti of qopheessuun yeroo kana keessa jirti. Paartichi imaammataa fi karoora adda addaa qopheeffachuun, kaayyoo filannoo qabaachuun fi sirni mootummaa daldala paartii biyya keessatti jiraachuu qaba jechuun tumsuun, iddoo isaa siyaasa biyyaa keessatti cimisuu barbaadu.
Hoogganaan komiyuunikeeshinii Na’Ephaa akka ibsanitti, “Paartiyyoon morkitootaa mormii itti gaafatamummaa biyyaaleessaa qabu. Hojiilee siyaasaa isaanii yeroo hojjatan, guddina biyyaaf gumaacha guddaa qaba” jedhan.
Gabaasti kun gaaffii fi deebii Gazeta Plus Ad Nebiha Muhammad, hoogganaa komiyuunikeeshinii Na’Ephaa wajjin godhe irraa kan qopheeffamedha.
“ተፎካካሪ ፓርቲዎች ዕጩ መንግሥት ናቸው” የነእፓ ኮሙኒኬሽን ኃላፊ ነቢሃ መሀመድ አስታወቁ
አዲስ አበባ – ተፎካካሪ ፓርቲዎች ሀገሪቱን ለመምራት የተሰለፉ ዕጩ መንግሥታት በመሆናቸው፣ በሁሉም የአመራር ዘርፍ ሀገርን ለማስተዳደር በሚያስችል ቁመና ላይ ሆነው መንቀሳቀስ እንደሚገባቸው የነጻነትና እኩልነት ፓርቲ (ነእፓ) የኮሙኒኬሽን ኃላፊ ወይዘሮ ነቢሃ መሀመድ ገለጹ።
ኃላፊዋ ለሚቀጥለው 7ኛው ጠቅላላ ሀገራዊ ምርጫ ምክንያት በማድረግ ከጋዜጣ ፕላስ ጋር ባደረጉት ቆይታ፣ ተፎካካሪ ፓርቲዎች በሀገራዊ ኃላፊነት መሠረት ነእፓ የተለያዩ ፖሊሲዎችና ስትራቴጂዎችን በመቅረጽ ሀገርን ለማስተዳደር የሚያስችል ሰፊ ዝግጅት ማድረጉን ጠቁመዋል።
ዕጩ መንግሥት መሆን ያስጠይቀው ዝግጅት
ወይዘሮ ነቢሃ እንዳሉት፣ ተፎካካሪ ፓርቲዎች የሀገሪቱን መሪነት ለመረከብ የሚወዳደሩ ዕጩ መንግሥታት ናቸው። ስለዚህም በማንኛውም የአገር ጉዳይ ላይ ሀገርን መምራት በሚያስችላቸው የብቃት ደረጃ ላይ ቆመው መስራት ይጠበቅባቸዋል።
“ፓርቲዎች ከምርጫ ቀን በፊት ራሳቸውን እንደ ዕጩ መንግሥት ማዘጋጀት አለባቸው” ያሉት ኃላፊዋ፣ ነእፓ ይህን ግንዛቤ በመያዝ ረጅም ጊዜ ሲሰራ እንደቆየ ገልጸዋል።
ፓርቲው ጠንካራ ሀገርና ጽኑ መንግሥት ለመገንባት የሚያስችሉ የቤት ሥራዎችን እያከናወነ መቆየቱን ጠቅሰው፣ ይህም ከዘመቻ ባሻገር ከሥልጣን ተሸካሚነት ጋር የተያያዙ መሠረታዊ ጉዳዮችን ያካተተ ነው ብለዋል።
በምርጫው ላይ የተቀመጠ ግብ
የነእፓ ኮሙኒኬሽን ኃላፊ እንዳስታወቁት፣ ፓርቲው በሚቀጥለው 7ኛው ሀገር አቀፍ ምርጫ ላይ ከፍተኛ ግቦችን አስቀምጧል። ፓርቲው በፌዴራል ፓርላማ ከ100 በላይ፣ በክልል ምክር ቤቶች ደግሞ ከ200 በላይ ወንበሮችን ለማግኘት ግብ አስቀምጦ እየሰራ ነው።
ኃላፊዋ እንዳሉት፣ እነዚህ ግቦች የሚያንፀባርቁት የፓርቲውን ድርጅታዊ አቅም እድገትና የሕዝብ ድጋፍ ላይ ያለውን እምነት ነው።
የመድብለ ፓርቲ ሥርዓት ግንባታ
ወይዘሮ ነቢሃ አንድ ጉልህ ነጥብ አንስተዋል። ፓርቲው በምርጫው ሁሉንም የፓርላማ ወንበሮች ለማሸነፍ እንደማይፈልግ ገልጸዋል። ይህ አቋም፣ በሀገሪቱ የመድብለ ፓርቲ ሥርዓት እንዲጠናከር ካለው ጽኑ ፍላጎት የተነሳ ነው ብለዋል።
“ፓርላማ የአንድ ወጥ ድምፅ ማስተጋቢያ ሳይሆን የብዙኃን ሐሳቦችና ድምፆች የሚንሸራሸሩበት የዲሞክራሲ መድረክ መሆን አለበት” ሲሉ አብራርተዋል።
የፓርቲው አቋም ለረጅም ጊዜ የሀገሪቱን ዲሞክራሲ ማጠናከር እንጂ የአጭር ጊዜ የምርጫ ድል ብቻ ላይ ያተኮረ እንዳልሆነ ጠቁመዋል።
የዲሞክራሲ ተቋማት ግንባታ ለሀገር ዕድገት
ኃላፊዋ በቀጣይነትም፣ የዲሞክራሲ ተቋማት ግንባታና ሰፊ የፖለቲካ ምኅዳር ለአንድ ሀገር ዕድገት ወሳኝ መሆናቸውን አስረድተዋል።
“ተፎካካሪ ፓርቲዎች በየጊዜው የሚያከናውኗቸው የፖለቲካ ተግባራት ለዚህ ግብ መሳካት ከፍተኛ ሚና አላቸው” ሲሉ አስረድተዋል።
የፓርቲዎች እንቅስቃሴ፣ የፖሊሲ ቅረጽ፣ ሕዝብን የማሳተፍ ሥራዎች ዲሞክራሲን ከማጠናከር አንፃር የራሳቸው ፋይዳ እንዳላቸው ገልጸዋል።
ወደፊት ትኩረት
ነእፓ ለሚቀጥለው ሀገራዊ ምርጫ ያላት ዝግጅት ከዘመቻ በላይ መሆኑን አመላካች ነው። ፓርቲው ራሱን እንደ ዕጩ መንግሥት በማዘጋጀት፣ ከምርጫ በኋላ ያለውን የአመራር ኃላፊነት ለመወጣት የሚያስችል የቤት ሥራ እየሰራ ነው።
ወይዘሮ ነቢሃ በማጠቃለያው፣ “ተፎካካሪ ፓርቲዎች የሚያከናውኗቸው የፖለቲካ ተግባራት ለሀገር ዕድገት መሠረታዊ ናቸው” በማለት አጠንቅቀው ተናግረዋል።
ይህ ዘገባ የነጻነትና እኩልነት ፓርቲ (ነእፓ) የኮሙኒኬሽን ኃላፊ ወይዘሮ ነቢሃ መሀመድ ከጋዜጣ ፕላስ ጋር ባደረጉት ቆይታ ላይ ተመስርቶ የቀረበ ነው።
ፎቶ፦ ልጅዓለም ፍቅሬ
Jireenya Qabsoo fi Tajaajilaa: Kitaabni Obbo Yonaattaan Dhibbisaa Seedaan Qophaa’e Dubbisamuuf Jira
Finfinnee – Kitaabni jireenya fi imala siyaasaa obbo Yonaattaan Dhibbisaa Seedaa, miseensa hundeessaa fi hogganaa koree giddu galeessaa duraanii Dhaabbata Dimokiraatawaa Ummatoota Oromoo (OPDO) ta’an, guyyaa Ebla 4, 2026 gaaraa Hoteela Giyoon irratti sa’aatii 7:00 Waaree booda calaqqisiifama.
Obbo Yonaattaan Dhibbisaa namoota siyaasaa Oromoo keessatti beekamoo fi ulfina qabaniin tokko yoo ta’u, kitaabni kun imala isaanii waggaa 17 ol tajaajila biyyaa, qabsoo bilisummaa, fi hooggansa mootummaa keessatti qaban ifa godha.
Qabsoo Bilisummaa keessatti Hooggansaa
Obbo Yonaattaan Dhibbisaa utuu siyaasicha hin seenin dura, Waraana Bilisummaa Oromoo (WBO) keessatti hogganaa ta’anii waggaa 17 ol tajaajilanii jiru. Imala siyaasaa isaanii keessatti, gara Eriteraa hanga Egypt deemuun hooggansa waraanaa keessatti qooda fudhataniiru.
Bara Gumuz, Godina Wallagga Bahaa keessatti Aanaalee Gidda fi Kiiramuu seenuun uummata Oromoo duguugaa turte qaamaan lolee lolchiisuun seenaa yoomillee hin dagatamne katabaniiru. Yeroo sanatti hooggansi isaanii fi dhiibeenna qaamaa isaanii akka jiraataa jireenya uummataa eeguuf godhan kun, amma illee kan hin dagatamne seenaa keessatti jira.
Hooggansa Siyaasaa fi Tajaajila Mootumma
Obbo Yonaattaan Dhibbisaa miseensa hundeessaa fi hogganaa koree giddu galeessaa OPDO ta’anii tajaajilanii, booddees mootummaa naannoo Oromiyaa keessatti iddoo itti gaafatamaa adda addaa qabaniiru. Isaan keessaa:
- Ajajaa Hunma Dafee Qaqqabaa Oromiyaa
- Ministeera Ministeera Haqaa Oromiyaa
ta’uun tajaajilaniiru. Tajaajilli isaanii kun jijjiirrama siyaasaa Oromiyaa keessatti iddoo guddaa qaba.
Jireenya Dhuunfaa fi Guyyaa Eebbicha
Boodarra wayyaanen aangoo gadi dhiisuu hordofee gara biyyaa galuun, obbo Yonaattaan amma jireenya dhuunfaa isaanii irratti xiyyeeffatanii jiraachaa jiru. Kitaabni kun, kan qophaa’e yeroo kana keessatti, hubannoo cimaa imala siyaasaa isaanii, muuxannoo dhuunfaa isaanii fi mul’ata egeree isaanii irraa akka qooddatamuuf.
Warra gaggeessummaa, qabsoo, fi jijjiirrama hawaasaa irratti fedhii qabaniif kitaabni kun gatii guddaa qaba. Seenaa isaanii keessatti barumsi jiru, dhaloota haaraa siyaasa Oromoo keessatti hordofuu barbaadanis ni gargaara.
“Yoo Namni Seenaa Dagate, Seenaan Nama Hin Dagatu”
Dhaamsi sirni eebbichaa ni jedha:
“Yoo namni seenaa dagate, seenaan nama hin dagatu.”
Kunis faayidaa kitaaba kanaa fi haala kitaabni kun jireenya tokkoo keessaa barumsi, cimina fi ofittoo itti fudhachuun jireenya biyyaa keessatti qabu mul’isa.
Eebbi Kitaabichaa
- Guyyaa: Ebla 4, 2026
- Bakka: Hoteela Giyoon, Finfinnee
- Sa’aatii: 7:00 Waaree booda
- Afuura: Namni hundi kabajamaan affeerama.
Dhaamsa kana namoota hundaaf qoodaa!
የትግልና የአገልግሎት መንገድ፦ የአቶ ዮናታን ድብሳ ሴዳ የሕይወት ታሪክ በመጽሐፍ ቅንብር ሊነበብ ነው
አዲስ አበባ – በኦሮሚያ ክልል ፖለቲካ መስክ ጉልህ ሚና የተጫወቱት፣ የኦሮሞ ሕዝቦች ዴሞክራሲያዊ ድርጅት (ኦሕዴድ) መሥረታ አባል እና የማዕከላዊ ኮሚቴ አመራር የነበሩት አቶ ዮናታን ድብሳ ሴዳ የሕይወት ጉዞ በመጽሐፍ ቀርቧል።
“የሕይወት ተሞክሮና ራዕይ” በሚል መጠሪያ የተዘጋጀው ይኸው መጽሐፍ በሚቀጥለው ሚያዝያ 4 ቀን 2026 በአዲስ አበባ ግዮን ሆቴል ከምሽቱ ፯ ሰዓት ላይ በሚካሄድ ልዩ ዝግጅት ለንባብ ይበቃል።
መጽሐፉ በሕዝብ አገልግሎት፣ በትጥቅ ትግል እንዲሁም በከፍተኛ የአመራር ሃላፊነት ያሳለፉትን ዓመታት የሚዳስስ ሲሆን ለታሪክ አፍቃሪዎች፣ ለወጣት ትውልድ እንዲሁም ለማኅበራዊ ለውጥ ፍላጎት ላላቸው ሁሉ ጠቃሚ መረጃዎችን ይዟል።
ከትጥቅ ትግል እስከ ከፍተኛ አመራር
አቶ ዮናታን ድብሳ በፖለቲካ መስክ ከመሳተፋቸው ቀደም ብለው ለረጅም ዓመታት በኦሮሞ ነጻነት ሠራዊት (ኦነሠ) ውስጥ አመራር ሆነው አገልግለዋል። ከኤርትራ እስከ ግብጽ ባለው ሰፊ ግዛት ውስጥ በመንቀሳቀስ ከ፲፯ ዓመታት በላይ በትጥቅ ትግሉ ውስጥ ቆይተዋል።
በቤንሻንጉል ጉሙዝ ክልል በምሥራቅ ወለጋ ዞን ጊዳ እና ኪራሙ ወረዳዎች ኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ከከፋ ጥቃት ሲደርስበት በነበረበት ወቅት በአካል ተገኝተው የሕዝቡን መከላከያ በማደራጀት ከፍተኛ ሚና ተጫውተዋል። ይህ የሕይወታቸው ምዕራፍ በትግሉ ታሪክ ውስጥ ዘላቂ አሻራ አሳርፏል።
ከኦሕዴድ መሥረት እስከ ሚኒስቴር ማዕረግ
የኦሮሞ ሕዝቦች ዴሞክራሲያዊ ድርጅት (ኦሕዴድ) መመሥረት ላይ በቀጥታ ከተሳተፉት መካከል አንዱ የሆኑት አቶ ዮናታን፣ በድርጅቱ ውስጥ የማዕከላዊ ኮሚቴ አባል እና አመራር ሆነው ሰርተዋል።
በኦሮሚያ ክልል መንግሥት ውስጥም ከከፍተኛ የደህንነት ሃላፊነት ጀምሮ እስከ ፍትሕ ሚኒስቴር ሚኒስትርነት ድረስ በተለያዩ የኃላፊነት ደረጃዎች አገልግለዋል።
ከሥልጣን በኋላ
ከረጅም ዓመታት የሕዝብ አገልግሎት በኋላ፣ አቶ ዮናታን ሥልጣንን በፈቃደኝነት ለቀው ወደ ግል ሕይወት ተመልሰዋል። በዚህ ወቅት ደግሞ የራሳቸውን የሕይወት ተሞክሮ፣ የፖለቲካ እንቅስቃሴ ግንዛቤ እና የወደፊቱን ራዕይ በመጽሐፍ መልክ ለትውልድ ማስተላለፍ ላይ ትኩረት ሰጥተው ቆይተዋል።
ለምን ይህ መጽሐፍ?
የዝግጅቱ አዘጋጆች እንደሚሉት፣ ይህ መጽሐፍ ለወጣቶች እና ለመጪው ትውልድ ከትግል፣ ከቁርጠኝነት እና ከአገልግሎት ጋር ተያይዘው ሊጠና የሚገቡ ትምህርቶችን ይዟል።
“የሕዝብ ታሪክ ካልተዘከረ፣ ታሪክ ሕዝቡን አይረሳውም” በሚል ሀሳብ የተዘጋጀው ይህ መጽሐፍ ትውልዱን ከራሱ ታሪክ ጋር ለማገናኘት ያለመ ነው።
የመጽሐፉ የምርቃት ሥነ ሥርዓት ለሕዝብ ክፍት የሚሆን ሲሆን፣ አዘጋጆቹ መጽሐፉን ማንበብ ለሚፈልጉ፣ የአመራርና የታሪክ አፍቃሪ ለሆኑ ሁሉ ይህን ጥሪ አስተላልፈዋል።
የዝግጅቱ ዝርዝር መረጃ፦
- ዝግጅት፦ የአቶ ዮናታን ድብሳ ዳ መጽሐፍ ምርቃት
- ቀን፦ ሚያዝያ 4 ቀን 2026
- ሰዓት፦ ከምሽቱ 7 ሰዓት (ከምሽቱ ፩ ሰዓት)
- ቦታ፦ ግዮን ሆቴል፣ አዲስ አበባ
- መግቢያ፦ ለሁሉም ክፍት
Manneen Murtii Aadaa: Bu’uura Nageenyaafi Tokkummaa Hawaasaa Cimsuu Keessatti Gahee Ol’aanaa Qabu
Ummanni Oromoo seenaa dheeraa keessa sirna haqaa aadaa isaaniitti bu’uureffate kan jaarrolii fi hayyoonni aadaa geggeessan qabu. Manneen Murtii Aadaa kunis gahee guddaa taphachuun nageenya hawaasaa eeguufi waldhabdee hawaasaa hiikuu keessatti hirmaatu.
OROMIYA — Manneen Murtii Aadaa Oromoo sirna haqaa hawaasaa keessatti aadaa fi duudhaa irratti hundaa’ee rakkoo ummataa hiikuun nageenya hawaasaa tiksuu keessatti gahee guddaa qabu. Rakkoolee akka walitti bu’iinsa maatii, walitti bu’iinsa ollaa fi hawaasa gidduutti uumaman karaa araaraa fi marii irratti hundaa’een furmaata kennu.
Sirni kun akka adda addummaatti yeroo fi baasii guddaa osoo hin gaafatin dhimmoota ykn waldhabdee hiikuun hariiroo hawaasaa akka hin diigamne godha. Kunis hawaasni nagaa fi tasgabbiin jiraachuu danda’u.
Bu’uurri Isaa Aadaa fi Duudhaa
Manneen Murtii Aadaa sirna haqaa kan aadaa fi duudhaa Oromoo irratti hundaa’een hojjetu yoo ta’u, kaayyoon isaa ijoon waldhabdee furuun nagaa fi tokkummaa hawaasaa eeguudha. Sirni kun hariiroo hawaasaa cimsuufi walitti bu’iinsa garaagaraa furuuf karaa salphaa fi hawaasatti dhihoo ta’e uuma.
Jaarsoliin biyyaa fi hayyoonni aadaa kanneen beekumsaafi muuxannoo dhaloota darbe irraa argatan fayyadamuun dhimmoota hawaasaa hiikuun duudhaa sana dhaloota darbee gara fulduraatti dabarsuuf gargaaru.
Gahee Jaarsolii fi Hayyoota Aadaa
Manneen Murtii Aadaa keessatti gaheen jaarsolii biyyaa fi hayyoota aadaa baay’ee murteessaadha. Isaan kunneen beekumsa isaanii fi muuxannoo jireenyaa fayyadamuun waldhabdee furuuf qofa osoo hin taane, hawaasa keessatti nagaa fi tokkummaa cimsuuf hojjetu.
Jaarsoliin kunneen aadaa, duudhaa fi seera Oromoo beekanii rakkoo hawaasaa hiikuun dhaloota darbee fi kan fulduraa gidduutti walitti hidhaa uumu. Akkasumas, isaan dhaloota dargaggootaaf fakkeenya ta’uun amala gaarii fi kabaja hawaasaa barsiisu.
Furmaata Araaraa fi Marii Irratti Hundaa’e
Manneen Murtii Aadaa adabbii irratti utuu hin hundoofne, araara fi marii irratti hundaa’ee waldhabdee furuuf yaala. Kun immoo ossoo walitti bu’iinsa cimsuu fi diiguu utuu hin taane, walitti araarsee nageenya hawaasaa eeguuf gargaara.
Sirni kun hawaasa keessatti hariiroo gaarii uumuufi walitti dhufeenya cimsuuf gumaacha guddaa qaba. Waldhabdee yeroo kana furmaata argatu, namoonni walitti bu’an walitti araaramuun akka turan taasisa.
Aadaa Dhaloota Darbee Bulchuufi Kan Fulduraa Ijaaru
Manneen Murtii Aadaa sirna haqaa aadaa Oromoo kan dhaloota darbee irraa dhaalan yoo ta’u, kunis dhaloota har’aafi kan fulduraatiif bu’uura guddaa ta’a. Sirni kun duudhaa Oromoo jiraachisuun akka inni hin dagatamneefi dhaloota itti aanuuf akka dabarfamu godha.
Dhaloonni dargaggoon Manneen Murtii Aadaa keessatti hirmaachuun aadaa fi duudhaa isaanii baratu. Kunis eenyummaa Oromoo cimsuufi seenaa isaanii akka hin daganne gochuuf gumaacha guddaa qaba.
Nageenya, Waliigaltee fi Tokkummaa Hawaasaa Cimsuu
Manneen Murtii Aadaa nageenya, waliigaltee fi tokkummaa hawaasaa cimsuun sirna haqaa hawaasaaf dhihoo ta’e ijaaruufi duudhaa Oromoo ganamaatti deebi’uu keessatti shoora olaanaa qabu. Sirni kun hawaasa keessatti nagaa fi tasgabbiin akka jiraatu gochuun bu’uura guddaa ta’a.
Hawaasni nagaa fi tokkummaan jiraatu, guddinaa fi misooma argachuuf carraa qaba. Manneen Murtii Aadaa kunis bu’uura kana cimsuuf hojjetu.
Guddina Sirna Murtii Aadaa Oromoo
Manneen Murtii Aadaa Oromoo akka qaama sirna haqaa hawaasaa Oromootti fudhatama argachuufi cimsuuf hojiin itti fufaa jira. Sirni kun akka aadaa Oromootti eegamuufi dhaloota itti aanuuf dabarfamuuf yaaliiwwan garaagaraa godhaa jira.
Dabalataan, sirni kun sirna haqaa kan ammayyaa wajjin walitti hidhamee hojjechuu danda’a. Kunis hawaasni haqa aadaa fi haqa ammayyaa walitti maksee argachuu danda’a.
Gabaabaatti
Manneen Murtii Aadaa Oromoo bu’uura nageenyaa fi tokkummaa hawaasaa cimsuu keessatti gahee ol’aanaa qabu. Sirni kun aadaa fi duudhaa Oromoo eeguun dhaloota darbee kan fulduraatiif dabarsuun nagaa fi tasgabbiin hawaasaa akka jiraatu godha.
Kanaafuu, Manneen Murtii Aadaa kunis sirna haqaa hawaasaa keessatti bakka murteessaa qabaachuu isaa hubachuun, isaan cimsuufi eeguun dirqama keenya. Jaarsolii biyyaa fi hayyoonni aadaa hirmaachisanii hojjechuun isaanii hawaasa keenyaaf bu’uura guddaa ta’a.
Hub: Suurawwan gubbaatti mul’atan suuraa muraasa manneen Murtii Aadaa Oromiyaa keessatti argaman keessaa muraasatu fudhatame. Isaanis Manneen Murtii Aadaa jiranii fi hojiirra jiran agarsiisu. 🤝
Oromiyaa #MurtiiAadaa #NageenyaHawaasaa #Tokkummaa #JaarsoliiBiyyaa #AadaaOromoo #DuudhaaOromoo #AraaraFiMarii
Abbabach Gobena:The Woman Who Became a Mother to Millions Orphanage and beyond.
From the pain of famine to a lifetime of compassion — the remarkable journey of the Ethiopian woman known as Africa’s Mother Teresa, who gave hope, dignity, and a future to more than a million orphaned children.
Abbabach Gobena – The Mother Teresa of Africa lost her father during the period of the Italian occupation of Abyssinia/ Ethiopia/. At the age of ten, she was forced into marriage. Refusing to accept a life decided for her, she fled and made her way to Finfine /Addis Ababa/. In the city she struggled to rebuild her life, pursued her education with determination, and eventually secured a stable job.
Abbabach was a woman of deep faith. Her spiritual life guided her actions and shaped her character. She loved God deeply and placed great trust in her faith. During the Derg era, around 1980, she undertook a spiritual pilgrimage to Gishen Mariam, one of Ethiopia’s most sacred religious sites.
After completing the pilgrimage and beginning her journey back to Addis Ababa, she passed through Wollo, which at the time was suffering from a devastating famine. What she witnessed there changed the direction of her life forever.
She saw people dying from hunger. Families had been destroyed by starvation, and countless children had been left without parents. Among the heartbreaking scenes she encountered was a small child trying to breastfeed from his mother who had already died from hunger. The child, unaware of death, was still desperately searching for milk from a lifeless body of his mother.
When Abbabach saw this scene, she was deeply shaken. She could not walk away. Overcome with compassion, she picked up the child and took him with her. At that moment, the only thing she possessed was a small bottle of holy water she had brought from Gishen. Yet despite having almost nothing, she made a life-changing decision. She began caring for children who had lost their parents to famine and hardship.
Abbabach started raising orphaned children with whatever means she could find. She worked tirelessly, taking on different kinds of labor to support them. Within just one year, she had already taken in 21 children.
What began as a single act of compassion gradually grew into a lifelong mission. Over the course of her life, Abbabach Gobena went on to rescue, support, and educate more than 1.5 million children. She helped them grow, receive education, and become self-reliant members of society.
Today, her extraordinary life continues to inspire people across Ethiopia and beyond. In honor of her legacy, a film titled “Adaraa Abbabach” has been produced to tell the story of this remarkable woman who became a mother to millions. Plans are also underway to establish a hospital bearing her name so that her service to humanity may continue in new forms.
The name Abbabach Gobena has become a symbol of compassion, faith, honesty and sacrifice.Yet remembering her name alone is not enough. The greatest tribute to her life is to continue the work she began — caring for the vulnerable, protecting children, and standing with those in need.
This week we renew our commitment to the legacy of Abbabach Gobena. By learning about the work done in her name and contributing in whatever way we can, we carry forward the promise she made through her life.
May God help us succeed in continuing her mission.
Exclusive: Prosperity Party Officials Accused of Colluding with Security Forces to Thwart Opposition in Oromia Ahead of June Elections
FINFINNE – With less than three months until Ethiopia’s seventh general elections, scheduled for June 1, 2026, the political atmosphere in the Oromia region is becoming increasingly charged. Sources within several zones and districts have revealed to local media that officials from the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) are moving secretly through communities, allegedly instructing party and security bodies to disrupt opposition activities.
According to accounts collected from residents in multiple districts, PP leaders at the zonal and district level are holding undisclosed meetings with security apparatuses. These sources claim that directives have been issued to monitor and crack down on political rivals rather than allowing them to campaign freely.
“People in our districts and zones are not speaking out,” one resident told a local reporter on condition of anonymity. “They told us in secret that directives are being given to party and security offices to work against us. They are using the election as a cover while they try to move through Oromia to stir up trouble and spy on opposition activities.”
The informants specifically identified concerns regarding the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Community members expressed that while they have no issue with the OLF contesting elections peacefully, they oppose the idea of the party using the electoral process as a pretext for movement and mobilization across the region under the current circumstances.
“If the OLF wants to compete, let them do so like they do in Addis Ababa, but campaigning inside Oromia is a concern for our party,” a source quoted local PP hardliners as arguing. “But now they are moving through the zones and entering districts. If they are not allowed to compete, it is very worrying. Therefore, we need to follow their movements and take action preemptively.”
These allegations point to a strategy of preemptive disruption, with reports suggesting that regional officials are coordinating with unspecified parties to monitor and counter the opposition’s reach into rural constituencies.
The claims come amid a backdrop of severe political fragmentation and security concerns. Analysts note that the Oromia region, which holds the largest number of parliamentary seats (178 seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives and 537 in the regional council) , remains a volatile battleground. The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) insurgency continues in several zones, including East and West Wollega, rendering large areas insecure and complicating logistical preparations for the vote.
Opposition parties have long argued that the playing field is tilted. The Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) has previously stated that participating in elections while its leaders are imprisoned or under threat would be “politics over the graves of its people” . In a joint statement issued late last year, a coalition of ten opposition parties, including the OLF and OFC, warned that proceeding without “enabling conditions”—such as the release of political prisoners, the reopening of party offices, and guarantees of freedom of movement—would result in a “sham democracy”.
The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has cleared over 60 political parties to contest and approved 45 domestic observer groups . However, logistical and security hurdles remain daunting. A recent report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) highlighted that freedom of movement is “under siege” in multiple regions, with roadblocks, ambushes, and curfews making it nearly impossible for civilians and candidates to move safely—a prerequisite for any credible election.
“The NEBE must evolve from a mere administrator of rules to a courageous facilitator of political consensus,” wrote Sultan Kassim, an OFC official, in a recent analysis. “An election that is boycotted or only symbolically contested will not resolve Ethiopia’s deep-seated political questions. It will exacerbate them.”.
The residents who spoke out warn that the alleged collusion between party officials and security forces threatens to undermine the will of the Oromo people. “We send a message of brotherhood to everyone holding onto their Oromo identity in the zones and districts,” a resident pleaded. “Do not accept these directives they are giving you. Do not let them drag you into committing a crime against your own people.”
As the June 1 polling date approaches , the credibility of the election hangs in the balance. The combination of active insurgencies, restricted civic space, and deepening distrust between the ruling party and opposition forces suggests that without urgent corrective measures, the 2026 vote may struggle to confer legitimacy or unify the nation.
Commentary: Of Elders, Apologies, and the Weight of Generational Debt
By Daandii Oromia
There is a photograph circulating on social media this week. In it, a young man sits at the feet of elders. His head is bowed slightly. The elders regard him with the mixture of suspicion and tenderness that only old men can muster when they look at the young.
The man is Habtamu Lamu. And he has done something remarkable: he has apologised.
“I represent my generation,” he wrote. “I have asked forgiveness from our elders.”
It is a simple act. But in a cultural landscape where elders are too often dismissed as obstacles rather than honoured as anchors, it carries the weight of centuries.
The weight of what was taken
Habtamu’s apology was not generic. It was directed specifically at those who carried the struggle for Oromo liberation through its darkest decades—veterans like the venerable intellectual Leenco Lata and former Oromia President Hasan Ali Waaqayyo.
“Sitting at the feet of elders, I learned many things,” Habtamu wrote. “May God grant them long life.”
One does not need to agree with every political position these men have ever taken to recognise what they represent. They are living archives. They carry within their bones the memory of what was done to the Oromo people, and the memory of what was done by Oromo people in the long march toward dignity.
Leenco Lata, in particular, embodies a certain kind of Oromo intellectual tradition—rigorous, uncompromising, and deeply rooted in the soil of his people’s experience. His writings on Oromo political history are not mere academic exercises; they are acts of preservation, ensuring that a generation born after the struggle understands what came before.
The rejoinder: who owes what to whom?
But no act of public apology goes unanswered in our times. Enter Magaada Boruu, whose response cuts against the grain of Habtamu’s humility.
“We, this generation, have nothing to apologise for,” he wrote. “If anything, we have been imprisoned and tortured ourselves, while they returned to their properties and prospered! Ashqaabbaxuunis hanguma obboo Gingilshaa”
The emojis do not disguise the anger beneath the words. Magaada Boruu speaks for a generation that watched many of the old guard return from exile to reclaim houses and land while young activists filled prisons. He invokes the name of Gingilshaa—the Oromo revolutionary flame—as witness to his claim.
And he is not entirely wrong.
There is a painful asymmetry in the Oromo experience of the past decade. Some elders returned to comfortable retirements. Some young people returned to torture chambers. The revolution devoured its children even as it elevated its patriarchs.
The dialectic of debt
Between Habtamu’s apology and Magaada’s rejection lies the full complexity of Oromo politics today.
Habtamu recognises something true: that generations build upon generations, that no struggle begins in a vacuum, that the young walk paths carved by the old through bush and briar. There is dignity in acknowledging that debt.
Magaada recognises something equally true: that debt can be claimed fraudulently, that suffering is not evenly distributed across generations, that some elders used the young as cannon fodder while securing their own exits. There is justice in demanding accountability.
The danger is that these two truths become mutually exclusive—that the young refuse all honour to the old, or that the old demand all honour from the young without examination of their own compromises.
Sitting at the feet
Habtamu’s photograph captures something worth preserving: a young man choosing to sit rather than to stand, to listen rather than to speak, to honour rather than to dismiss.
In Oromo tradition, the jaarsummaa—the council of elders—is not merely a social institution but a philosophical one. It rests on the understanding that wisdom accumulates slowly, that no single generation possesses all truth, that the young who do not sit at the feet of elders will eventually have no feet to sit at.
But elders, too, have obligations. The feet at which the young sit must be feet that walked toward justice, not away from it. The wisdom imparted must be wisdom tested by experience, not merely authority asserted by age.
The long road
The Oromo struggle has always been a relay race across generations, not a sprint within them. The baton passes from those who fought with the pen (like Leenco Lata), to those who fought with the gun, to those who fight now with keyboards and courage and the willingness to fill prisons.
Each generation stumbles. Each generation falls short. Each generation imagines itself the first to truly understand what is required.
And each generation must decide whether it will honour what came before while building what must come after—or whether it will burn down the past in the name of a future it cannot yet see.
Habtamu has chosen to honour. Magaada has chosen to question.
Perhaps both are necessary. Perhaps the Oromo people need young people who sit at the feet of elders and young people who demand that those elders account for what they did while sitting in comfort.
But in the photograph, the young man sits. The elders look at him. And something passes between them that cannot be captured in Facebook comments or Twitter threads—something older than politics, deeper than grievance, more enduring than any single generation’s anger.
It is simply this: the recognition that we belong to each other across time, that the debt runs both ways, that apology and accountability are not opposites but partners in the long work of becoming a people worthy of our ancestors and our descendants.
May God grant long life to those who carry memory. May God grant courage to those who carry struggle. And may God grant wisdom to all of us who must somehow do both at once.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of any organisation or institution.
A Scholar Between Two Worlds: Professor Asmerom Legesse Laid to Rest in Asmara
The renowned anthropologist, who bridged Eritrean patriotism with pioneering scholarship on Oromo democracy, was honored at a state funeral after his body was returned from the United States for burial.
Asmara — A funeral service for Professor Asmerom Legesse was held today at Asmara’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery, bringing home one of the Horn of Africa’s most distinguished intellectual figures for burial in the land of his birth .
The ceremony was attended by Ministers, senior government and PFDJ officials, religious leaders, and family members, reflecting the high esteem in which Professor Legesse was held by the Eritrean state . His body had been transported from the United States, where he passed away on 31 January at the age of 94 .
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep sorrow” over his passing, conveying condolences to his family and friends in an official statement.
A towering intellectual figure
Professor Asmerom was a prominent and illustrious anthropologist who produced important research during his tenure at some of America’s most prestigious institutions, including Harvard, Boston, Northwestern, and Chicago universities. A Harvard-trained anthropologist, he served as Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Swarthmore College.
His scholarship spanned more than half a century, during which he conducted extensive field research among the Oromo people of Ethiopia and Kenya, living among Borana and other Oromo communities to understand the intricate workings of the Gadaa system from within .
His seminal 1973 work, Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society, introduced the world to the sophisticated constitutional and democratic principles embedded in the Gadaa system. The book was revolutionary in its methodology and presented Gadaa as a highly developed system of checks and balances, age-set organization, and rotational leadership that had governed Oromo society for centuries.
Nearly three decades later, he published Oromo Democracy: An Indigenous African Political System (2000), which became the most authoritative scholarly work on the subject and was instrumental in UNESCO’s recognition of Gadaa as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
Two homelands, one legacy
Professor Legesse’s life embodied the complex intertwining of Eritrean and Oromo histories. Born in 1931 in Geza Kenisha, Asmara, he grew up in the same area where the pioneering Oromo scholar Onesimos Nesib had sought refuge and translated the Bible into Afaan Oromoo more than a century earlier. Advocacy for Oromia noted this “physical proximity” as a powerful metaphor, linking the spiritual resilience of those earlier figures with Professor Legesse’s intellectual fortitude in defending Oromo identity.
For the Oromo people, he became known as “Abbaa Gadaa”—a symbolic recognition of his role as a guardian of their threatened heritage. The Oromo Studies Association described him as a “kinsman of the Oromo people” whose work on Oromo customs, history, and culture significantly advanced understanding of political and social systems across Africa.
Defender of Eritrea
Beyond his academic achievements, Professor Legesse served his country and people in various capacities over four decades. From 1984 until independence, he served as Chairman of the U.S. branch of the Eritrean Relief Association, supporting Eritrea’s liberation struggle.
In 1998, he published well-researched documents on atrocities perpetrated by the Ethiopian regime against Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin. He also documented and exposed extensive gender-based violence committed by the Ethiopian army during its occupation of various areas, particularly in the Senafe sub-zone during the border war.
In 2015, he played a significant role in countering what Eritrea viewed as attempts to dehumanize the nation through allegations of human rights violations, preparing a critique of the UN Human Rights Commission on Eritrea for a meeting at the House of Lords in the United Kingdom.
A complex political geography
Professor Legesse’s life was not without political complication. In 2017, despite his stature as the world’s leading authority on Gadaa and an invitation to attend a historic Gadaa power transfer ceremony in Borana, the Ethiopian government refused to issue him a visa, citing his Eritrean background . The incident reflected the tragic political tensions that for decades prevented scholarly exchange between the two countries.
Yet his influence on Oromo scholarship remained profound. Ezekiel Gebissa, professor of history and African studies at Kettering University, wrote in a tribute: “For the Oromo people, whose culture Asmarom studied for more than half a century, death is not an ending but a passage from the world of binary reality to the realm of singularity. It is fitting to imagine him joining the ancestors he so often wrote about”.
An enduring legacy
Professor Legesse’s work challenged colonial narratives that had dismissed African governance systems as primitive or lacking in sophistication. The Oromia Culture and Tourism Bureau emphasized that his life’s work preserved the Oromo Gadaa system and documented its practices for future generations, serving as a bridge for knowledge and scholarship.
The Oromo Liberation Front issued a statement describing his passing as a significant loss to the Oromo community. “His research highlighted Gadaa’s principles of equality, leadership rotation, and social cohesion, positioning it as a model of African democracy,” the statement read.
At his funeral in Asmara, the gathering of state officials, religious leaders, and family members honored a man who had walked many paths—from the shearing sheds of his youth to the hallowed halls of Harvard, from the remote airstrips of Farrer to the Gadaa assemblies of Borana. His final manuscript, Gada: Democratic Institutions of the Borana Oromo, is expected to be published posthumously.
“His work did not merely preserve the past,” wrote OROMIA TODAY in a tribute. “It equipped future generations with evidence and language to assert historical truth”.
Oromedia 