Honoring the Guardians of the Struggle
Feature Commentary
“Galata Qabsaa’otaa…” – Honor the Warriors. These words resonate as a sacred debt of gratitude within the Oromo community, a recognition of those who risked everything when the price of freedom was ultimate sacrifice.
In the tumultuous years following the fall of the Derg regime, a period of profound uncertainty and danger descended upon Ethiopia. For many Oromo freedom fighters, the dawn of a new era brought not peace, but a brutal twilight. Stripped of legal protection, they became targets—some left to perish from untreated wounds by the roadside, others hunted and thrown into the shadows of prisons. It was a time of severe crisis, a test of collective conscience.
Amidst this pervasive fear in Finfinnee (Addis Ababa), a flicker of humanity refused to be extinguished. A handful of Oromo residents, themselves navigating a treacherous landscape, made a courageous choice. They became protectors, hiding wounded and wanted fighters in plain sight, providing not just shelter but life-saving medicine and care. Their homes became field hospitals; their quiet defiance, a shield against the state’s wrath.
Among these unsung heroes is Obbo Araggaa Qixxataa. Born and raised in Dirree Incinnii, Oromia, he had come to Finfinnee as a businessman, establishing his life for many years in the Birbirsa Goora area. But when history demanded more than commerce, he answered. His residence became a sanctuary, a critical node in a clandestine network of survival. The business acumen that guided his public life was redirected to the covert logistics of preservation—securing medicine, arranging safe passage, sustaining lives that the official order sought to erase. Today, residing in America, his legacy is not measured in capital but in the lives he helped safeguard. Galataa fi Kabaja Oromummaatu isaanif mala! Gratitude and respect for Oromummaa are his rightful due.
This act of remembrance is being formally honored. The organization Oromo Global has undertaken the vital mission of strengthening and recognizing these aging veterans of the struggle. By bestowing acknowledgments like the one upon Obbo Araggaa, they perform a critical act of historical preservation—ensuring that the quiet bravery of the past is not lost to the noise of the present.
The Bottom Line:
The story of Obbo Araggaa Qixxataa is a microcosm of a broader, often unrecorded history. It reminds us that liberation movements are not sustained by soldiers and speeches alone. They are nourished by the shopkeeper who shares his bread, the homeowner who opens her door, and the businessman who uses his resources to heal rather than just to profit. Honoring the warriors also means honoring their guardians.
As organizations like Oromo Global step forward to say “Galata haa argatan”—let them receive thanks—they are piecing together a fuller, more human tapestry of resistance. They affirm that in the economy of gratitude, the currency of courage spent in dark times never depreciates.
Remembering Aayyoo Asinaa Abduramaan: A Legacy of Strength
A Pillar of the Struggle Departs: Mourning the Passing of Aayyoo Asinaa Abduramaan, Mother of Jaal Hundee Daraaraa
The Oromo global community is in mourning following the passing of Aayyoo Asinaa Abduramaan, a revered matriarch and steadfast symbol of resilience, who died today after a prolonged illness. Her departure marks not just a personal loss for her family, but a profound moment of collective grief for a nation that saw in her the unbreakable spirit of Oromo motherhood.
Aayyoo Asinaa was more than a mother; she was an expert in life and a mother of freedom fighters. She lived a life defined by immense sacrifice and unwavering dedication to the cause of Oromo liberation. While her own children dedicated their lives to the struggle, she bore the heaviest of burdens, suffering the ultimate loss and enduring hardship without complaint.
She was the mother of Jaal Hundee Daraaraa (MGS_ABO), a freedom fighter of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). In the pursuit of Oromia’s freedom, she gave her sons, experiencing both the pain of their loss and the suffering of those who returned bearing the scars of battle. She endured these trials with a heart that remained a source of strength for others, even as her own body and spirit carried wounds that never fully healed.
A Personal Testament to Her Strength
A community member who witnessed her fortitude firsthand shared a poignant memory: “I saw Aayyoo Asinaa for the first time in 2018 when OLF leadership returned to the country. During a public event in Ghindhir town, as leaders addressed the crowd in the South-East region, she saw Jaal Hundee Daraaraa. Remembering her son, lost in the struggle for so many years, she collapsed in tears. It was a heartbreaking scene. She was a consoler of others, a mother of fighters, and a heroine who displayed exceptional grace for Oromia. Her passing leaves a deep ache in our hearts.”
Her life story embodies the quiet, often overlooked, heroism of mothers in liberation movements—those who send their children to the front lines and must find a way to live with the consequences, becoming pillars for their communities while nursing private grief.
A Legacy of Sacrifice and Strength
Aayyoo Asinaa Abduramaan’s legacy is one of profound sacrifice and unyielding dignity. She navigated a path of personal tragedy without allowing bitterness to overshadow her love for her people and their cause. Her life was a testament to the Oromo proverb that true strength is often found in silent endurance.
The community now rallies around her remaining family, offering prayers for strength and unity. “May God grant her mercy,” the statement concluded. “May He provide patience, solace, and resilience to Jaal Hundee and the rest of the family.”
As news of her passing spreads under the hashtag #AayyooAsinaaAbduramaan, social media is filling with tributes, honoring a woman whose name will be remembered alongside the freedom fighters she raised and supported—a true Aayyoo (revered mother) of the nation.
Rest in Power, Aayyoo Asinaa. Your struggle is now your eternal peace.
Oromedia 