AMES Australia Welcomes the Year of the Horse with Vibrant Lunar New Year Celebrations
Organization connects with diverse communities at Springvale festival, celebrating cultural traditions across Asia
SPRINGVALE, Melbourne — AMES Australia joined communities across Victoria in welcoming the Year of the Horse over the weekend, participating in a lively Lunar New Year festival in Springvale that brought together thousands celebrating one of the most significant cultural occasions on the Asian calendar.
The event, marked by vibrant decorations, traditional performances, and community gatherings, saw AMES Australia team members engaging directly with local community members, sharing information about services and celebrating alongside families from diverse cultural backgrounds.
A Celebration of Many Names and Traditions
Lunar New Year is known by different names across the many cultures that observe it—Chinese New Year, Tết in Vietnam, Seollal in Korea, and various other designations across Asia and among diaspora communities worldwide. Each tradition brings its own customs, foods, and rituals, while sharing common themes of family reunion, renewal, and hope for prosperity in the year ahead.
The Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year zodiac cycle, symbolizes energy, strength, and perseverance. Those born in Horse years are traditionally associated with traits including independence, intelligence, and a free-spirited nature. The horse’s symbolism of forward movement and progress resonates across cultures celebrating the new year.
AMES Australia’s Community Engagement
AMES Australia’s participation in the Springvale festival reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to connecting with and supporting culturally diverse communities across Victoria. The festival provided an opportunity for AMES staff to meet community members in a celebratory setting, building relationships and sharing information about the organization’s services.
“We loved being part of such a joyful event,” an AMES Australia representative shared following the festival. The organization extended a warm thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with their team during the celebrations.
Springvale: A Hub of Cultural Diversity
Springvale, located in Melbourne’s southeast, is one of Victoria’s most culturally diverse suburbs, with significant populations of Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and other Asian communities. The suburb’s Lunar New Year festival has grown into one of Melbourne’s premier multicultural events, drawing visitors from across the city to experience traditional performances, food stalls, and community activities.
The festival’s location in Springvale reflects the broader demographic landscape of Victoria, where Asian communities have become an integral part of the state’s multicultural identity. For many families, events like the Springvale festival provide an opportunity to maintain cultural traditions while sharing them with the broader Australian community.
AMES Australia’s Role in Multicultural Victoria
AMES Australia has long played a vital role in supporting migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers as they build new lives in Victoria. The organization provides a range of services including settlement support, English language education, employment assistance, and pathways to further education and training.
Participation in community events like the Lunar New Year festival represents an extension of AMES Australia’s mission—meeting people where they are, building trust within communities, and ensuring that newcomers and established communities alike can access the support they need to thrive in their new homeland.
The Symbolism of the Horse
The Year of the Horse arrives with particular resonance for many in attendance. In Chinese astrology, the horse represents freedom, enthusiasm, and determination—qualities that resonate with the journeys of migrants and refugees who have traveled great distances to build new lives in Australia.
For AMES Australia clients and staff alike, the horse’s symbolism of forward movement and progress aligns with the organization’s work supporting people as they move forward in their Australian journeys—learning language, finding employment, building connections, and creating futures.
Gratitude and Connection
The festival provided not only celebration but genuine connection between AMES Australia and the communities they serve. Conversations at the AMES stall ranged from inquiries about services to shared wishes for prosperity in the new year—each interaction strengthening the bonds between organization and community.
“Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with us,” AMES Australia expressed following the event, capturing the spirit of mutual appreciation that characterized the day.
Looking Forward
As the Year of the Horse begins, AMES Australia looks forward to continuing its work supporting Victoria’s culturally diverse communities. The organization’s presence at community celebrations like the Springvale Lunar New Year festival demonstrates a commitment to being present, accessible, and engaged with the people they serve.
For the thousands who attended the festival, the event marked both celebration of tradition and hope for the year ahead. For AMES Australia, it represented another opportunity to demonstrate that the organization stands with Victoria’s diverse communities—not only in times of need, but in times of joy and celebration as well.
Happy Year of the Horse! 🐎🧧✨
Nuhoo Goobanaa (1939-2022): The Legendary Oromo Artist Whose Voice Became a Weapon of Liberation
A towering figure of Oromo music and resistance, remembered for his timeless call for unity and freedom
OROMIA — Nuhoo Goobanaa, one of the most iconic and beloved figures in Oromo music and the struggle for cultural and political recognition, left an indelible mark on generations of Oromos through his powerful voice, poetic lyrics, and unwavering commitment to his people’s liberation. Born in 1938 in the historic eastern Oromia city of Dire Dawa to his father Muhaammad Goobanaa and mother Faaxumaa Adam, Nuhoo would grow to become the “virtuoso of revolutionary songs” whose influence transcended borders, languages, and generations.
Early Years: Awakening to Injustice
Nuhoo Goobanaa was born in Laga Mixe, East Hararghe Zone, but grew up in Dire Dawa, where his family moved when he was five years old. From an early age, his natural inclination for singing and art was evident. He began testing his vocals at Madrasa (Quran school) by adding lyrics and changing the rhythms to Manzuma (Islamic chants)—a creative impulse that occasionally landed him in trouble with his teachers. As a youth, he absorbed the rich musical environment of Dire Dawa, mimicking Hindi, Harari, and Sudanese songs that were abundant in the cosmopolitan city.
The trajectory of his life changed dramatically through his encounters with discrimination against the Oromo during the Haile Selassie era. As a teenager in the 1960s, Nuhoo would occasionally skip school to work as an interpreter at the local court in Dire Dawa. This experience exposed him directly to the injustices of the system: three judges presiding in Amharic, a language the majority Oromo population did not speak. The experience led him to profound questions that would shape his life’s work: “Who are the three panel of judges who spoke Amharic? Why didn’t they speak the language of the majority Oromo? Who are we [the Oromo]? Why are the Oromo treated differently?”.
Rather than accepting these injustices as inevitable, Nuhoo embarked on a transformative musical journey of self-discovery and political awakening. He dedicated his life to raising consciousness among his people, becoming one of the most beloved household names in Oromia.
The Birth of an Artist-Activist
In the early 1960s, as a teen, Nuhoo applied to join a newly formed Oromo music band called Biiftuu Ganamaa (The Morning Sun). At 14, he was deemed too young and denied membership. Undeterred, he signed on as a volunteer poet, staying up late at night writing lyrics until he earned his place in the band. “I used to write poems in Amharic and contribute to the band,” he recalled in a 2012 interview.
His formal entry into music came in 1960 when he joined the World of Music within the government structure, eventually becoming a voice alongside intellectuals and national figures. But Nuhoo was never merely an entertainer—he was an artist who carried a weapon, singing revolutionary songs day and night to support the Oromo liberation struggle.
Exile and the Spreading of the Message
Following the breakup of the Afran Qalloo band around 1968, Nuhoo fled to Djibouti as a refugee. It was there that he learned to play the guitar in just one month. “Art was already in me,” he recalled. “In Djibouti, I recorded two albums”. For Djibouti’s Independence Day celebrations in 1969, he performed musical works in Afaan Oromo, Somali, and Arabic.
His journey of exile took him across continents. He traveled to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, living in these countries for many years. In Saudi Arabia, he recorded and released his first through fourth albums, working alongside fellow artists including Elemo Ali, Jamal Ibro, and Aziz, producing music from their homes. During the 1980s, he lived as a refugee in Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, and Canada, never ceasing to create music that empowered his people.
In 1978, he and fellow Oromo artists made their way to Canada, where they continued producing revolutionary songs celebrating unity, love of country, and the struggle for liberation. His long-time friend and fellow musician Elemo Ali recalled of their time together in Saudi Arabia: “Back then, Nuho was doing songs to empower his people. His music was easily memorable”.
A Polyglot Voice for the Oromo
Nuhoo’s artistic reach extended far beyond Afaan Oromo. He recorded and performed in numerous languages, including English, Somali, Tigrinya, and notably Arabic making him the only Oromo artist to write and perform a full song in Arabic, symbolizing the deep connection between the Oromo and Sudanese peoples during a critical historical period. Another friend, Abdo Alisho, spoke of the power of his songs: “They made you love your country. Nuho lived for his people”.
The Return Home and Continued Struggle
When political changes came to Ethiopia in 1991, Nuhoo returned to Finfinne along with the Oromo Liberation Front and other organizations that had been in exile, establishing the transitional government. Together with fellow artists, he produced revolutionary and solidarity music at the OLF office and Lideta Hall at Finfinne University. Following the OLF’s withdrawal from the transitional government, Nuhoo returned to Canada.
But the dream of seeing a liberated Oromia kept calling him back. Though he had a comfortable life in Canada, it was not enough to satisfy his longing. He left Canada to live for several years in Yemen and Kenya, though life there proved difficult, and he faced various pressures from government authorities. In 2002, he made the decision to return from Kenya to his homeland, living in the Oromia he loved until his passing.
Musical Legacy: Tokkummaa and Beyond
Nuhoo Goobanaa’s songs spanned every conceivable aspect of Oromo life: the indignities of exile, the ups and downs of the Oromo struggle, the Oromo flag song (anthem), his beloved Oromia, yearning for home and return, Finfinne, the Gulalle of the early 1990s, love, family, marriage, cultural clashes among the Oromo diaspora, and his own winding life journey . By his own account, he wrote and produced an estimated 380 memorable songs across 38 albums.
His timeless classic “Tokkummaa” (Unity) is widely regarded as akin to an Oromo national anthem, serving as a powerful intergenerational call for transcendent unity of purpose. The song’s refrain—”Tokkummaa, Tokkummaa, Yaa Ilmaan Oromoo Tokkummaa” (Unity, Unity, O Children of Oromo, Unity)—became a rallying cry that resonated across generations.
Other seminal works include:
- “Yaa Rabbi” (Oh God), a spiritual invocation that became another fulcrum for Oromo unity
- “Isin Waamti Harmeen” and “Lallabanee” or “Nu Dirmadha” —desperate calls to action, reproaching and exhorting Oromo intellectuals and personalities to return to Oromia and confront injustice
- “Alaabaa Oromiyaa” —a concise homily on the aims and aspirations of the Oromo movement for self-determination
- “Dhufaan Jiraa” —a soulful and nostalgic yearning for home and belonging
- “Geerarsa” —a robust and searing criticism of dysfunction and failure in Oromo leadership
- “O Galaana Qonnaan Bulaa” and “Alaabaa” , songs whose lyrics became part of the cultural fabric of the struggle
One of his most famous lyrical passages decried division and appealed to Oromummaa as a unifying creed:
“Shan, kudha shan, shantam taatanii, Gargar facaatanii, Bineensa beelaweef hiraata taatanii” (Five, fifteen, fifty, you allowed yourselves to be divided and thus became prey for the hungry beast).
Influence on a New Generation
Nuhoo’s influence extended directly to the next generation of Oromo artists, most notably Hachalu Hundessa, whose songs became anthems in the wave of protests that reshaped Ethiopian politics in the late 2010s. After being partially paralyzed, frequent visits from younger prodigies like Hachalu lifted his spirits. At every opportunity, in speech and gesture, Nuhoo had one request of the Oromo: “Tokkummaa jabeessaa” (Strengthen your unity).
During and in the immediate aftermath of the Oromo protests, Nuhoo saw his dream partially fulfilled and marveled at the state of the Oromo struggle. His songs had laid the foundation for contemporary protest music in Oromia, inspiring, exhorting, and arousing fellow musicians and Oromos to do what was necessary for liberation.
Final Years: A Community’s Love
Nuhoo’s last decade was marked by profound struggle. Around 2007/08, he suffered a stroke that partially paralyzed him and affected his powerful voice. From approximately 2013 onward, he was unable to continue performing. His yearning to live and work among his people was thwarted by deteriorating health.
The Oromo community, both at home and in the diaspora, rallied around their beloved artist. When fans realized the seriousness of his situation, multiple global fundraisers were organized for his medical treatment. In 2013, through the initiative of community members, a campaign called “Let’s Buy Nuhoo a House” succeeded in purchasing a home for him in Adama, east of the capital. The GoFundMe campaign organized for his support emphasized: “It is the responsibility of the entire community that lived off of his lyrics and his strong words to support him in his time of need”.
Despite these efforts, Nuhoo never fully regained his roaring voice, strength, or towering presence . Speaking to the BBC from his hospital bed two years before his death, his message to fans remained consistent: “Keep your unity strong” .
Passing and Funeral
Nuhoo Goobanaa passed away on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, at the age of 74, after a long illness. He died in Adama, in the house that fans had helped purchase for him.
However, the Oromo biography provided for this feature notes that the artist passed away on October 25, 2023 (G.C.) in Oslo, Norway, while undergoing medical treatment. According to this account, cancer was discovered in addition to the stroke that had afflicted him, and despite receiving treatment, his body resisted healing. Following his death, his body was transported back to his homeland (Oromia), and a funeral ceremony was conducted with great honor in Finfinne.
A Legacy That Endures
Nuhoo Goobanaa was more than a musician—he was a “pioneering singer-songwriter and guitarist whose name is near synonymous with Tokkummaa”. He embodied Oromummaa and lived a selfless life of service and struggle. As one tribute noted: “Nuho dedicated his life to promoting the virtues of Tokkummaa and Oromummaa. He leaves behind a momentous legacy that will inspire current and future generations”.
Dr. Awol Kassim Allo, in a comprehensive tribute, wrote: “Nuho’s songs are healing and transformative, expanding our sensibilities and teaching us to pay attention not just to the large-scale system of oppression he witnessed in the courts as an interpreter but also to the everyday, the familiar, the emotional, and intimate aspects of our lives”.
The Oromia Tourism Commission, in its memorial statement, expressed: “The Oromia Tourism Commission expresses its deep sorrow at the death of the hero Artist Nuhoo Goobanaa. May God grant him paradise. We wish strength to his family, relatives, fans, and the entire Oromo people”.
Fana Broadcasting Corporate, in its announcement of his passing, noted: “In addition to Nuhoo’s struggle for the development of Oromo art and language, the work he contributed to the Oromo political struggle holds a significant place in the history of the people’s struggle. Nuhoo understood the divisive politics and factionalism within the Oromo struggle and sang as an artist for Oromo unity”.
A Photograph as Memory
The photograph accompanying this feature captures Artist Nuhoo Goobanaa in 1991 at Gulallee prison, during a moment of singing—a poignant image preserved as a memory of him, combined with the legacy that lives on in our hearts.
Conclusion
Nuhoo Goobanaa’s life was a testament to the power of art as a weapon in the struggle for justice, dignity, and self-determination. From the courts of Dire Dawa where he first witnessed injustice, to the refugee camps of Djibouti where he learned to play guitar, to the stages of Canada, Europe, and the Middle East where his voice thundered for Oromo liberation, he never wavered in his commitment.
His songs remain—hundreds of them—carrying forward his message of unity, his critique of division, his love for his people, and his unwavering hope for Oromo liberation. As the Oromo people continue their journey, Nuhoo Goobanaa’s voice echoes across generations, still calling them to unity, still reminding them of who they are, still urging them forward.
“Nuti lallabna nuti qabsaa’ota…” (We proclaim, we are struggle participants…)
Rest in power, Nuhoo Goobanaa. Your voice never dies.
Oromo Liberation Front Warns: “The Cloud of War Drifting Across the Country and the Danger It Brings to Oromia Is Severe and Heinous”
OLF calls for united stand against cross-border incursions and lasting peaceful solution to Ethiopia’s conflicts
(February 17, 2026, FINFINNE) — The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF/ABO) has issued a stark warning about the escalating security situation in Ethiopia and the severe danger posed to Oromia by ongoing conflicts. In a statement released on February 17, 2026, the organization characterized the recurring “cloud of war drifting across the country” as an increasingly grave threat to the Oromo people and their homeland.
“The security situation in our country has been concerning for decades,” the statement reads. “Oromia has for generations been transformed from a land where peace, stability, and promising development should prevail into a battlefield of war interests and political machinations”.
Decades of Unresolved Conflict
According to the ABO statement, the persistent cloud of war that continues to drift across the country has its roots in decades of unresolved political, military, economic, and social problems. The unceasing conflicts emanating from within the country have continued for generations and show no signs of abating.
Specifically, the organization points to conflicts over land grabbing and resource exploitation in Oromia, as well as territorial expansion by Abyssinian and colonial systems, as ongoing drivers of violence that have continued without interruption.
“The struggle of Oromo people and Oromia residents has been unceasing,” the statement notes. “Although the war devastating Oromia sometimes retreats, because the desire and ambition to plunder Oromia have not stopped, the dream of yesterday and today continues to attack Oromia, and efforts to forcefully seize it have not ceased”.
The Post-1991 Context
The statement particularly emphasizes the severe and heinous harm inflicted upon Oromo people and Oromia residents since the 1991 Charter period. The ABO describes being pushed out of the transitional government through tactical political maneuvering by forces competing for influence, leaving Oromia as a battlefield of looting and exploitation.
As a result, the organization asserts, Oromo people and Oromia residents have been impoverished while outsiders have prospered in their land. Oromia—blessed and fertile—has become a land where its own residents are impoverished while others thrive.
Escalating Violence in Recent Years
In the past eight years specifically, the ABO reports that in addition to the ongoing conflict throughout Oromia, armed incursions by irregular forces crossing Oromia’s borders have further disturbed the peace of Oromia residents.
“Oromia’s borders have been breached, many areas have been left without Oromia administration, land and property owners have been forcibly displaced from their lands, Oromo property has been forcibly looted, innocent people have lost their lives unnecessarily, and the peaceful existence of Oromia residents has been prevented”.
The statement details the multifaceted damage caused by cross-border armed incursions:
- Displacement of peaceful residents from their lands and properties
- Economic deterioration through looting and destruction
- Weakening of social trust and community cohesion
- Proliferation of divisive ideologies and deepening fragmentation
- Absence of effective governance and public administration
- Complete erosion of public trust in government
Call for Comprehensive Peaceful Solution
To mitigate the damage and losses caused by war, the OLF/ABO has consistently advocated for comprehensive peaceful solutions. The organization reiterates its call for:
- Genuine and inclusive political dialogue conducted by the government with all relevant parties
- Proper respect for democratic rights and human rights
- Resolution of regional boundaries through law, dialogue, and lasting agreement rather than force
- Public and international community participation in matters of national peace and security
“These are not merely desirable but essential,” the statement emphasizes.
Regional Context and Urgent Threat
The OLF warns that given the instability, conflicts, and humanitarian crises affecting the Horn of Africa region, combined with the dangers of ongoing war and absence of political solutions, Oromia risks continuing as a battlefield of war interests and political machinations.
“The Oromo people and Oromia residents must not accept this,” the organization declares. “To prevent the evil and heinous consequences of border violations into Oromia, standing united—beyond political and other differences—is the duty imposed by the future situation we face”.
A Call for Unity
The statement concludes with a powerful appeal for Oromo unity in defense of their homeland:
“Therefore, we urge that the Oromo people and Oromia residents, both within and outside, stand together to protect their land and borders from the drifting cloud of war that crosses boundaries and enters their territory—uniting beyond political and other differences—and recognize that collaboration is a national duty”.
The ABO also calls upon social and political actors in the country who genuinely seek peaceful solutions, as well as human rights organizations, the international community, diplomats, and various embassies in the country, to prioritize lasting peace and stability as a matter of collective concern.
Renewed Commitment
“The Oromo Liberation Front reaffirms that it will continue to fulfill its responsibility to protect the peace of Oromia, united with its people”.
The statement is signed and dated February 17, 2026, in Finfinne, carrying the organization’s motto: “Victory to the Masses!”
This report is based on an official statement issued by the Oromo Liberation Front (ABO) on February 17, 2026, addressing the security situation in Oromia and calling for peaceful resolution of conflicts and united defense of Oromia’s territorial integrity.
Bicultural Educators Strengthen Skills to Combat Elder Abuse in Victoria’s Diverse Communities
Refresher training brings together multilingual educators to promote respectful relationships and raise awareness using trusted, in-language information
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) has convened a vital refresher training session for Bicultural Educators working to prevent elder abuse across Victoria’s culturally diverse communities. The session, held last week as part of ECCV’s Elder Abuse Prevention program, equipped multilingual community educators with updated knowledge and resources to continue their essential work protecting older community members .
Seven Bicultural Educators attended the training, representing a remarkable cross-section of Victoria’s linguistic diversity. Languages covered by the attending educators included Dari, Hazaragi, Urdu, Serbian, Persian, Turkish, Spanish, Vietnamese, Greek, and Italian—reflecting the program’s reach into communities spanning Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America .
A Trusted Approach to a Sensitive Issue
The Elder Abuse Prevention program supports community members who speak English and another language to raise awareness about elder abuse and promote respectful relationships in their communities. The program’s effectiveness rests on a simple but powerful insight: information about sensitive family matters is most effectively communicated by trusted voices within communities, using languages that older people understand fully .
Elder abuse—which can take forms including financial exploitation, psychological manipulation, physical harm, and neglect—often goes unreported in culturally diverse communities due to language barriers, isolation, cultural norms around family privacy, and lack of awareness about available support services. Bicultural Educators bridge these gaps by bringing information directly to communities in ways that respect cultural contexts while clearly communicating rights and resources.
Expert Facilitation and Guest Presentations
The refresher session was delivered by Hayat Doughan from ECCV and Gary Ferguson from Seniors Rights Victoria, combining ECCV’s community expertise with Seniors Rights Victoria’s specialized knowledge of legal and advocacy supports for older people experiencing abuse .
A guest presentation from ECCV’s Nikolaus Rittinghausen addressed the new aged care reforms, ensuring that Bicultural Educators can help older community members navigate the evolving aged care landscape. As Australia’s aged care system undergoes significant changes, access to clear, in-language information about rights, services, and how to access support becomes increasingly critical for older people from migrant and refugee backgrounds .
Government Partnership
The session also included attendance from staff at the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness & Housing, demonstrating the Victorian government’s commitment to supporting community-led approaches to elder abuse prevention. This partnership between government and community organizations recognizes that effective responses to elder abuse must be co-designed with the communities most affected .
The Department’s involvement also ensures that Bicultural Educators’ on-the-ground insights about challenges facing diverse communities can inform policy development and service design at the state level.
Building Capacity Across Communities
ECCV continues to support Bicultural Educators to work with seniors’ organizations and community groups across Victoria, helping older people and families stay informed and safe. The refresher training represents an ongoing investment in the skills and knowledge of these essential community connectors .
For the educators themselves, the training provides opportunity to share experiences with peers working in different communities, learn about new developments in policy and practice, and refresh their understanding of elder abuse dynamics and intervention strategies. This peer learning dimension strengthens the network of educators across Victoria, creating a community of practice that supports individual educators in their demanding roles.
Addressing a Growing Concern
Elder abuse is a significant and growing concern in Australia, with research suggesting that between 2% and 14% of older people experience abuse in any given year. For older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, additional barriers—including language, migration status, financial dependence on family members, and cultural expectations about family care—can increase vulnerability and complicate help-seeking .
The Bicultural Educator model directly addresses these barriers by meeting communities where they are, using languages they understand, and working through trusted relationships. Rather than expecting older people to navigate complex service systems designed for English-speaking Australians, the program brings information and support directly into community spaces.
Community-Led Prevention
The emphasis on promoting “respectful relationships” reflects an understanding that preventing elder abuse requires more than crisis intervention—it requires shifting community norms and expectations about how older people should be treated. Bicultural Educators are positioned to influence these norms from within, drawing on cultural values of respect for elders while challenging practices that cross into abuse .
This preventive approach aligns with public health models that emphasize primary prevention—stopping problems before they start—as the most effective long-term strategy for addressing complex social issues. By building awareness of what constitutes abuse, rights of older people, and available supports, Bicultural Educators help communities develop the knowledge and language to address elder abuse before it escalates.
Languages of Reach
The ten languages represented at the refresher training illustrate the program’s remarkable reach:
- Dari and Hazaragi, spoken by Afghanistan’s diverse communities
- Urdu, widely spoken in Pakistan and parts of India
- Serbian, serving communities from the former Yugoslavia
- Persian, connecting with Iranian communities
- Turkish, serving Victoria’s long-established Turkish community
- Spanish, reaching communities from Latin America and Spain
- Vietnamese, supporting one of Victoria’s largest migrant communities
- Greek, serving generations of Greek Australians
- Italian, connecting with Italian-Australian communities across generations
Each language represents not merely a mode of communication but a gateway to communities whose older members might otherwise remain isolated from information about their rights and available supports.
Continuing Commitment
ECCV’s ongoing support for Bicultural Educators reflects a long-term commitment to elder abuse prevention that extends well beyond individual training sessions. The organization works continuously to connect educators with seniors’ organizations and community groups, ensuring that their expertise reaches those who need it most .
The program also contributes to broader advocacy efforts, with insights from Bicultural Educators informing ECCV’s policy work on aged care, elder abuse prevention, and the needs of older people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. This two-way flow—from communities to policymakers via educators—ensures that systemic advocacy remains grounded in lived experience.
How to Learn More
ECCV encourages community members, seniors’ organizations, and anyone concerned about elder abuse to learn more about the organization’s work in this critical area. Detailed information about the Elder Abuse Prevention program, including resources and contact information, is available through ECCV’s website .
For Bicultural Educators interested in participating in the program, or for community organizations seeking to connect with educators serving specific language communities, ECCV welcomes inquiries about how the program can support diverse communities across Victoria.
The refresher training session concluded with renewed commitment from all participants to continue this essential work—ensuring that older Victorians from all backgrounds can age with dignity, respect, and safety, supported by communities that understand and value them.
InTouch Unveils Evolved Brand Identity: A Future Beyond Violence
For forty years, the organization has walked alongside women, children, and communities with courage, care, and deep cultural understanding
MELBOURNE, Australia — After four decades of dedicated service supporting migrant and refugee women experiencing family violence, intouch has unveiled a refreshed brand identity that signals both continuity and evolution. The organization, which has grown exponentially in both reach and complexity since its founding, announced the transformation as a clearer expression of who they have always been—and who they are becoming .
“Today, we are proud to share our evolved brand identity,” the organization announced. “This evolution is not a departure from who we are, but a clearer expression of it. It reflects our growth, our leadership, and our commitment to ensuring the way we communicate truly aligns with the strength, dignity and purpose that define our work” .
Four Decades of Culturally Safe Support
For forty years, intouch has walked alongside women, children and communities with courage, care and deep cultural understanding. What began as a grassroots response to the specific needs of migrant and refugee women experiencing family violence has grown into a nationally recognized leader in culturally safe family violence support .
The organization’s longevity speaks to both the enduring need for its services and the effectiveness of its approach. By centering cultural understanding as essential to effective support, intouch has developed expertise that generic family violence services cannot replicate. Their work acknowledges that safety cannot be separated from cultural identity—that true support must honor who women are, where they come from, and what they need.
Growth and Responsibility
As the organization’s work has grown in reach and complexity, so too has its responsibility—to the people they support, the partners who trust them, and the future they are helping to shape. This evolution reflects a mature organization stepping fully into its leadership role within the family violence sector .
The refreshed identity positions intouch to meet contemporary challenges with renewed clarity and purpose. Family violence does not stand still, and neither can the organizations dedicated to ending it. By evolving how they communicate and present themselves, intouch ensures they remain relevant and accessible to those who need them most.
A Clearer Expression of Purpose
The evolution represents not a departure from the organization’s core identity but a more precise articulation of it. Every element of the refreshed brand has been designed to communicate the strength, dignity and purpose that have always characterized intouch’s work .
This clarity extends to the organization’s fundamental purpose, now stated with renewed conviction:
“To champion culturally safe family violence support for anyone who needs it, anywhere they need it.”
This purpose statement encompasses both the “what” and the “how” of intouch’s work—the commitment to supporting all who need help, regardless of location or circumstance, and the distinctive approach of ensuring that support is culturally safe. For migrant and refugee women, cultural safety is not a luxury or an add-on; it is essential to effective intervention and genuine healing.
Strengthening Advocacy and Connection
The refreshed identity strengthens how intouch shows up, advocates, and connects with the communities they serve. In a crowded field of service providers, clear communication about what makes intouch distinctive helps ensure that those who need their specific expertise can find them .
For partners and funders, the evolved identity signals an organization confident in its leadership role and clear about its contribution to the broader effort to end family violence. For the women and children intouch supports, it promises continuity of the culturally safe care they have always received, delivered with renewed clarity and purpose.
Honoring Those Who Shaped the Organization
The evolution honours the community, staff, partners and supporters who have shaped intouch over four decades. No organization reaches forty years without the dedication of countless individuals whose contributions, large and small, built the foundation upon which today’s work stands .
By evolving thoughtfully—building on what has always been true while adapting to meet present and future needs—intouch ensures that the legacy of those who came before continues to inform and inspire the work going forward. The refreshed identity carries forward the values and commitments that have always defined the organization, expressed for a new era.
Equipped for the Future
The evolution ensures intouch is equipped to continue this vital work with clarity, courage and care into the future. The challenges ahead—changing demographics, evolving forms of family violence, shifting policy landscapes—require an organization that is both grounded in experience and adaptable to change .
With refreshed tools for communication and advocacy, intouch stands ready to meet these challenges. The clarity of purpose that emerges from this process will guide decision-making and priority-setting for years to come, ensuring that resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact.
The Work Continues
“This evolution honours the community, staff, partners and supporters who have shaped intouch over four decades,” the organization stated. “It ensures we are equipped to continue this vital work with clarity, courage and care into the future” .
The announcement carries a message of both continuity and recommitment:
“The work continues. The commitment deepens. The future is beyond violence.”
This framing positions the brand evolution not as an endpoint but as a milestone on an ongoing journey. The work of ending family violence is generational; forty years represents a significant chapter, but the story continues. With deepened commitment and renewed clarity, intouch presses forward toward the future they are helping to create.
A Vision of What’s Possible
The tagline “A future beyond violence” encapsulates both hope and determination. It acknowledges that such a future is possible—that family violence is not inevitable but can be prevented and ultimately ended. At the same time, it recognizes that achieving this future requires sustained effort, cultural competence, and unwavering commitment .
For the migrant and refugee women intouch supports, a future beyond violence is not abstract—it is the concrete goal of every intervention, every safety plan, every supportive conversation. The organization’s evolved identity keeps this vision front and center, reminding all who encounter it of what they are working toward.
Looking Forward
As intouch enters its fifth decade with refreshed identity and renewed purpose, the organization looks forward to continuing its essential work. The challenges remain significant: family violence affects migrant and refugee women at disproportionate rates, and barriers to support—language, culture, immigration status, isolation—can seem insurmountable.
But intouch has forty years of evidence that these barriers can be overcome with the right approach. Culturally safe support works. Women and children can and do find safety and healing. And with each life transformed, the vision of a future beyond violence comes closer to reality.
The evolved brand identity announced today serves as both celebration of what has been achieved and commitment to what remains to be done. For intouch, for the communities they serve, and for all who share their vision, the work continues—toward a future beyond violence.
Ethiopia to Mandate Premarital Training Certificate for Couples Seeking Marriage
Ministry announces new regulation to combat skyrocketing divorce rates through mandatory education and certification
ADDIS ABABA — In a landmark initiative aimed at reversing Ethiopia’s rising divorce rates, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs has announced plans to implement mandatory premarital training certification for all individuals seeking to enter into marriage. The new regulation would prohibit anyone without the required certificate from legally marrying .
The innovative approach, slated to take effect next year, represents a significant intervention in Ethiopia’s social policy landscape, targeting what officials identify as a primary cause of marital breakdown: lack of awareness and understanding about the realities of married life .
Alarming Statistics Drive Policy Response
The announcement follows concerning data released by the Addis Ababa City Civil Registration and Residence Service Agency, which revealed that divorce rates have increased by 54 percent compared to previous years. With over 20 million families currently in Ethiopia, the stability of the family unit has emerged as a pressing national concern demanding urgent attention .
Mr. Tesfaye Robele, Chief Executive for Elderly and Family Affairs at the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, confirmed that preparations are underway to implement the system in the coming year. Speaking to Sheger Radio, officials outlined the ministry’s comprehensive approach to addressing what they describe as a crisis in Ethiopian family life .
“We have prepared training manuals to address this problem,” Mr. Tesfaye stated. “The primary cause for many marital breakdowns is the lack of awareness and understanding about what marriage truly entails” .
Collaborative Development with Religious and Community Leaders
Recognizing that marriage in Ethiopia is deeply intertwined with religious and cultural traditions, the ministry is pursuing a collaborative approach to implementation. Officials emphasize that the new system will be developed in consultation with religious institutions and community elders, ensuring respect for diverse cultural and faith-based marriage traditions .
“We are working in consultation with religious institutions and elders,” Mr. Tesfaye confirmed, highlighting the ministry’s commitment to creating a system that honors Ethiopia’s rich diversity of marriage practices while establishing consistent standards for preparation .
This collaborative framework acknowledges that marriage ceremonies in Ethiopia are performed through various institutions—religious bodies, civil authorities, and traditional community structures—all of which will need to participate in implementing the new requirements.
Comprehensive Strategy Beyond Certification
The premarital certification requirement represents just one component of a broader strategy to strengthen Ethiopian families. The ministry also announced the establishment of a joint forum bringing together various institutions working on family issues .
According to Mr. Tesfaye, this forum aims to identify and address gaps in family management practices while providing recommendations and guidance to the government on necessary actions to support family stability. The initiative reflects a holistic understanding that healthy marriages require ongoing support, not merely preparation before the wedding .
“We must begin the journey toward national change starting from the family,” the official emphasized, highlighting the fundamental role that stable households play in broader societal development . This perspective positions family stability as not merely a private concern but a public good essential to national progress.
Training Curriculum and Implementation
Ministry officials indicate that training manuals have already been prepared for the program. While specific curriculum details are still being finalized in consultation with religious and community leaders, the training is expected to cover fundamental aspects of marriage including communication skills, conflict resolution, financial management, and realistic expectations about married life .
The duration of required training and specific certification mechanisms remain under development, with implementation details to be announced following the consultation period. The goal of launching within the next year provides a clear timeline for completing these preparations .
Addressing a Growing Social Challenge
Ethiopia’s divorce rate increase of 54 percent reflects broader social transformations affecting families across the nation. Urbanization, changing gender roles, economic pressures, and evolving social expectations have all contributed to shifting dynamics in marital relationships .
The ministry’s initiative recognizes that many couples enter marriage with romanticized expectations rather than practical understanding of the commitment involved. By requiring structured preparation, officials hope to reduce the likelihood of marriage breakdown stemming from preventable misunderstandings or mismatched expectations.
Religious and Cultural Considerations
The collaborative approach with religious institutions acknowledges the complex landscape of marriage in Ethiopia, where religious ceremonies carry legal weight and traditional marriages performed by community elders remain common. Any successful intervention must work within these existing structures rather than attempting to supersede them.
Ethiopia’s religious diversity—encompassing Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Protestant Christianity, and traditional belief systems—means that marriage preparation will need to accommodate varied perspectives while maintaining consistent core content about marriage fundamentals.
Potential Impact and Challenges
If successfully implemented, the mandatory premarital training requirement would position Ethiopia among a growing number of countries recognizing the value of marriage preparation. Research in other contexts has suggested that well-designed premarital education can reduce divorce rates by helping couples develop realistic expectations and essential relationship skills.
However, implementation challenges remain significant. Ensuring accessibility of training across Ethiopia’s diverse regions, managing costs for prospective couples, and maintaining consistent quality while respecting local traditions will require careful planning and adequate resources.
The ministry’s emphasis on collaboration with existing institutions—religious bodies, community elders, and family service organizations—suggests an awareness that successful implementation depends on building upon established community structures rather than creating parallel systems.
Broader Social Implications
The initiative reflects growing recognition in Ethiopia that family stability has cascading effects on broader social outcomes. Children from stable households generally show better educational and health outcomes, while family breakdown can contribute to economic hardship and social challenges .
By intervening at the point of marriage, the ministry aims to prevent problems before they develop rather than responding after families have already fractured. This preventive approach aligns with public health models that emphasize early intervention and education as cost-effective strategies for addressing social challenges.
Looking Forward
As Ethiopia prepares to launch this innovative program, attention will focus on the consultation process with religious and community leaders, the development of culturally appropriate training materials, and the establishment of certification mechanisms that are accessible to all Ethiopians regardless of location or economic circumstance.
The coming year will see these elements take shape, with ministry officials working to transform policy announcement into operational reality. If successful, Ethiopia’s experiment in mandatory marriage preparation could offer lessons for other nations grappling with similar challenges of family stability in rapidly changing societies.
For Ethiopian couples planning to marry in the coming years, the new requirement will add an additional step to the marriage process—one that officials hope will prove invaluable in building the foundation for lasting, healthy unions. As Mr. Tesfaye emphasized, the ultimate goal extends beyond certification to the creation of stable families capable of contributing to national development and social wellbeing .
The TPLF: A Brutal Force That Should Never Have Been Given a Single Day’s Opportunity as an Organization
Oromo voices reflect on three decades of suffering under Tigrayan-led rule
FINFINNE — In a powerful and searing social media commentary that has resonated across Oromo networks, a voice identified as Abba Ebba has articulated the deep historical wounds and enduring grievances of the Oromo people against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), describing the organization as a “brutal force” that should never have been legitimized .
The statement, shared under the hashtag #Abba_Ebba, offers a raw and unflinching examination of the TPLF’s three-decade rule over Ethiopia and its specific impact on the Oromo people—a period the author describes as inflicting wounds “far worse than a hundred years of Abyssinian elite oppression” .
Thirty Years of Suffering
According to the commentary, the TPLF, operating under the banner of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), controlled Oromia for thirty years, threatening the region from end to end in the name of supporting the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) while actually enveloping the land in flames of gunfire .
The author describes how the TPLF blocked Oromos from the center, drove them from their country, killed children, and placed mothers upon the corpses of their own offspring in acts of unspeakable cruelty . This “collection of beasts,” as the author characterizes the TPLF, is portrayed as having committed atrocities that have left permanent scars on the Oromo collective consciousness .
“More than a hundred years of oppression by Abyssinian elites, the TPLF targeted the Oromo people for thirty years with historically unforgivable atrocities, using every means available,” the statement reads. “The wound of conscience they inflicted upon us is still unhealed, a scar not yet dried—we carry this unhealed wound with us” .
A Legacy That Lives With Generations
The commentary emphasizes that these historical wounds are not merely past events but living realities carried by the Oromo people. “Generations will not forget—it lives with us, an unerasable historical scar” .
The author draws a powerful analogy: “Yesterday, a snake bit us. Before the pain subsided, because of the foolishness of one and the childishness of another, we let it escape. That same snake, growing fat and multiplying, has returned today to bite us again, to bring us to death” .
Allowing this to happen, the author argues, is worse than foolishness—it is a failure to think of the coming generation. Collaborating with such forces, treating the snake as if it were a towel to be wrapped around one’s neck, represents a profound betrayal of the future .
The Quest for Freedom and Justice
The commentary gives voice to the Oromo people’s longstanding aspirations: “The Oromo people who say ‘I long for freedom, justice has been denied me, I hunger for democracy’—here they are, for nearly 70 years falling and rising in their struggle for freedom” .
Unlike others, the author asserts, Oromos have never sought scraps from anyone’s table. Yet Abyssinian elites have consistently declared, “We are like water and oil with Oromos!” while simultaneously claiming to have created a hybrid “mule” called Ethiopia through fusion with Oromos .
The author questions how, when the constitution grants special rights to Oromos even in Finfinne, there are those who would tear up the document, asking what remains for Oromos. “When will we stand up for ourselves, to protect our borders, to secure our constitutional rights—whose permission do we need to seek?” .
Today, the author notes, people say of Oromos, “They are children of the moment.” But what need has the Oromo of Abyssinian political maneuvering and crumbs?
The Folly of Sacrificing Justice for Peace
The commentary critiques those who urged compromise: “Yesterday, for the sake of peace, we abandoned justice! We forgave what you did publicly! There is no peace without justice” .
Those who stole wealth, whether collectively or individually, who used power to destroy lives, burn forests, displace people, commit inhuman acts in any form—the author insists they must not escape accountability .
Questions are raised about political transitions: “What and who is bringing the transition? From where to where?” The author suggests that those who mocked others for not understanding politics are now seeing the consequences .
What once appeared to some as downhill before them now seems as distant as the sky, transformed into an uphill struggle. “Are you truly not angered as you watch?” the author asks, suggesting that deep regret, not indifference, is the appropriate response .
Historical Memory: The Western Oromo Confederation of 1936
The commentary invokes a crucial but often overlooked chapter of Oromo history: the Western Oromo Confederation of 1936. Before the TPLF was even created, Oromos sent a delegation to the United Nations seeking to govern themselves through confederation .
This historical episode, disrupted by Italy’s five-year colonization of Abyssinia, demonstrates the long-standing Oromo pursuit of self-determination, predating the TPLF’s emergence by decades .
The author cites scholarly work by Ezekiel Gebissa on “The Italian Invasion, the Ethiopian Empire, and Oromo Nationalism: The Significance of the Western Oromo Confederation of 1936,” pointing to a tradition of Oromo political organizing that Abyssinian and Tigrayan narratives have systematically obscured .
Cultural Appropriation: The Heritage of “Weyane”
The commentary also raises questions of cultural appropriation, asking whether the TPLF has forgotten that “Weyane”—the traditional struggle strategy from which the organization derives its name—is actually Oromo heritage from Raya and Rayuma .
This observation, the author explains, is offered to counter any suggestion that Tigrayan or Amhara elites taught Oromos about freedom struggle. The historical record, including scholarship on “Peasant Resistance in Ethiopia: the Case of Weyane” published in the Journal of African History, demonstrates that Oromo traditions of resistance long preceded TPLF organizing .
The Complexity of Recognition
The author acknowledges that the situation is complex—like makeup applied and removed, artificial people appearing before cameras, living under disguise. But the weight of the matter, they emphasize, concerns the supremacy of the people, the formation of the nation, the debt owed to fathers, mothers, and faith .
“Knowledge means grasping the trunk of the tree, not hanging on its branches—hold the branches and you will fall” .
A Warning Unheeded?
The commentary concludes with a stark image: “O TPLF! The one who never says ‘enough’ will spit and continue. ‘Emboor! Emboor!’ (Get away! Get away!) they say to those who hold back and separate—now the flood has reached the neck, asking ‘What has brought my situation?'”
This metaphorical warning suggests that those who ignored calls for restraint and justice now find themselves overwhelmed by consequences of their own making .
Historical Context
The TPLF led the armed struggle that overthrew the Derg regime in 1991 and subsequently dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018. During their rule, the TPLF was the dominant force within the EPRDF coalition, controlling the levers of state power and directing security forces that, according to numerous human rights reports, committed widespread abuses against civilians in Oromia and other regions .
The period from 1991 to 2018 saw repeated military campaigns in Oromia, mass arrests of Oromo activists and politicians, and systematic suppression of Oromo political expression. The International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor noted in 2019 that it had received information regarding alleged crimes against humanity in Ethiopia dating back to 2015, including in Oromia .
Contemporary Relevance
The commentary appears against the backdrop of ongoing tensions in Ethiopia’s post-2018 political transition. While the TPLF was removed from federal power, it retained control over Tigray regional state until the recent Tigray War (2020-2022) dramatically altered the political landscape .
For Oromos, the question of accountability for past abuses remains unresolved. Many Oromo activists and politicians have called for justice for victims of TPLF-era atrocities, even as they navigate complex relationships with other political forces in contemporary Ethiopia .
A Voice for the Unhealed Wound
Abba Ebba’s commentary gives voice to what it describes as an “unhealed wound” in Oromo collective memory—the accumulated trauma of three decades of TPLF rule that compounded more than a century of Abyssinian domination .
The response to the post, shared widely across Oromo social media networks, suggests that these sentiments resonate deeply within the Oromo community. The demand for justice, the insistence on historical memory, and the refusal to accept narratives that minimize Oromo suffering emerge as consistent themes .
As Ethiopia navigates an uncertain political future, with ongoing conflicts in multiple regions and unresolved questions about the country’s constitutional order, voices like Abba Ebba’s serve as reminders that for many Oromos, the past is not past—it is a living wound that demands acknowledgment and, ultimately, healing through justice .
Whether such justice will be achieved, and what form it might take, remains one of the most pressing and unresolved questions in Ethiopian politics. For the Oromo people, as the commentary makes clear, the struggle continues—not only for freedom and democracy in the future but for acknowledgment and accountability for the crimes of the past.
Celebrating 49 Years of Bariisaa: A Voice for Oromo Equality
“Bariisaa Served as a Tool for the Oromo People’s Quest for Equality and Democracy”
– Mr. Masafinti Tafarraa
Oromo-language newspaper marks 49 years of serving as a beacon of information, identity, and struggle
FINFINNE — Forty-nine years ago, in 1969 E.C. (1976/77 G.C.), a transformative development in the growth and flourishing of the Afaan Oromo language occurred that would fundamentally reshape the landscape of Oromo media and lay the foundation for where Oromo-language outlets stand today: the establishment of Bariisaa Newspaper .
In an era before the proliferation of science and technology, when broadcast media could be counted on one’s fingers and the internet had not yet become the domain of a generation, the Oromo people’s love, effort, and desire for information and knowledge could only be satisfied through written word. It was in this context that the demand for and acceptance of newspapers was immense .
Bariisaa Newspaper, carried forward by scholars and heroes who toiled from afar and succeeded, passing from generation to generation through the接力 of struggle against tyranny, has now marked 49 years of existence .
Today marks the anniversary of Bariisaa Newspaper’s founding—for the Oromo people, a day when the dawn of information and knowledge shone brightly, just as the name “Bariisaa” (Dawn) suggests the morning star appears .
A Tool for the People’s Struggle
In an interview commemorating the anniversary, Mr. Masafinti Tafarraa, Executive Officer of the Ethiopian Press Agency, shared reflections on the newspaper’s historic role .
According to Mr. Masafinti, from its inception through half a century of service, Bariisaa Newspaper has undertaken and achieved great work for the freedom, equality, and democracy of the Oromo people .
Crucially, he noted that Bariisaa was established precisely at a time when the Oromo people’s demand for equality and democracy was being raised. In this context, the newspaper served as a vital medium of communication for the people’s aspirations .
Following that period and continuing after the people’s demands were reiterated, Bariisaa never halted its mission but persevered and has arrived at today’s milestone .
The founders of the newspaper were themselves participants in the struggle for the people’s equality movement at that time and played significant roles. Through their involvement, the newspaper became intertwined with the contemporaneous struggle being waged .
A Legacy of Forty-Nine Years
For nearly five decades, Bariisaa has chronicled the Oromo experience, documenting both the ordinary and extraordinary moments of Oromo life while serving as a platform for intellectual and political discourse. The publication has weathered changing political climates, technological revolutions, and shifts in the media landscape while maintaining its commitment to providing information in Afaan Oromo.
The newspaper’s endurance through nearly half a century reflects both the dedication of those who have sustained it and the persistent hunger for Oromo-language media among its readership. From its early days when written word was the primary means of mass communication to the contemporary era of digital media, Bariisaa has adapted while maintaining its core mission.
The Founders’ Vision
The founders of Bariisaa were not merely journalists but activists who understood the power of the written word in advancing the cause of equality. By establishing a newspaper in Afaan Oromo at a time when the language itself was marginalized, they made a profound statement about Oromo identity and the right to information in one’s mother tongue.
Their vision extended beyond simple news reporting to encompass the broader struggle for recognition and rights. The newspaper became both a record of that struggle and a participant in it, documenting abuses while articulating aspirations.
From Print to Digital: Evolution of a Legacy
As Bariisaa celebrates 49 years, it does so in a media environment dramatically transformed from its founding era. The broadcast media that were once scarce are now abundant, and the internet that was unknown to the generation of the 1970s has become ubiquitous.
Yet the fundamental need that Bariisaa addresses—the desire of Oromo people to receive information and analysis in their own language, reflecting their own perspective—remains unchanged. The newspaper has evolved alongside technology, with many readers now accessing content digitally while others continue to value the tangible experience of print.
Cultural and Linguistic Significance
Beyond its journalistic function, Bariisaa has played an important role in the development and standardization of written Afaan Oromo. At a time when the language was primarily oral in many contexts, the newspaper provided a model for written expression and helped establish conventions that would influence subsequent Oromo-language publishing.
For generations of Oromo readers, Bariisaa has been a window onto their world and beyond—a source of news, analysis, and cultural content that affirmed the value and vitality of their language. The newspaper has helped maintain and strengthen Oromo identity, particularly among diaspora communities separated from their homeland.
Forty-Nine Years of Service
The 49th anniversary represents a significant milestone, approaching the half-century mark that will be celebrated next year. For an independent publication to endure for nearly five decades in challenging political environments is a testament to the commitment of its staff, the loyalty of its readers, and the enduring need it fulfills.
Mr. Masafinti Tafarraa’s acknowledgment of Bariisaa’s role as a “tool” for the Oromo people’s quest for equality and democracy captures the publication’s essential character. It has never been merely a commercial enterprise or a neutral conveyor of information, but rather an institution deeply engaged with the aspirations of the people it serves.
Looking to the Future
As Bariisaa approaches its golden jubilee, questions of sustainability, adaptation, and continued relevance arise. The media landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with social media and digital platforms reshaping how people consume information. Younger generations, in particular, may engage with news differently than their parents and grandparents.
Yet the need that Bariisaa addresses—for information in Afaan Oromo that speaks to Oromo concerns from an Oromo perspective—remains as pressing as ever. The newspaper that has survived and thrived for 49 years has demonstrated remarkable adaptability, and there is every reason to believe it will continue to find ways to serve its readership.
A Dawn That Continues to Shine
The name Bariisaa—Dawn—carries with it the promise of new beginnings and the light that follows darkness. For forty-nine years, the newspaper has lived up to its name, bringing the light of information and knowledge to successive generations of Oromo readers.
As Mr. Masafinti Tafarraa’s reflections make clear, Bariisaa’s significance extends beyond its role as a news outlet. It stands as a testament to the power of the written word in struggles for justice, a record of a people’s journey through nearly five decades of change, and a continuing voice for equality, democracy, and the rights of the Oromo people.
The 49th anniversary of Bariisaa Newspaper is not merely a celebration of longevity but a recognition of enduring purpose—a purpose rooted in the struggles of the past and reaching toward the dawn of a future where the aspirations that gave birth to the publication may finally be realized.
Dinqinesh Dheressa and Dr. Trevor Trueman: Two Pillars of the Oromo Struggle Forever Remembered with Honor
Activist and ally exemplify the international solidarity and unwavering commitment that sustain the movement for Oromo self-determination
GLOBAL — Dinqinesh Dheressa and Dr. Trevor Trueman stand as figures who will forever be remembered with honor in the annals of the Oromo liberation struggle—one a devoted activist who gave voice to Oromo women’s oppression, the other a British physician who became one of the movement’s most effective international advocates.
Their contributions, though arising from vastly different backgrounds, together illustrate the multifaceted nature of the Oromo struggle: a fight carried forward not only by those who bear its identity but also by allies whose solidarity transcends ethnicity and origin. As the Oromo liberation struggle continues “as a shield of humanity strengthening humanity itself,” the legacies of Deressa and Trueman remind us that the quest for freedom draws strength from diverse sources of commitment and courage .
Dinqinesh Dheressa: A Voice for Oromo Women
Dinqinesh Dheressa Kitila is an Oromo woman whose activism emerged from personal experience of discrimination and grew into institutional leadership. As the founder of the International Oromo Women’s Organization, a non-profit registered in the United States, she has dedicated her life to standing against discrimination and bringing social change, with particular emphasis on women’s empowerment.
Born and raised in Oromia, Ethiopia, Dheressa’s commitment to justice was forged in childhood. During elementary school, when she ran for student council president, a boy was preferred over her despite her having the highest grades. This early experience of discrimination motivated her to lead a fight against discrimination against women—a fight she has continued throughout her life.
Dheressa’s analysis of Oromo women’s situation is stark and unflinching. “The state of oppression is very deep in general but Oromo women face even greater difficulty,” she has stated. “Abyssinians treat Oromo women poorly. If a woman proposes a constructive idea, it doesn’t get proper attention as women are discriminated against up to a level where they are not considered as human beings”.
For Dheressa, self-determination is not an abstract political concept but a deeply personal and practical matter. She describes it as “a process by which one can take control of her/his whole life, decide freely what is good for her/him or not, what is important to her/him.” Beyond self-determination, she sees independence as giving people “the power to act freely” .
The key to achieving self-determination, in her view, lies in empowering oppressed people and standing for their rights as human beings. She emphasizes that organization is vital—if one wants to stand for peace and especially for women and their rights, being organized is essential .
Dheressa has also consistently called upon the international community to act. “The international community and humanitarian organisations have to take appropriate action to stop the Ethiopian government’s brutality against the Oromos,” she has urged. Her work with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) has helped bring Oromo concerns before international audiences, ensuring that the struggle receives attention beyond Ethiopia’s borders.
Dr. Trevor Trueman: The Quiet Ally
If Dheressa represents the voice of Oromo womanhood speaking on behalf of her people, Dr. Trevor Trueman represents something equally: the outsider who becomes an essential insider through decades of faithful service.
Dr. Trueman—affectionately known by the Oromo name Galatoo, meaning “Thank You”—has woven himself so deeply into the narrative of the Oromo struggle that he has become inseparable from it, transcending geography, ethnicity, and origin .
His journey with the Oromo people began not in the halls of advocacy, but in the gritty, desperate reality of survival. In the late 1980s, as a family health physician, he was in Sudan training Oromo health workers in refugee camps. When the Derg fell in 1991, he moved into Wallagga, shifting his focus to training community health workers. This foundation is crucial: his alliance was born not of abstract political theory, but of humanitarian connection—of seeing, firsthand, the people behind the cause. He didn’t arrive as an activist; he became one through service .
It was from this ground-level view that his pivotal role emerged. Starting in 1992, he began the critical, dangerous work of documenting and internationalizing the Ethiopian government’s systematic human rights violations against the Oromo people. While the OLF and others fought on the political and military fronts, Dr. Trueman opened a vital front in the global arena of information. He understood that tyranny thrives in silence and that the world’s conscience must be awakened with evidence. His reports became the credible, external voice that the diaspora and activists within could amplify, forcing the “Oromo question” onto agendas where it was being ignored .
His strategic genius is perhaps best embodied in the Oromia Support Group (OSG) , which he co-founded in 1994. The OSG was not a protest group but a clearinghouse for truth. It methodically gathered testimony, verified atrocities, and funneled this information to UN bodies, foreign governments, NGOs, and media outlets. For decades, when the Ethiopian state dismissed accusations as rebel propaganda, the OSG’s meticulously documented reports stood as unassailable counter-evidence. Dr. Trueman became a bridge of credibility, translating the suffering of a distant people into a language the international system was compelled, at least, to acknowledge .
A recent tribute to Dr. Trueman highlights several profound truths about his work:
- The Outsider as Essential Insider: Dr. Trueman’s identity as a “foreign national” was not a barrier but a unique asset. It lent his documentation a perceived objectivity that was desperately needed to break through global apathy. He wielded his privilege as a tool for the voiceless .
- Advocacy as a Marathon, Not a Sprint: His commitment, spanning from 1988 to the present day, defines “umurii dheeradhaa” —a long life of dedication. While political fortunes and rebel movements evolved, his channel of advocacy remained constant, providing a thread of continuity through decades of struggle .
- The Strategic “Taphat” (Preparation) : The tribute notes he will be remembered for his “shoora taphataniif” —his strategic preparations. His work was the essential groundwork. By ensuring the world could not plead ignorance, he created the political space and pressure that empowered all other facets of the Oromo struggle .
Dr. Trevor Trueman’s legacy is a masterclass in effective international solidarity. He did not seek to lead the Oromo struggle; he sought to amplify it. He did not fight with weapons, but with words, facts, and an unwavering moral compass. In the grand symphony of the Oromo quest for freedom, if some voices are the roaring melodies and others the steady rhythm, Dr. Trueman’s has been the crucial, clear note of the witness—persistent, truthful, and cutting through the noise to make the world listen .
For this, the name Galatoo is not merely a token of thanks, but a title of honor, earned over a lifetime. His work ensures that the crimes committed in darkness are recorded in light, and that the struggle of the Oromo people has, indeed, been given an echo the world cannot un-hear .
The Struggle Continues
The Oromo liberation struggle, which both Dheressa and Trueman have served so faithfully, continues today against a backdrop of ongoing conflict and human rights concerns. Recent reports from Oromia describe a region marked by insecurity, with civilians caught between government forces and insurgent groups.
The Associated Press reported in February 2026 that Oromia remains “very insecure,” with armed banditry, kidnapping, and extortion affecting daily life. Humanitarian access is restricted, and the conflict remains largely underreported due to government restrictions on journalists and rights groups .
It is precisely in such circumstances that the work of advocates like Dheressa and Trueman proves most vital. Their documentation, their amplification of Oromo voices, and their insistence that the world pay attention create the conditions under which accountability becomes possible.
As one tribute to Trueman noted, “His work ensures that the crimes committed in darkness are recorded in light” . Dheressa, through her women’s organization and international advocacy, ensures that the particular suffering of Oromo women—too often ignored in broader narratives—receives the attention it demands.
A Shared Legacy
Dinqinesh Dheressa and Dr. Trevor Trueman represent different faces of the same commitment: Dheressa, the Oromo woman who transformed personal experience of discrimination into lifelong activism for her people; Trueman, the British physician who arrived as a humanitarian worker and became one of the movement’s most effective international advocates.
Both have demonstrated that the struggle for Oromo self-determination is not confined to Oromia’s borders, nor limited to those who share Oromo identity. It is a human rights struggle that calls upon all people of conscience to bear witness and to act.
As the Oromo liberation continues as “a shield of humanity strengthening humanity itself,” the contributions of these two figures will forever be remembered with honor. Their lives demonstrate that the fight for freedom draws strength from many sources—from the mother who organizes women in her community to the physician who documents atrocities for the United Nations. Each, in their own way, has helped ensure that the Oromo struggle for truth, justice, and self-determination continues to resonate across generations and around the world.
Ramadan 2026 Begins: A Month of Fasting, Reflection, and Community for Muslims Worldwide
Victorian Multicultural Commission extends warm wishes as holy month commences
MELBOURNE, Australia — This week marks the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims around the world as a sacred period of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection. The crescent moon sighting ushers in approximately 30 days of devotion during which the faithful will abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset .
Ramadan commemorates the month in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, making it a time of heightened religious significance for the global Muslim community. For the world’s approximately 1.8 billion Muslims, the month represents an opportunity for profound spiritual renewal and connection with the divine .
Spiritual Significance and Practice
From first light until sunset, fasting—known as sawm—is practiced to strengthen faith, cultivate self-discipline, and foster empathy, generosity, and care for others . The daily fast serves multiple purposes: it reminds believers of those less fortunate who experience hunger not by choice, teaches patience and humility, and creates space for increased devotion through prayer and Quranic recitation.
Each day’s fast begins with a pre-dawn meal called suhoor and ends with iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims break their fast. Iftar is often a communal affair, bringing families and communities together and extending to neighbors, friends, and those in need. The practice of sharing meals with the less fortunate exemplifies Ramadan’s emphasis on generosity and social responsibility .
Beyond abstaining from physical sustenance, Ramadan calls Muslims to refrain from negative behaviors such as gossip, arguing, and ill feelings, directing focus instead toward spiritual growth, charitable acts, and strengthening community bonds. The month is also a time for personal growth and spiritual renewal, as believers seek to draw closer to God through increased prayer and reflection .
Community and Connection
Ramadan is traditionally a time when community bonds deepen significantly. Mosques fill for nightly Taraweeh prayers, extended congregational prayers offered only during this month. Families and friends gather for iftar meals, and communities organize shared meals for those who may be alone or in need .
The emphasis on generosity finds expression in increased charitable giving, or zakat—one of the five pillars of Islam. Many Muslims choose to pay their annual charity during Ramadan, believing the rewards for good deeds are multiplied during the holy month. Food drives, community iftars, and fundraising for humanitarian causes all see significant increases during Ramadan .
Victorian Multicultural Commission Extends Wishes
In Victoria, Australia, the Victorian Multicultural Commission has recognized the significance of Ramadan and the values it represents, including compassion, devotion, and connection. In a statement marking the beginning of the month, the Commission extended warm wishes to all observing this sacred time .
“We extend our warm wishes to all who are observing this sacred month and hope it brings peace, wellbeing and a strong sense of belonging across Victoria,” the Commission stated .
Victoria is home to a diverse Muslim population representing numerous cultural backgrounds, including significant communities with Turkish, Lebanese, Pakistani, Afghan, Bangladeshi, Somali, and Indonesian heritage, among others. For these communities, Ramadan provides an opportunity to maintain cultural and religious traditions while contributing to Victoria’s multicultural fabric.
Observance Across Australia
Across Australia, approximately 800,000 Muslims will observe Ramadan this year, with significant communities in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. Islamic councils and local mosques have announced prayer schedules and iftar programs, many of which welcome non-Muslim neighbors and friends to share in the evening meal as an opportunity for interfaith understanding and community connection .
Major mosques, including Melbourne’s Islamic Council of Victoria and Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque precinct, anticipate thousands of worshippers for nightly prayers and community iftars. Local councils in areas with significant Muslim populations have adjusted services and schedules to accommodate observers.
The Rhythm of Ramadan Days
For those observing, Ramadan transforms daily rhythms. Mornings begin early with suhoor before dawn, followed by morning prayers. The workday continues with fasting, requiring focus and energy management. Afternoon hours can be particularly challenging as energy levels dip, but the approaching sunset brings anticipation of breaking the fast.
At sunset, the adhan—call to prayer—signals time for iftar. Traditionally, dates and water or juice are consumed first, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad, before the main meal. After evening prayers, many Muslims head to mosques for Taraweeh, which can include recitation of significant portions of the Quran.
The final ten days of Ramadan hold special significance, marking the period when the first revelations of the Quran were sent down. During these nights, Muslims increase their devotion, with some engaging in itikaf—spiritual retreat in the mosque—to focus entirely on worship. One of these nights is Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, described in the Quran as “better than a thousand months.”
Eid al-Fitr: The Celebration Ahead
The conclusion of Ramadan will be marked by Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, expected to fall in late March depending on the lunar sighting. The day begins with a special prayer service followed by celebrations that include feasting, gift-giving, and gatherings with family and friends. Eid is a time of joy and gratitude, marking the successful completion of the month’s spiritual journey .
For businesses, schools, and community organizations across Victoria, awareness of Ramadan and its practices supports inclusion and understanding. Many workplaces accommodate observing employees with flexible hours or designated prayer spaces, recognizing the significance of the month.
A Message of Shared Values
The Victorian Multicultural Commission’s message emphasizing compassion, devotion, and connection highlights how Ramadan’s core values resonate beyond the Muslim community. In an increasingly diverse society, recognition and respect for religious observances strengthen social cohesion and mutual understanding .
As Muslims across Victoria and around the world begin this month of fasting and prayer, the wishes for peace, wellbeing, and belonging extend across communities, reflecting the universal aspirations that Ramadan represents.
Ramadan Mubarak to all observing this holy month.
Oromo Diaspora Honors Pivotal Figures in Virtual Memorial
Diaspora gathers online to celebrate “towering figure” of Oromo liberation struggle
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) convened a virtual memorial service Sunday, February 15, 2026, via Zoom to honor the life and legacy of a pivotal figure in the Oromo struggle for self-determination. The event, scheduled for 2:00 PM Eastern Time, brought together members of the Oromo diaspora, elders (Hayyoota), and human rights advocates from across the United States to celebrate a “towering figure” whose contributions to truth, justice, and the Oromo people have left an indelible mark on the movement .
A Moment of Collective Reflection
While the OLF’s announcement referred to the subject as a “towering figure,” Sunday’s service forms part of a broader moment of reflection for the organization, which has recently focused on honoring the intellectual giants who shaped Oromo nationalism. Just days earlier, on February 7, 2026, the OLF held a ceremony at its headquarters in Gullallee, Finfinnee to honor the late Professor Asmarom Legesse and Professor Hamdesa Tuso .
Professor Asmarom Legesse was celebrated during that gathering for his groundbreaking anthropological work, particularly his research on the indigenous Gadaa system, a traditional democratic governance structure. His seminal book, Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society, is credited with bringing Oromo culture and governance to the global academic spotlight . During the February 7 ceremony, OLF Chairman Jaal Dawud Ibsa led tributes that highlighted the power of scholarship in the national struggle, emphasizing the need to “reclaim historical truth” .
Echoes of Recent Commemorations
Sunday’s virtual service in Washington appeared to be a continuation of this season of remembrance, extending honor to another key architect of the movement. Given the context of recent OLF commemorations, the event echoed the sentiments expressed at the February 7 gathering, where leaders praised the “unforgettable mark” left by the movement’s forebears and called upon the younger generation (dhaloota) to carry their unfinished work forward .
The Intellectual Foundations of the Struggle
Scholars note that the OLF, founded in the early 1970s, emerged from clandestine efforts by Oromo nationalists to build a movement that combined armed struggle with a strong intellectual and cultural foundation. Historians point to figures like Baro Tumsa, described in a recent 2024 biography as the “Principal Architect of the Oromo Liberation Front,” who worked to unite nationalists from diverse backgrounds in the face of oppression .
The intellectual tradition honored in these memorials reflects the OLF’s distinctive character as a movement that understood liberation not merely as a military objective but as a project of cultural and historical reclamation. The scholars being remembered devoted their lives to excavating Oromo history, philosophy, and governance traditions that had been suppressed or denied during decades of imperial rule.
A Solemn Duty
The invitation released by the OLF framed the event as an obligation owed to those who sacrificed for the cause. “This is the least we can do for a life so profoundly devoted to truth, justice, and our people,” the statement read .
That sentiment resonated throughout Sunday’s virtual gathering, as participants reflected on the personal and collective debts owed to the generation that built the movement. The Zoom format, necessitated by the geographic dispersal of the Oromo diaspora across North America, nonetheless allowed for meaningful connection and shared remembrance.
Diaspora Engagement
The service drew participants from across the United States, reflecting the strength and commitment of the Oromo diaspora community. Washington D.C. has long been a center of Oromo organizing and advocacy, hosting numerous cultural, political, and commemorative events over the decades. The virtual format expanded access to Oromos unable to travel to the nation’s capital while maintaining the solemnity appropriate to the occasion.
Elders (Hayyoota) played a prominent role in the proceedings, as is traditional in Oromo culture when honoring the departed. Their presence underscored the intergenerational nature of both the struggle itself and the responsibility to transmit its history and values to those who will carry it forward.
Preserving and Transmitting History
Sunday’s memorial service also served an educational function, introducing younger participants to figures whose contributions may not be widely known outside dedicated scholarly or activist circles. The emphasis on the intellectual and cultural foundations of the Oromo struggle provides context for understanding the movement’s character and objectives.
As participants reflected on the “towering figure” being honored, they also considered the broader legacy of Oromo intellectuals and organizers who built the institutions and articulated the vision that sustains the struggle today. The February 7 ceremony honoring Professors Legesse and Tuso, followed by Sunday’s virtual gathering, creates a season of remembrance that reinforces collective memory and identity.
Continuing Resonance
The service served as a poignant reminder of the ongoing resonance of the Oromo liberation struggle and the individuals who laid its intellectual and political groundwork. Even as the movement addresses contemporary challenges, these commemorative moments affirm continuity with the founders and the principles they established.
For the Oromo diaspora, separated by geography but united by commitment to their people’s cause, such gatherings provide opportunities for connection, reflection, and renewed dedication. The Zoom platform, while different from in-person assembly, enabled participation from Oromos who might otherwise be unable to join such commemorations, expanding the circle of remembrance.
Looking Forward
As Sunday’s virtual memorial concluded, participants carried forward not only memories of the individual being honored but also renewed commitment to the values and objectives that defined their life’s work. The call issued at the February 7 ceremony—for the younger generation (dhaloota) to carry forward the unfinished work of the movement’s founders—resonated across both gatherings.
The Oromo struggle continues, shaped by those who built its foundations and sustained by those who carry their legacy. Sunday’s virtual memorial service from Washington D.C. ensured that another “towering figure” received the honor due, while strengthening the connections that bind the Oromo people across continents and generations.
Celebrating 36 Years of Operation Fenkil in Eritrea
“Heroic Fenkil Operation: Heritage for Generations” celebrated as national symbol of liberation struggle
MASSAWA, Eritrea — The seashore of the historic port city of Massawa came alive today with patriotic fervor as Eritrea officially commemorated the 36th anniversary of Operation Fenkil, the decisive military offensive that liberated the strategic Red Sea port from Ethiopian occupation in 1990.
The official ceremony, held under the theme “Heroic Fenkil Operation: Heritage for Generations,” was broadcast live across the nation by Eritrean Television and Radio Dimtsi Hafash, bringing the celebration to every corner of the country. President Isaias Afwerki attended the event, joined by ministers, government and PFDJ officials, army commanders, religious leaders, and numerous nationals who gathered to honor this pivotal moment in Eritrea’s liberation history .
A Legacy of Heroism and Perseverance
Ms. Asmeret Abraha, Governor of the Northern Red Sea Region, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the enduring significance of Operation Fenkil in the national consciousness. “The history of Operation Fenkil is a history of heroism, resolve, and perseverance of the Eritrean people and freedom fighters that will be remembered by future generations,” she declared to the assembled crowd .
The Governor drew direct connections between the sacrifices of the past and the development priorities of the present. She highlighted that national development programs being carried out in coordination with the public, members of the Defense Forces, construction companies, and other stakeholders represent the continuation of the Fenkil spirit. These programs, she noted, are based on “active and conscious public participation” and founded on “the pillars of social justice,” which together constitute the main message of the commemoration event .
Naval Power and Cultural Celebration
A dramatic highlight of the ceremony featured Fast Patrol Boats operated by female members of the Eritrean Naval Force, showcasing the integration of women into all aspects of national defense and the ongoing strength of Eritrea’s maritime capabilities .
The celebration wove together military display and cultural expression, with performances depicting the history of Operation Fenkil, praising the Eritrean people and freedom fighters, and conveying messages to adversaries. The artistic presentations also carried a message of social solidarity, encouraging support for disadvantaged citizens and families of martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice for national liberation .
Week-Long Commemoration Activities
The 36th anniversary observance extends well beyond today’s official ceremony, encompassing a diverse array of activities designed to engage all sectors of society:
- Youth Week, organized in collaboration with the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students, providing platforms for young Eritreans to connect with their national heritage
- Sports competitions celebrating physical fitness and team solidarity
- Photo exhibitions documenting the historic operation and its place in Eritrean history
- General knowledge contests testing understanding of the liberation struggle
- Children’s programs ensuring the youngest generation learns about this heritage
- The Fenkil Award ceremony recognizing contributions to national development and preservation of Fenkil values
- Seminars and community gatherings fostering discussion and reflection on the operation’s significance
Historical Significance of Operation Fenkil
Operation Fenkil, launched in February 1990, stands as one of the most decisive military campaigns of Eritrea’s 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia. The operation’s success in capturing Massawa, Eritrea’s second-largest city and primary port, dealt a crippling blow to Ethiopian forces and their Soviet-backed military apparatus. The victory severed critical supply lines and provided the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) with a strategic stronghold that would prove instrumental in the final push toward liberation in 1991.
Military historians note that the operation demonstrated the tactical sophistication of EPLF forces, combining conventional warfare with the guerrilla expertise honed during years of struggle. The capture of Massawa’s port facilities and the nearby islands fundamentally altered the strategic calculus of the war, opening new supply routes for the liberation forces while denying them to the enemy.
Fenkil in National Memory
For Eritreans, Fenkil represents more than a military victory—it embodies the resilience and determination that carried the nation through decades of struggle. The operation’s anniversary has become an annual opportunity to honor the martyrs who fell during the campaign and to transmit the values of sacrifice and national unity to younger generations.
The presence of female naval personnel in today’s ceremony carried particular resonance, reflecting how the liberation struggle transformed gender roles and established women as equal participants in national defense and development. During the armed struggle, women comprised approximately one-third of EPLF fighters, and their descendants continue to serve in all branches of the national defense forces.
Development as Continuation of Struggle
Governor Asmeret’s emphasis on development programs as the “main message” of the commemoration reflects a consistent theme in contemporary Eritrean national discourse: that the task of building the nation continues the work of liberating it. The “active and conscious public participation” she referenced draws direct parallels to the mass mobilization that sustained the armed struggle.
Infrastructure development in and around Massawa holds particular significance. The port city, once a major Ottoman and Italian colonial center, suffered extensive damage during the liberation war and has been the focus of ongoing reconstruction and modernization efforts. Development programs in the Northern Red Sea Region aim to restore Massawa’s historic role as a commercial hub while improving living conditions for its residents.
Transmitting Heritage to Generations
This year’s theme, “Heroic Fenkil Operation: Heritage for Generations,” explicitly frames the commemoration as an exercise in intergenerational transmission. With Eritrea’s population increasingly composed of young people born after independence, the challenge of conveying the lived experience of the struggle to those who did not witness it has become a national priority.
The variety of activities scheduled throughout the commemoration period—from children’s programs to youth competitions to general knowledge contests—reflects a deliberate strategy to engage different age groups through formats appropriate to their experiences and interests. The participation of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students in organizing Youth Week activities ensures that young people are not merely passive recipients of historical information but active participants in shaping how that history is remembered and transmitted.
A Nation Remembers
As the sun set over the Massawa seashore, the site where liberation fighters stormed ashore 36 years ago, the gathered nationals departed with renewed commitment to the values Fenkil represents. The ceremony, blending solemn remembrance with celebration of national achievements, reinforced the bonds that unite Eritreans across generations and regions.
For the families of martyrs, whose sacrifices were specifically honored in today’s proceedings, the commemoration offered public recognition of losses that can never be fully compensated. For the veterans of the liberation struggle in attendance, it provided validation that their efforts are remembered and valued. And for the young people participating in the week’s activities, it opened a window onto the experiences that shaped the nation they have inherited.
The 36th anniversary commemoration of Operation Fenkil continues through the coming days, ensuring that this pivotal moment in Eritrean history receives the reflection and celebration it deserves, and that its lessons and values continue to inform Eritrea’s national journey.
Exploring Indigenous Peacemaking at the 2026 Oromo Conference
Oromo Studies Association Honors Legacy of Prof. Hamdessa Tuso with Mid-Year Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building
Scholars and researchers invited to explore indigenous peacemaking traditions at University of Minnesota gathering
MINNEAPOLIS — The Oromo Studies Association (OSA) has issued a call for papers and panels for its 2026 Mid-Year Conference, scheduled for April 11-12 at the University of Minnesota Medical Center’s West Bank campus. This year’s gathering carries special significance as it will honor the life and legacy of Professor Hamdessa Tuso, a founding member of OSA and a towering figure in the study of indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms .
Under the theme “Conflict Resolution & Peace-Building: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Prof. Hamdessa Tuso,” the conference invites scholars, researchers, and community leaders to submit abstracts exploring the rich traditions of peacemaking that have sustained Oromo society for generations. The event will take place at 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454.
A Life Devoted to Indigenous Peacemaking
Professor Hamdessa Tuso, who passed away on November 22, 2025, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated his life to studying and teaching about African indigenous conflict resolution processes . His scholarly work emphasized that indigenous forms of peacemaking—long dismissed by Western academics as “irrelevant and backward tribal rituals”—contain sophisticated mechanisms for building lasting peace .
Dr. Tuso earned his Ph.D. in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding from Michigan State University in 1981 and served in distinguished academic roles across North America, including as Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manitoba and as a faculty member at Nova Southeastern University . His landmark work, “Creating the Third Force: Indigenous Processes of Peacemaking,” which he co-edited with Maureen P. Flaherty, presented the Oromo Gadaa system as a global model for conflict resolution .
In that seminal volume, Tuso contributed chapters including “Indigenous processes of conflict resolution: neglected methods of peacemaking by the new field of conflict resolution” and “Ararra: Oromo indigenous processes of peacemaking,” establishing a scholarly foundation for understanding how Oromo traditional institutions can address contemporary conflicts .
Conference Theme and Significance
The conference announcement highlights the Oromo people’s historical role as “the anchoring population that cemented the coexistence of peoples of various creeds” and “guarantors of peace, stability and justice everywhere its rule prevailed.” According to the call for papers, historical accounts indicate that before the precolonial era, the Oromo managed to create alliances with neighboring tribes, transforming former rivals into partners.
The announcement also addresses historical challenges to Oromo recognition: “Since the formation of Ethiopia as an empire State, the Oromo people were brutally oppressed, marginalized, dehumanized and the contributions of the Oromo to maintaining peace and stability in the horn of Africa were denied the due recognition they deserved in history.”
It was not until the early 1970s that organized scholarly attention began to reveal “the hidden truth that the Oromo in fact are custodians of indigenous institutions of governance that guarantees equality of all its citizens, rule of law, justice and fairness for all living things and the environment.”
The conference draws on core Oromo values of Nagaa (peace) and Araara (reconciliation)—traditional principles that guide conflict resolution when disputes arise between groups and individuals. As the call for papers notes, “The Oromo Land is therefore rightly described as the sea of blessings, where elders call for peace to prevail over everything living and the environment.”
Call for Submissions
OSA invites abstracts for individual paper presentations, posters, panels, and roundtables addressing the conference theme and the following sub-themes:
- Indigenous Oromo institutions: exploring the mechanisms of peacebuilding and conflict resolution
- Mitigating intra-ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa and elsewhere globally: lessons learned from other settings
- Building peace and resolving conflicts among the Oromo and neighboring nations and nationalities (such as Somali, Afar, Sidama) past, present, and future
- Federalization and exclusion of Oromo cities Harar, Dire Dawa, Jigjiga: case studies of the impact of forced division on Oromo approaches to peacebuilding and stability
- Dedicated Panel: Remembering the Life and Legacy of Prof. Hamdesa Tuso — welcoming reflections on how he approached the study of conflict resolution
- Examining women’s leadership in traditional Oromo peacebuilding and conflict resolution
- Transmitting the wisdom of peacebuilding to the younger generation in a time of intense war, violence and undermining of culture
Other topics will be considered, but priority will be given to abstracts relevant to the theme and sub-themes.
Submission Guidelines
Individual Papers or Posters: Submissions should include a 200-300 word abstract providing 1) title, 2) specific contribution to the theme, 3) evidence on which the presentation is based, and 4) brief findings or conclusions. Authors must include names, country of residence, affiliation, field of specialization, and contact information (email and WhatsApp).
Panels: Panels consist of four members of a pre-assembled group. Proposals should include the panel title and brief biographies of each panel member with academic credentials or community roles.
Roundtables: Roundtables bring together qualified scholars and prominent personalities moderated to discuss a specific topic, book, or research finding. Submissions should include the roundtable title, relevance to the conference theme, moderator information, and speakers’ names with contact details.
The deadline for submission is March 10, 2026, at midnight. Acceptances will be notified on a rolling basis, with final notices made by March 21. All submissions should be sent to: oromostudiesassociation@gmail.com
A Legacy of Scholarship and Advocacy
Professor Tuso’s contributions extended far beyond academia. He was among the earliest pioneers of the Arsi Basic School movement, helping ignite a culture of learning across Arsi in Oromia at a time when education itself was considered a revolutionary act . He championed Tokkumaa Oromoo (Oromo unity) and stood firmly against what he termed “the colonization of the Oromo mind.”
His service included organizing the Oromo Committee for Immigration and Refugees (OCIR) in the 1980s, helping secure asylum for thousands of Oromos in the United States at a time when the U.S. government had restricted asylum for Ethiopians . He also participated in the 1991 London Peace Conference, advocating for a just political reordering of Ethiopia .
As a founding force behind the Oromo Studies Association and its first president, Tuso nurtured generations of scholars committed to researching and preserving Oromo history and culture . The upcoming conference represents a continuation of that mission, bringing together researchers to explore how indigenous wisdom can address contemporary challenges.
For scholars of peace and conflict studies, African studies, and indigenous governance systems, the April conference offers a unique opportunity to engage with Oromo intellectual traditions at a moment of both remembrance and renewal.
Victorian Multicultural Commission Celebrates New ECCV Leadership
Melbourne, VIC – The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) has extended its warm congratulations to Silvia Renda following her election as the new Chair of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV).
Ms. Renda, a former VMC Commissioner, brings a wealth of experience to the role, having demonstrated a longstanding dedication to advancing the rights, representation, and wellbeing of multicultural communities across the state. The VMC highlighted that her previous tenure as Commissioner has left a “lasting impact on Victoria,” marking her as a seasoned advocate for social cohesion.
In a statement released this week, the Commission also praised the election of Jennifer Huppert to the position of ECCV Secretary. Ms. Huppert, also a former VMC Commissioner, is recognized for her continued commitment to community advocacy within the state’s diverse sector.
The VMC emphasized that the election of these two familiar figures to key leadership positions signals a strong future for cross-organizational collaboration.
“We are thrilled to see Silvia and Jennifer take on these vital roles within the ECCV,” the Commission stated. “We look forward to working closely with them as we continue our shared commitment to a harmonious, inclusive, and socially cohesive Victoria—a state where every community feels valued and heard.”
The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria is the peak body for multicultural communities in the state, advocating for policies and services that support Victoria’s rich cultural diversity. The VMC, as a government-appointed body, serves as a vital link between multicultural communities and the Victorian Government.
The alignment between the two organizations, now strengthened by the shared history of the new ECCV leadership, is expected to bolster advocacy efforts for multicultural communities in the year ahead.
Melbourne’s Oromo Community Gathers to Honour the Enduring Wisdom of Professor Asmarom Legesse
MELBOURNE – In a quiet corner of Melbourne’s bustling CBD, the soft glow of candlelight illuminated a profound legacy on Saturday evening. The Oromo community in partnership with the OLF Victoria Chapter, hosted a heartfelt candlelight vigil to honor the life and indelible contributions of the late Professor Asmarom Legesse.
Held at the Ross House Association on Flinders Lane, the gathering transformed the modest meeting space into a sanctuary of memory and reverence. From 5:30 pm, members of the Victorian Oromo diaspora, students, and community elders came together for an evening steeped in reflection, prayer, and cultural pride.
The vigil served as a poignant tribute to a man whose intellectual light guided generations. Professor Legesse, a distinguished anthropologist and Eritrean-born scholar of Oromo heritage, dedicated his life to preserving and interpreting the ancient Gadaa system—a traditional, indigenous system of governance recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
For the Oromo people, Professor Legesse’s work was more than academic; it was an act of preservation. At a time when Oromo history and identity were systematically suppressed, his tireless research provided the scholarly foundation that validated the sophistication and democratic principles of Oromo culture for the world.
“It was an evening of reflection, prayer, and light as we commemorate his life,” a spokesperson for the organizers told those gathered. “Professor Legesse’s tireless dedication to the Oromo people and his preservation of the Gadaa System has left an indelible mark on our history.”
Attendees held candles high, their flames symbolizing the knowledge passed down through the ages—knowledge that Professor Legesse meticulously documented in seminal works like Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society. The flickering lights also represented the hope that his teachings will continue to guide the Oromo struggle and identity for generations to come.
The atmosphere was one of communal mourning mixed with quiet celebration, as speakers shared anecdotes of the professor’s commitment and clarity. For the younger generation of the diaspora, the event was a vital connection to a homeland many have only heard about through the lens of their parents and scholars like Legesse.
As the vigil concluded, the message was clear: while the man may be gone, his wisdom must never fade.
LET HIS WISDOM SHINE ETERNALLY.
Ethiopia to Introduce Mandatory Premarital Training to Combat Rising Divorce Rates
ADDIS ABABA — In a landmark move to address the nation’s soaring divorce rates, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women and Social Affairs has announced plans to implement mandatory premarital training certification before any couple can legally wed.
The new regulation, slated to take effect next year, would require all prospective couples to complete and obtain a premarital training certificate before entering into marriage, according to ministry officials.
A Response to Alarming Statistics
The announcement comes on the heels of concerning data from the Addis Ababa City Civil Registration and Residence Service Agency, which revealed that divorce rates have skyrocketed by 54 percent compared to previous years. With over 20 million families currently in Ethiopia, the stability of the family unit has become a pressing national concern.
“We have prepared training manuals to address this problem,” said Mr. Tesfaye Robele, Chief Executive for Elderly and Family Affairs at the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs. “The primary cause for many marital breakdowns is the lack of awareness and understanding about what marriage truly entails.”
Collaborative Approach with Religious Institutions
In a nation where marriage is deeply intertwined with religious and cultural traditions, the ministry is taking a collaborative approach to implementation. Officials emphasize that the new system will be developed in consultation with religious institutions and community elders, ensuring respect for diverse cultural and faith-based marriage traditions.
“We are working in consultation with religious institutions and elders,” Mr. Tesfaye confirmed. “We have made preparations to implement this system next year.”
Beyond Certification: Creating a Support Network
The premarital certification requirement is just one component of a broader strategy to strengthen Ethiopian families. The ministry also announced the establishment of a joint forum bringing together various institutions working on family issues.
According to Mr. Tesfaye, this forum aims to fill gaps in family management practices and will provide recommendations and guidance to the government on necessary actions to support family stability.
“We must begin the journey toward national change starting from the family,” the official emphasized, highlighting the fundamental role that stable households play in broader societal development.
Implementation Timeline
Ministry officials indicate that preparations are currently underway, with the goal of launching the mandatory training program within the next year. The specific curriculum content, duration of training, and implementation mechanisms are expected to be finalized following consultations with religious and community leaders.
As Ethiopia grapples with rapidly changing social dynamics, this proactive approach to marriage preparation represents a significant intervention aimed at strengthening the foundational unit of society—the family.
The initiative signals the government’s recognition that healthy marriages are not just private matters but contribute substantially to national stability and development.
This feature examines Ethiopia’s innovative approach to addressing rising divorce rates through mandatory premarital education and certification.
Celebrating 27 Years of Love: An Oromo Couple’s Journey of Resilience and Devotion
Melbourne, Australia — In a world where relationships are often tested by adversity, one couple’s remarkable 27-year journey together stands as a powerful testament to enduring love, faith, and unwavering commitment.
“Twenty-seven years ago, I made the decision to choose you as my partner,” reflects the husband, his voice filled with emotion as he shares their story. “These years have been incredibly meaningful, filled with purpose and blessings.”
The couple’s decades-long union has weathered storms that would challenge even the strongest of bonds. From periods of sickness to other profound hardships, they have faced numerous trials that have tested the foundation of their relationship.
“We have passed through many challenges, including illness and various difficulties,” he recounts, acknowledging the obstacles that have marked their shared path. Yet rather than breaking them, these challenges have forged an even stronger connection between them.
At the heart of their enduring partnership lies a deep spiritual foundation. With profound gratitude, the husband acknowledges the divine guidance that has carried them through their darkest moments. “Thanks be to God who helped us endure every burden and brought us to this day,” he expresses, his faith serving as an anchor throughout their journey.
Perhaps the most beautiful revelation emerging from their 27-year odyssey is the nature of love itself. “My love for you grows deeper every day,” he declares, offering a powerful reminder that authentic love is not static but dynamic—strengthening and deepening with each passing year, each shared trial, and each moment of mutual support.
The couple’s story resonates as a universal celebration of marital commitment, offering hope and inspiration to others navigating the complexities of long-term relationships. In an era of increasing disconnection, their testimony stands as a beacon of what is possible when two people choose each other—not just once, but every single day for 27 years.
As they mark this milestone anniversary, their message is simple yet profound: “My dear, I love you more than ever!”
Their journey reminds us all that while love may begin with a choice, it endures through daily commitment, shared faith, and the quiet determination to stand together regardless of what challenges may come.
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This feature celebrates the universal values of love, commitment, and resilience that transcend cultural boundaries and inspire us all.
Ethiopia Marks 14th World Radio Day with a Focus on Diversity and Community Service
ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia joined the global community today in celebrating the 14th World Radio Day under the theme “Radio and Artificial Intelligence.” In a message marking the occasion, the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) highlighted the medium’s indispensable role in serving the nation’s diverse population and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the sector’s growth.
“Happy World Radio Day to all radio journalists, editors, leaders, and listeners across our nation!” declared Haimanot Zelake, Director General of the Ethiopian Media Authority, in a statement released to the press .
The global observance, celebrated annually on February 13, has a rich history. The concept was initiated by the Spanish Radio Academy, and the formal proposal was presented to UNESCO in 2010. It was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011 and subsequently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, with February 13 chosen to commemorate the establishment of United Nations Radio in 1946 . This year marks the 14th time the day has been celebrated worldwide .
The Enduring Power of Radio in Ethiopia
In her message, Director General Zelake underscored the unique and vital role radio plays in Ethiopia’s specific context. As a low-cost and accessible medium, radio remains the primary source of information, education, and entertainment for communities across the country, effectively serving as a cornerstone for public discourse and democratic engagement .
“Radio plays a unique role in informing, educating, and entertaining the public,” Zelake stated. “Given our national context, its importance is extremely high, serving as a key source of information in almost all areas.”
The Ethiopian Media Authority, empowered by its founding legislation, views radio as essential for guaranteeing the public’s right to information and ensuring media accessibility . The Authority’s mandate includes licensing, monitoring, and supporting media outlets to create an enabling environment for them to flourish.
A Growing and Diverse Radio Landscape
The Director General provided an encouraging update on the state of the industry, highlighting a significant expansion in the number of radio stations operating under the Authority’s license. Currently, Ethiopia is home to a vibrant mix of 57 radio stations, comprising:
- 31 Public radio stations
- 10 Community radio stations
- 11 Commercial radio stations
- 5 Educational radio stations
This diverse media landscape ensures that a multitude of voices and perspectives are represented, catering to the varied interests of the Ethiopian populace. “Radio stations operate by taking into account the diverse thoughts and interests of society,” Zelake emphasized.
Amplifying Community Voices
A key focus of the Authority’s work, as outlined in the message, is the expansion and strengthening of community radio. These stations are vital for reaching remote and vulnerable groups, giving a platform to the illiterate, women, youth, and marginalized communities to participate in public debate .
Haimanot Zelake stressed that beyond issuing licenses, the Authority is actively creating support frameworks to help community stations thrive. This support is crucial for ensuring that Ethiopia’s nations, nationalities, and peoples can use their languages and promote their cultures and values. The Director General reiterated that the Authority’s commitment to this cause will continue to be strengthened.
“As we celebrate this day, I want to reaffirm that the Authority’s support in this regard will continue to be strengthened,” she said. “The role of radio in enabling nations, nationalities, and peoples to use their own languages and promote their culture and values is immense.” .
As Ethiopia celebrates this World Radio Day, the message from the EMA is clear: radio is not a dying medium but a resilient and evolving force for unity, information, and community empowerment, and its growth will continue to be a national priority.
General Damisse Bulto: The Forgotten Eagle of Ethiopia’s Skies
Personal Profile
Who was General Damisse Bulto? 💔
The question lingers, suspended in grief and memory. For those who knew him, he was a son of Ada’a Berga, a herdsman turned warrior, an aviator who painted his nation’s future across African skies. For those who have forgotten—or were never taught—he is a ghost in the military archives, a name erased from official histories, a body moved in secret.
This is his story.
From the Pastoral Plains
General Damisse Bulto Ejersa was born in 1926 in Ada’a Berga District, West Shewa, to his mother Adde Ayyee Jiraannee and his father Mr. Bultoo Ejersa. From childhood, he knew the weight of responsibility. While other boys played, young Damisse tended his family’s cattle, moving through grasslands that would later seem impossibly distant from the jet streams he would one day command.
But the open fields that raised him also gave him his first taste of horizons. A boy who watches the sky from the earth learns to dream of flight.
When he reached the appropriate age, Damissae traveled to Finfinne to study at the Medhanealem School. It was there, in the capital’s classrooms, that a military recruitment announcement changed everything. The Makonnen School was calling for cadets. Without informing his family, the young man enlisted—and stepped onto a path that would define the rest of his life.
The Making of a Makonnen
Three years of intensive training transformed the cattle herder’s son into a disciplined officer. By 1946, as Lieutenant Colonel, he received orders that would carry him far from Ethiopian soil.
The Korean Peninsula was aflame. The Cold War’s first hot conflict had drawn nations from across the globe into its crucible. Ethiopia, under Emperor Haile Selassie, committed troops to the United Nations forces. Among them was Damissae Bultoo—a young commander representing his ancient empire on a distant battlefield.
He served with distinction. He returned alive. He completed his consecration ceremony. And then his nation called again.
Ethiopia had no air force to speak of. The Emperor, modernizing his military, sought to build one from the cockpit up. Damissae was selected for training in Israel, where he learned the arts of aerial warfare from one of the world’s most capable air arms. He returned home a pilot—and soon, commander of the famed “Flying Leopard” squadron.
Wars and Recognitions
The 1950s and 1960s were decades of fire. When Somalia challenged Ethiopia’s territorial integrity, General Damisse took to the skies. In 1955 and again in 1957, he flew combat missions against Somali forces, his Leopards drawing blood across the Ogaden skies.
Emperor Haile Selassie took notice. The young man from Ada’a Berga, who had once watched clouds from cattle pastures, now received medals and commendations from the Lion of Judah himself. He rose through the ranks: Colonel in 1969, Brigadier General in 1972, Major General in 1977.
Each promotion marked not merely personal advancement but the trajectory of a man who had dedicated his entire existence to the defense and dignity of his nation.
The Dream of Oromia
Yet General Damisse’s patriotism was not uncritical. He loved Ethiopia—but he also saw its failures. He served the empire—but he also dreamed of liberation for his own people.
When the Derg seized power, when Mengistu Hailemariam’s Red Terror washed Ethiopian cities in blood, General Damisse made his choice. He would not merely serve. He would resist.
The plan was audacious, befitting an airman accustomed to thinking in three dimensions. On the morning of December 8, 1981, Mengistu was scheduled to depart for East Germany. General Damisse and his co-conspirators intended to shoot down the dictator’s aircraft—or, alternatively, divert it to Eritrea and capture the leader himself. A single blow to decapitate the Derg and open the path for Oromia’s liberation.
But conspiracies breathe thin air in authoritarian states. Fellow air force officers, when approached, hesitated. Some refused outright. The plot faltered, then collapsed. No missile was fired. No aircraft was diverted. No dictator fell.
The dream of an Oromo political order, forged in that moment of daring, remained unrealized.
The Exile and the Grave
What follows is contested, obscured, deliberately forgotten.
What is known: General Damisse was killed. The commander of the Flying Leopards, the veteran of Korea and Ogaden, the man who had received medals from an emperor’s hand, died at the hands of fellow officers—or of the regime they served.
His body was initially interred in Asmara, within the compound of the Catholic Church of St. Isteqs. Eritrea, then still part of Ethiopia, received the fallen general in silence. His grave marked nothing more than a name, a date, a vanished life.
But even the dead are not beyond the reach of politics.
Years later, after Eritrea had separated, after Asmara had become foreign soil, General Damisse’s remains were exhumed. They traveled south, across the border his squadron had once defended, back to the capital city where a cattle herder’s son had first dreamed of flight.
Today, they say, he rests in Finfinne. Within the compound of St. Joseph’s Church. A man displaced even in death, his final resting place known to few, visited by fewer still.
What Remains
General Damisse Bulto left no political testament. No memoirs. No public confessions or private apologies. He left only the record of his service—the medals, the missions, the promotions—and the whispered memory of a plot that failed.
To Ethiopian military history, he is an embarrassment: a decorated commander who turned against the state. To Oromo nationalists, he is a martyr: a patriot who understood that love of nation and love of people could not be separated. To his family, he is simply gone—a father, a grandfather, a name spoken in prayers.
And to the young men and women of Ada’a Berga, who still tend cattle beneath the same skies he once watched, he is a question without answer.
Who was General Damisse Bulto?
The cattle know. The grass knows. The wind that moves across the West Shewa highlands remembers the boy who became an eagle.
But the archives are silent. The grave is quiet. And the dream he died for remains, like his body, displaced—waiting for a nation that has not yet decided whether to claim him.
💔
The author acknowledges the family of General Damisse Bulto and surviving members of the Ethiopian Air Force who provided information for this profile, many of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ethiopia’s Sudan Calculus: Beyond Bystander, Toward Strategic Survival
By Hayyuu Oromia
Feature Commentary
In the discourse surrounding Ethiopia’s engagement in the Sudanese conflict, a curious expectation has taken root—one that presumes Addis Ababa should somehow transcend the very logic of statecraft that every other regional actor employs without apology.
Egypt maneuvers. The United Arab Emirates projects power. Saudi Arabia calibrates. Turkey expands. Qatar hedges. All pursue their interests with the unembarrassed clarity that sovereign states have always done. Yet when Ethiopia—a nation sharing 744 kilometers of border with Sudan, hosting hundreds of thousands of its refugees, and dependent upon stable transit corridors through its territory—dares to act in its own defense, a chorus of disapproval arises.
This double standard is not merely unjust. It is strategically naïve.
The Geography of Vulnerability
Let us state plainly what diplomatic language often obscures: Ethiopia cannot afford to be a bystander in Sudan. Not because of ideological affinity with any faction. Not because of adventurism. Not because of a governing party’s foreign policy vanity.
Because geography has already decided otherwise.
When Sudan burns, the flames do not stop at the border. They leap. They travel along ancient trading routes, through porous boundaries that no government on either side has ever fully controlled, into the ethnic borderlands where kinship ties defy colonial cartography. They arrive in the form of automatic weapons flowing into regions already wrestling with internal tensions. They arrive as refugee surges that strain already limited resources. They arrive as disrupted trade corridors upon which Ethiopian businesses and consumers depend.
Egypt does not share a border with Sudan. Its cities will not receive Sudanese refugees. Its farmers will not lose access to Port Sudan. Its traders will not watch their goods stranded at border crossings.
Ethiopia will. Ethiopia does. Ethiopia has.
The Egyptian Calculus
To speak of Ethiopia’s engagement in Sudan without referencing Egypt’s extensive involvement is to analyze a chess game while ignoring one player’s moves entirely.
Cairo has not been neutral. It has not been passive. It has not been a disinterested mediator seeking only Sudanese welfare. Egypt has actively cultivated relationships with specific Sudanese armed factions, provided political cover for certain actors in regional forums, and framed its engagement as protective of its own red lines—the most significant being the preservation of its historical dominance over Nile waters.
This is not an accusation. It is an observation of normal state behavior. Egypt, like any sovereign nation, pursues its perceived strategic interests. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam represents a fundamental shift in the region’s hydro-political balance. It would be extraordinary—indeed, irresponsible from Cairo’s perspective—if Egypt did not seek to offset this shift wherever possible.
Sudan has become an arena for that effort.
The question, then, is not whether Ethiopia should be present in Sudanese affairs. The question is whether Ethiopia can afford to be absent while its primary regional competitor works actively to shape outcomes that will directly affect Ethiopian security, economy, and water interests for generations.
The Luxury of Abstraction
Critics of Ethiopia’s Sudan policy often deploy a peculiar rhetorical maneuver. They concede that Ethiopia has legitimate interests. They acknowledge that other actors are deeply involved. They may even admit that Cairo’s activities are not purely altruistic.
And then they pivot to demand that Ethiopia nevertheless behave as though these facts did not exist—as though moral suasion were a substitute for strategic positioning, as though abstention were a viable posture in a region defined by zero-sum competition.
This is not principled foreign policy analysis. It is the luxury of abstraction available only to those who do not bear direct responsibility for national security.
Ethiopia’s policymakers do not have that luxury. They cannot instruct the military not to monitor border developments. They cannot tell intelligence services to ignore foreign powers cultivating relationships with armed groups along Ethiopian frontiers. They cannot inform the foreign ministry that diplomatic engagement with Sudanese stakeholders is somehow beneath Ethiopian dignity.
These are not policy choices. They are existential imperatives.
What Strategy Is, and Is Not
To argue that Ethiopia must be engaged in Sudan is not to endorse every specific action taken by Ethiopian officials. Strategy can be well-executed or poorly executed. Tactics can be effective or counterproductive. Decisions about which actors to engage, what pressure points to employ, and how to calibrate public and private messaging are all legitimate subjects of critique.
But critique requires an alternative framework. It must answer certain questions:
What would Ethiopian non-involvement actually look like? Complete diplomatic withdrawal? Termination of engagement with Sudanese stakeholders? Silence in regional forums while other states shape narratives and outcomes favorable to themselves?
And what would be the consequence of such withdrawal? Would Sudan become more stable? Would Ethiopian interests be better protected? Would Egypt reduce its own engagement out of reciprocal restraint?
The answers write themselves.
Survival, Not Adventurism
There is a word for a state that observes regional instability affecting its core interests and chooses deliberate inaction: it is not virtuous. It is not principled. It is not strategically sophisticated.
It is a failed state.
Ethiopia has endured enough decades of weakness, enough periods when others made decisions on its behalf, enough moments when its voice was absent from conversations determining its own fate. The current government, whatever its domestic shortcomings, has demonstrated a consistent refusal to return to that posture.
This refusal is not driven by ideological affinity with any Sudanese faction. It is not motivated by expansionist ambition. It is not evidence of some supposed Abiy Doctrine of regional interventionism.
It is survival.
The same survival instinct that led every Ethiopian government since Menelik to seek access to the sea. The same survival instinct that impelled successive administrations to pursue equitable utilization of the Nile. The same survival instinct that has kept Ethiopia engaged with its neighbors through every political transition, every change of ideology, every shift from empire to republic to federal democracy.
The Continuity Beneath Change
Governments change. Parties rise and fall. Personalities dominate headlines and then recede from memory. But Ethiopia’s strategic geography remains stubbornly constant.
The same Nile that concerned Emperor Tewodros concerns Prime Minister Abiy. The same borderlands that worried Emperor Haile Selassie worry the current National Security Council. The same imperative to prevent hostile powers from dominating Ethiopia’s periphery that animated Derg foreign policy animates EPRDF and PP administrations alike.
This continuity is not evidence of ideological capture. It is evidence of reality—unyielding, indifferent to political fashion, unforgiving of strategic negligence.
Critics who conflate temporary partisan grievances with permanent national interests may achieve emotional satisfaction. They may generate applause in certain forums. They may even convince themselves that their opposition to a particular government constitutes enlightened statesmanship.
But they do not thereby absolve themselves of the responsibility to distinguish between the party in power and the state itself. They do not exempt themselves from the obligation to think seriously about Ethiopia’s enduring strategic requirements.
And they do not alter the fundamental fact that Ethiopia—like Egypt, like every other regional state—will continue to pursue its interests in Sudan and beyond, because the alternative is not moral purity.
The alternative is strategic suicide.
Beyond the Current Moment
The Sudanese conflict will eventually resolve, as all conflicts do. The configuration of power in Khartoum will shift. Egypt will continue its engagement. Other external actors will come and go. The headlines will move elsewhere.
But Ethiopia will remain. Its geography will not change. Its fundamental interests will persist. Its need to engage with its neighbors—to protect its people, secure its economy, and defend its sovereignty—will outlast any single administration, any particular policy, any contemporary debate.
The question facing Ethiopia’s political class is not whether to support or oppose the current government’s Sudan policy. It is whether they can develop the strategic literacy to distinguish between contingent political disagreements and permanent national necessities.
Thus far, the evidence is not encouraging. But necessity, as they say, is a harsh teacher.
And Ethiopia’s geography is not finished instructing.
Two Helens, One Heartbeat: The Untold Story of the Artists Who Refuse to Let War Define the Horn
By Hayyuu Oromia|
February 12, 2026
Finfinne, Oromia — They have never shared a stage. They have never recorded together. They have never, by any public record, even met.
Yet Helen Pawlos of Eritrea and Helen Berhe of Ethiopia sing the same song.
It is a melody not written in musical notation but etched in the shared cultural fabric of the Horn of Africa—a region where borders shift but kinship endures, where politicians trade accusations and artists trade influences, where two women carrying the same name have become, however unwittingly, twin pillars of a quiet resistance against division.
This is their story.
The Eritrean Helen: Crossing When Crossing Meant Everything
ASMARA/ADDIS ABABA — The year was approximately 1998. As Ethiopian and Eritrean forces mobilized along a disputed border, preparing for a war that would claim some 80,000 lives, a fifteen-year-old girl crossed from Asmara to Addis Ababa.
She carried no diplomatic passport. She bore no peace proposal. Helen Pawlos carried only a koboro drum and a voice that would one day silence artillery.
What happened next defies the official record of those years.
While state media of both countries traded accusations of aggression and territorial violation, Ethiopian artists did something the history books rarely record. They embraced her. Haile Tadesse, Aregahegn Worash, Minalush Reta, Buzuayehu Demsse, Gossaye Tesfaye, Abnet Agonafir—legends of Ethiopia’s golden age of music—took a teenage Eritrean girl into their fold. They taught her. They performed with her. They made her their own.
“She came as a stranger but left as a sister,” recalls a veteran sound engineer who worked at Hager Fiker Theatre during those years, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Nobody asked where she was from. We only heard what she could do.”
What Helen Pawlos could do proved extraordinary. She would go on to become the “Queen of the Stage,” a polyglot vocalist fluent in Tigrigna, Arabic, Amharic, Tigre, Oromigna, and Guragigna. She recorded albums that topped charts in both countries. She performed before audiences who forgot—or simply didn’t care—that she was, technically, a foreign national.
Today, Helen Pawlos resides in Sweden. But she never stopped singing in the languages of both her homelands.
The Ethiopian Helen: From Classroom to Global Stage
ADDIS ABABA — At Menen High School, Helen Berhe was known as the girl who kept disappearing.
Her truancy had nothing to do with rebellion and everything to do with vocation. While classmates studied mathematics and biology, Berhe slipped away to Hager Fiker Theatre, pressing her face against windows, absorbing every rehearsal she could witness.
“A trainer heard me humming,” Berhe recalled in a 2019 interview with Addis Maleda. “He said, ‘Your sound should be tamed.’ Not silenced. Tamed. Those words changed my life.”
At eighteen, Berhe left Ethiopia—first for Bahrain, then Dubai. And there, in the improbable setting of Gulf hotel lounges, her Eritrean-Ethiopian story began to write itself.
She heard a Sudanese singer named Nada Algesa perform “Uzaza Allina” at the Sheraton Dubai. The melody arrested her. She approached Algesa, an artist she had never met, and asked permission to translate the song into Amharic.
Algesa said yes.
The resulting cover became Berhe’s breakthrough hit. It also became something else: a quiet testament to the cultural fluidity that predates and transcends the borders of the Horn. A Sudanese melody, reimagined by an Ethiopian vocalist, echoing harmonies that have traveled camel caravan routes for centuries—routes that do not recognize the checkpoints now bleeding into the sand.
When Berhe returned to Addis to record her 2010 album Tasfelegnaleh, she collaborated with Abegaz Kibrework and Wondimeneh Assefa, among Ethiopia’s most celebrated composers. She became a star. And somewhere in Sweden, another Helen continued singing songs in Amharic.
The Art That Precedes Politics
ADDIS ABABA/ASMARA — Cultural historians note a striking pattern: Ethiopian and Eritrean artists have repeatedly forged connections long before diplomatic normalization made such contact officially acceptable.
In 2019, at the height of the brief “medemer” rapprochement following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Nobel Peace Prize, Ethiopian painter Brihan Beyene and Eritrean painter Nebay Abraha mounted a joint exhibition at Fendeka Cultural Center in Addis Ababa. Their canvases depicted shared traditions: dressing styles, traditional dishes, coffee ceremonies, wedding songs.
“People of the two countries are just like two sides of the same coin,” Nebay told AFP at the time. “You live by sharing ideas. You live by preaching the peace. You live by preaching the love.”
Nebay had entered Ethiopia through Zalambessa when the border briefly opened—a window of movement that has since, like so much else, closed without explanation. He found Ethiopian artists who helped him exhibit, who treated him not as a foreigner but as a colleague.
“If there was no peace I wouldn’t have this chance,” Nebay said. “I would be forced to stay and protect Eritrea. So peace is the most important thing in my opinion.”
That peace, so hard-won and so celebrated, has since proven agonizingly fragile.
February 2026: Art in the Time of Renewed Tension
ADDIS ABABA — As this newspaper reports, the headlines have darkened.
“Ethiopia and Eritrea Trade Accusations as Tensions Rise.” “Eritrea Rejects Addis Claims of Troops Inside Ethiopian Territory.” The language is familiar to anyone who lived through the 1998-2000 war: false accusations, fabricated claims, acts of aggression, withdraw your troops.
Border crossings that briefly opened have been closed again, with no official explanation. Eritrean soldiers remain in Ethiopia’s Tigray region despite the Pretoria Agreement’s call for foreign troop withdrawal. The diplomatic thaw has curdled into fresh suspicion.
Yet in this poisoned atmosphere, the artists continue their work.
Helen Berhe performs regularly in Addis Ababa, her repertoire unchanged—still including Sudanese melodies, still sung with the voice that refuses to recognize cultural borders. Helen Pawlos, though based in Sweden, maintains active connections with Ethiopian musicians and producers.
Neither woman has commented publicly on the recent deterioration in bilateral relations. Neither has issued statements about troop movements or diplomatic protests.
They simply continue to create.
What the Politicians Miss
ANALYSIS — Political scientist Dr. Mahlet Shiferaw of Addis Ababa University suggests that official discourse consistently misunderstands the relationship between ordinary Ethiopians and Eritreans.
“Politicians speak of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Dr. Mahlet said. “Artists speak of something else entirely. They speak of shared childhood memories, of grandmothers who told the same stories on both sides of the border, of music that cannot be assigned a single nationality.”
Helen Pawlos sings in Oromigna and Guragigna not because it serves an Ethiopian government agenda, but because she learned those languages from Ethiopian colleagues who became her second family. Helen Berhe covers Sudanese songs not because she seeks to make a political statement about regional integration, but because the melody moved her.
This distinction—between politically motivated unity and organically cultivated kinship—may be the most important difference neither government seems to grasp.
Diaspora Dialogues: The California Connection
OAKLAND, California — In 2014, a decade before the current tensions, a remarkable experiment unfolded nearly 8,000 miles from the Horn.
Ethiopian American singer Meklit Hadero and Eritrean American filmmaker Sephora Woldu collaborated on a multimedia installation called “Home [away from] Home.” They constructed a traditional gojo/adjo—a circular hut with a conical roof, common to both Ethiopian and Eritrean architectural heritage—and filled it with interviews, photographs, and soundscapes documenting the lives of Horn of Africa immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area.
They interviewed taxi drivers. Mostly Eritrean, mostly men who had fled indefinite military conscription, they drove through the foggy streets of San Francisco and Oakland, carrying passengers whose stories they never told.
“Everybody has a family member who is a taxi driver,” Hadero said during the project’s launch. “It’s an incredible metaphor of moving in general, moving through the city, being the eyes and ears of the city.”
Woldu added: “Our people are pretty private. They don’t easily share their histories. But their stories are woven into so much of the art they create, the food they cook, the way they raise their children.”
Our people. Not their people. Our people.
The phrase hung in the California air, unremarked upon, unquestioned.
The Unfinished Duet
ADDIS ABABA/STOCKHOLM — It remains unknown whether Helen Pawlos and Helen Berhe have ever met.
Neither artist responded to interview requests for this feature. Representatives for both women declined to comment on their relationship or lack thereof. Searches of concert archives, recording credits, and photographic records reveal no documented encounter.
But the imagination supplies what documentation withholds.
“We dream of a concert,” confided a young Ethiopian musician who requested anonymity, fearing professional repercussions for speaking about Eritrea during this sensitive period. “Two Helens. One stage. One microphone between them. Can you imagine?”
She paused.
“When governments fail, artists remember how to talk to each other. It’s always been this way. It will always be this way.”
What Endures
CODA — Nebay Abraha’s 2019 words return like a refrain: You live by preaching the peace. You live by preaching the love.
The two Helens have preached this sermon for decades. Not from pulpits, but from stages. Not in diplomatic communiqués, but in the spaces between notes. Not by demanding unity, but by embodying it so naturally that audiences forget to ask where the singer was born.
This is the work that continues when treaties fail and borders close. This is the song that refuses to stop, even when checkpoints multiply and accusations fly. This is the truth that politicians cannot legislate away: that Ethiopians and Eritreans were family long before they were citizens of separate states, and they will remain family long after the current tensions recede into memory.
The Ethiopian Helen. The Eritrean Helen.
Two women. One name. One region. One heartbeat.
They have never shared a stage. But they have always shared a song.
And that song, unheard but undeniable, continues to play.
This feature was reported and written against the backdrop of renewed Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions in February 2026. The Ethiopian Herald made multiple attempts to reach Helen Pawlos and Helen Berhe for comment; neither responded by press time. The artists’ non-response should not be interpreted as endorsement or rejection of this article’s thesis.
Dhagaa Baabbilee: Nature’s Marvel Beckons Tourists to Eastern Hararghe
Oromia, Babille— Rising majestically from the rugged landscape of Eastern Hararghe Zone, the extraordinary rock formation known as Dhagaa Baabbilee stands as one of Ethiopia’s most remarkable natural wonders, offering visitors an unforgettable encounter with geological history.
Located just five kilometers from the town of Babile and approximately 40 kilometers from the ancient walled city of Harar, this fascinating volcanic rock structure is easily accessible to both domestic and international tourists seeking authentic natural experiences. The site, situated in an area locally called Dakkata, presents visitors with a stunning visual spectacle that has captivated travelers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts alike.
A Testament to Volcanic Origins
Dhagaa Baabbilee’s distinctive shape tells a story millions of years in the making. Geological experts attribute its unusual formation to ancient volcanic activity that shaped the region’s topography. Unlike typical rock formations found elsewhere in the country, these particular monoliths stand in remarkably preserved forms, their peculiar contours defying conventional expectations of natural rock structures.
Standing prominently along the roadside, the formation offers convenient viewing opportunities without requiring strenuous hiking or specialized equipment. Visitors can simply park and witness this geological masterpiece up close, making it an ideal stop for travelers journeying between Harar and Babile.
Photographer’s Paradise
For photography enthusiasts and social media content creators, Dhagaa Baabbilee presents an unparalleled backdrop. The interplay of light and shadow across the volcanic rock faces during golden hours creates dramatic compositions that have made the site increasingly popular among Ethiopia’s growing community of nature photographers.
“The way these rocks catch the morning light is simply magical,” observed Tadesse Alemu, a frequent visitor from Harar. “Every visit offers a different perspective, a new angle to appreciate.”
Gateway to Greater Exploration
The Dakkata Valley, stretching from Harar to Funyaan Bira, features an entire landscape dotted with similar volcanic formations, creating what tourism experts describe as an underutilized geological corridor with tremendous potential for adventure tourism, educational field trips, and scientific research.
Unlike many tourist destinations that offer only recreational value, Dhagaa Baabbilee serves multiple purposes. Its accessibility makes it suitable for school excursions focusing on geography and natural sciences, while history researchers find value in understanding how such formations have influenced human settlement patterns in the region.
Untapped Tourism Potential
Despite its proximity to Harar—a UNESCO-recognized heritage site that attracts thousands of international visitors annually—Dhagaa Baabbilee remains relatively unknown outside the immediate region. Local tourism stakeholders are now advocating for greater promotional efforts to integrate this natural attraction into existing tourist circuits.
“We have this magnificent resource practically at our doorstep, yet many visitors to Harar leave without knowing it exists,” said Mulugeta Tesfaye, a tourism operator based in Babile. “The potential here is enormous—for local job creation, for community development, and for diversifying Ethiopia’s tourism offerings beyond the northern circuit.”
An Invitation to Discover
As Ethiopia’s tourism sector continues recovering and expanding, destinations like Dhagaa Baabbilee represent opportunities to showcase the country’s lesser-known natural heritage. The site embodies the geological diversity that makes the Horn of Africa region scientifically significant while offering accessible adventure for casual travelers.
“We invite everyone—whether you’re a researcher seeking to understand our geological history, a photographer chasing that perfect shot, or simply someone who appreciates the extraordinary beauty of nature,” said community representative Amina Ibrahim. “Come, visit Dhagaa Baabbilee, witness this wonder of Oromia’s natural heritage, and take pride with us in this magnificent gift of nature.”
As sunset paints the volcanic rocks in shades of amber and crimson, visitors to Dhagaa Baabbilee experience what local guides describe as “the moment when stone and sky become one”—a fitting metaphor for a place where Ethiopia’s ancient geological past meets its promising tourism future.
A Call for Security, A Pledge for Protection: Oromia’s Leadership Outlines Commitment After Period of Unrest
A Call for Security, A Pledge for Protection: Oromia’s Leadership Outlines Commitment After Period of Unrest
In a direct address to mounting public concerns, a statement from Oromia’s leadership has acknowledged a sustained period of violence and insecurity, vowing to restore safety as the region’s fundamental priority. The message strikes a resonant chord with communities who have felt vulnerable, explicitly referencing the unresolved trauma of the 2016 Irreechaa tragedy as a pivotal moment of institutional failure.
“A safe nation is the foundation for everything else,” the statement declares, framing security not as a privilege but as the essential bedrock upon which economic prosperity, social development, and personal freedom are built. “Oromians cannot build their lives with confidence if they do not feel secure in their own communities.”
The frank acknowledgment of public anxiety comes after years of reported unrest involving various armed groups, inter-communal clashes, and allegations of state violence. This instability has disrupted livelihoods, deepened social fractures, and fueled a widespread demand for decisive action.
A Four-Pillar Pledge for Action
Moving beyond acknowledgment, the leadership has outlined a four-point action plan, presenting it as an unwavering commitment to its citizens:
- 🔵 Crack down on anti-Oromummaa: A pledge to confront ideologies and actions deemed hostile to Oromo identity, culture, and self-determination.
- 🔵 Tackle violent extremism: A commitment to address radicalization and violence from all sources that threaten civil order.
- 🔵 Take strong action to fight terrorism: A vow to combat groups officially designated as terrorist organizations operating within and across Oromia’s borders.
- 🔵 Secure our borders to protect Oromians: A promise to enhance control over regional boundaries to prevent cross-border incursions and the flow of weapons.
“Protecting Oromians and defending our way of life is a government’s first responsibility,” the statement concludes. “That is the standard we will uphold.”
The Shadow of Irreechaa and the Test of Trust
The explicit mention of the 2016 Irreechaa tragedy is particularly significant. During the annual Oromo thanksgiving festival that year, a deadly stampede and alleged security force actions led to hundreds of deaths, a profound national trauma that has become symbolic of a broken trust between the people and the state. By invoking it, the current statement directly ties its new security pledge to the healing of that historic wound.
The success of this pledge now rests on its translation from rhetoric into tangible, even-handed, and effective action on the ground. Observers and citizens alike will be watching closely to see if these commitments lead to a measurable decrease in violence, the protection of all communities, and the restoration of the confidence needed for Oromians to build their futures without fear. The ultimate test will be whether safety, promised as a foundation, can truly be rebuilt.
“Protecting Oromians and defending our way of life is a government’s first responsibility,” the statement concludes. “That is the standard we will uphold.”
Australia’s Untold Stories: Celebrating Refugee Contributions
Australia’s Untold Stories: New Project Celebrates the Lives and Legacies of Former Refugees
[Advocacy for Oromia] Today launched Australia’s Untold Stories, a powerful digital archive of oral histories from 12 former refugees who have rebuilt their lives and enriched the nation. The project spotlights individuals from diverse backgrounds—including Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Eritrea, Laos, South Sudan, and Vietnam—as a testament to the resilience and contributions of over a million refugees who have settled in Australia since World War II.
Body Content Structure:
You can structure the main body of your article to include the following sections:
- The Heart of the Project: Briefly explain the “why” behind the project. Emphasize its goal to move beyond statistics and present personal, human narratives of courage, loss, hope, and new beginnings. Mention the format (e.g., video interviews, written narratives) and the goal of preserving these stories for a national audience.
- Introducing the Storytellers: This is the core of your feature. Once you access the project site, select two or three compelling individuals to highlight. For each, provide:
- Name and Origin: (e.g., “Amina, who fled Afghanistan…”).
- A Glimpse of Their Journey: A brief, poignant detail from their story (e.g., the profession they left behind, a moment of danger or hope).
- Their Contribution in Australia: How they rebuilt their life (e.g., founded a community organization, became a nurse, opened a restaurant sharing their culture, raised a family).
- A Powerful Direct Quote: Pull a short, impactful line from their interview that summarizes their experience or perspective. This adds authenticity and emotional depth.
- The Broader Tapestry: Connect these individual stories to the larger historical narrative mentioned in your prompt. Discuss how these 12 stories represent the wider contributions refugees have made to Australian society over eight decades in fields like medicine, cuisine, arts, business, and community life. Acknowledge the role of welcoming communities and settlement support.
- Call to Action and Access: Direct readers clearly to where they can experience the stories. You can use the text you already have: “Through their stories, we reflect on the contributions refugees have made… Watch Australia’s Untold Stories: https://bit.ly/AustraliasUntoldStories“. Consider adding a final reflective sentence on the importance of listening and understanding.
Quotes to Incorporate (add from the videos once you watch them):
- Look for a quote from a project organizer on the vision for the archive.
- Look for 2-3 moving quotes from the featured individuals about their past, their journey, or their life in Australia.
- You could also consider including a brief quote from a historian or community leader on the national significance of such projects (if available on the site or from your own research).
Practical Next Steps:
- Visit the Direct Link: Go to
https://bit.ly/AustraliasUntoldStoriesin your web browser to watch the videos and read the full profiles. - Take Detailed Notes: As you watch, note down the names, key life events, professions, and the most powerful statements from the interviewees.
- Fill in the Template: Use the notes to populate the article structure above with specific, vivid details.
- Add a Relevant Image: If the project page provides promotional images or video stills you have permission to use, include one with your article to make it more engaging.
The Poet Who Spoke for a Continent: Remembering Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (1936-2006)
Subtitle: Ethiopia’s towering playwright, poet laureate, and pan-African visionary left a legacy that bridged tradition, revolution, and human dignity.
On a February day in 2006, in a Manhattan hospital room far from the highlands of Boda where he was born, the heart of Ethiopian letters ceased to beat. Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin – playwright, poet, pan-Africanist, and keeper of his nation’s conscience – passed away at 69, physically separated from the land he immortalized but spiritually never departed from it.
Tsegaye’s life was a testament to the power of art to shape national identity and awaken continental consciousness. Educated in the wake of Ethiopia’s liberation from Italian occupation, his genius was recognized early. While still a schoolboy, he wrote a play performed before Emperor Haile Selassie—a prophetic beginning for a writer who would spend a lifetime wrestling with the myths, heroes, and soul of his nation.
The Playwright as Patriot and Teacher
Rejecting careers in law and commerce, which he saw as “soul-destroying,” Tsegaye devoted himself to the stage. As a director of Ethiopia’s National Theatre, he became a deliberate pedagogue. He believed his country needed heroes, and through historical dramas like Tewodros and Petros at the Hour, he taught Ethiopians to respect the martyrdom, reform, and resistance that defined their past. Yet his vision was never parochial. His celebrated play The Oda Oak Oracle, a comedy of Ethiopian country life, was performed across eight nations, proving the universal appeal of locally-rooted storytelling.
The Poet as Pan-African Visionary
Tsegaye’s patriotism was expansive, firmly rooted in an Africanist worldview. A friend of Senegal’s President Léopold Sédar Senghor, he engaged deeply with the Négritude movement. His scholarship led him to trace the linguistic and cultural threads linking the Nile Valley civilizations, asserting Ethiopia’s place within a broader African continuum. This vision culminated in 2002 when his poem, calling to “make Africa the tree of life,” was adopted as the anthem of the newly-formed African Union.
The Advocate as Unyielding Conscience
Beyond the stage and page, Tsegaye was a formidable advocate for justice. He campaigned tirelessly for the return of Ethiopia’s looted heritage—the Aksum Obelisk taken by Mussolini and the priceless manuscripts pillaged from Emperor Tewodros’s fortress at Magdala. For him, these were not mere artifacts but fragments of the national soul.
In his later years, his focus broadened to the universal themes of peace and human dignity, earning him international recognition and a place in the United Poets Laureate International.
A Legacy of Unbroken Spirit
Confined to exile by the medical necessity of dialysis, Tsegaye became a spiritual anchor for the diaspora, affectionately known as Blattengetta—the great scholar. His seminal poem, “Prologue to African Conscience,” remains a piercing critique of post-colonial malaise, warning of “luxury and golden chains that free the body and enslave the mind.”
Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin taught us that to look forward, a people must first learn to look deeply into their own past and see themselves within the grand tapestry of their continent. He was not just Ethiopia’s poet laureate; he was Africa’s scribe, a visionary who understood that true freedom lives in the stories we tell, the history we reclaim, and the conscience we dare to awaken.
Galatoomaa, Blattengetta. Your footprints in time are indelible.
Urgent Action: Halt Ethiopia TPS Termination Now
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
URGENT PETITION: HUMANITARIAN GROUPS PLEA FOR LAST-MINUTE HALT TO ETHIOPIA TPS TERMINATION
With just 48 hours remaining before a critical deportation protection expires, the Oromia Support Group (OSG) is issuing a global call to action. A petition on Change.org, directed at Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, demands the immediate rescission of the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Ethiopia, including the Oromo people.
The termination, set for February 13, will revoke the legal right of approximately 2,200 Ethiopians to live and work in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decision, announced last year, concludes that conditions in Ethiopia—a country grappling with recent conflict, severe drought, and ongoing human rights concerns—no longer warrant temporary humanitarian protection.
“This decision implies Ethiopia is now a safe place to deport people to, which contradicts the reality on the ground,” said Dr. Trevor Trueman, Chair of the Oromia Support Group. “We are in a race against time to prevent the return of individuals to a situation of extreme peril.”
The petition explicitly holds Secretary Noem, who oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), accountable. It references controversial ICE actions, alleging the agency has “detained thousands of immigrants, including children, in hostile detention centres many hundreds of miles from their homes, families, and legal representatives.” The petition frames the appeal as a chance for the public to “register disapproval of the actions of the DHS, including ICE.”
Dr. Trueman specifically addressed potential concerns about the petition’s organizer, the Ethiopian American Association. He emphasized it is a young, non-partisan organization with no nationalistic bias within Ethiopia. “Unlike other similarly-named organisations, it does not exhibit an anti-Oromo bias,” he stated, noting that its President, Aga Ambissa Ayana, is a former Oromo refugee himself, whom Trueman met in Nairobi in 2010 prior to his resettlement in the U.S.
Advocates warn that without TPS, beneficiaries will face imminent deportation to a country still recovering from a devastating civil war and facing severe humanitarian crises in several regions, including Oromia. The termination affects those who have built lives, families, and careers in the U.S., often for several years.
The Petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/…/protect-tps-holders-of…
About the Oromia Support Group:
The OSG is a UK-based advocacy organization focused on human rights and political issues concerning the Oromo people of Ethiopia.
Contact: Dr. Trevor Trueman, Chair, Oromia Support Group.
###
Note to Editors: The DHS has stated the termination is based on a thorough assessment of country conditions. Requests for comment from the Department of Homeland Security on this specific petition were not immediately returned.
Love and Understanding: Join Our Online Peace Academy
Subtitle: Join the Australian Religious Peace Academy (ARPA) for an Evening of Dialogue, Trivia, and Shared Insight
In a world that often highlights our differences, we believe peace begins with a simple, courageous act: choosing to understand one another.
We warmly invite you to the February Australian Religious Peace Academy (ARPA) Interfaith & Intercultural Dialogue—an interactive gathering designed to inspire connection, curiosity, and shared insight across cultures and faiths.
Event Details:
- 📅 Date: Tuesday, 24 February
- 🕐 Time: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
- 📍 Location: Online via Zoom
- 🔗 Registration: https://forms.gle/oCCwzo6p3LqKoq3L6
This Month’s Theme: “Love Starts with Understanding”
We will explore how empathy, open dialogue, and a willingness to learn from one another can transform relationships and strengthen our communities. When we take time to truly understand, love grows naturally—and peace becomes possible.
What to Expect:
This will be a lively and interactive evening! We’ll engage through a game of cultural and religious trivia, where you’ll have the opportunity to discover new perspectives, put your knowledge to the test, and build genuine understanding in a welcoming and enjoyable space.
We’ll also introduce our upcoming major event, the International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA), beginning on Saturday, 28 February. Learn how this global gathering invites us to build religious harmony through deepening our understanding of one another’s faiths and lived experiences.
Whether you are new to ARPA or a returning participant, your voice and presence matter. We would be honoured to have you join us for this meaningful and uplifting session.
Let’s come together to learn, connect, and rediscover how understanding can be the true starting point of love and lasting peace.
Please register via the link above to secure your spot and receive the Zoom details.
#ARPA #InterfaithDialogue #Intercultural #LoveStartsWithUnderstanding #Peacebuilding #Community #OnlineEvent #ReligiousHarmony #AustralianDialogue
A Titan’s Farewell: Seattle Bids Final Goodbye to Obbo Maammaa Argoo, Pillar of the Oromo Struggle
Subtitle: A Hero’s Funeral at Bole International Airport Honors a Life of Service, From Shashamanne to Seattle.
SEATTLE, USA – Under solemn skies, the global Oromo community gathered at Bole International Airport to perform the final rites of honor (Sirna Simannaa) for a true giant of the Oromo struggle and a foundational pillar of the diaspora: Obbo Maammaa Argoo.
His passing marks not just a personal loss, but the closing of a chapter in modern Oromo history. Obbo Maammaa Argoo was a man who never left the side of his people, fighting for Oromumma until his final breath, as his life story powerfully attests.
The dignified funeral service was attended by elders, prominent figures, political leaders, and countless community members, a testament to the vast and profound impact of his decades of unwavering service.
A Life of Action, From the Heart of Oromia to the Heart of the Diaspora:
Born in 1946 in Shashamanne, West Arsi, Obbo Maammaa Argoo’s commitment to his people ignited early. In the 1960s, he and his peers launched literacy campaigns in their local area, establishing schools and teaching in remote villages—a foundational act of empowerment.
After immigrating to the United States in 1989, settling first in Washington D.C. and then moving to Seattle in 1992, he immediately began serving the Oromo community with visionary leadership. He helped build the Seattle Oromo community from the ground up, serving in various leadership capacities.
His legacy is etched in the preservation of identity. For over 27 years, he tirelessly organized weekly programs to teach Oromo children their language, culture, history, and sense of self—ensuring the flame of Oromumma burned bright in a new land.
He was also a key architect of unity and institution-building. His instrumental role in founding the Oromo Soccer Federation and Sports Association in North America (OSFNA) stands as a monumental achievement, creating a lasting platform for community cohesion, pride, and networking across the continent.
A Man of Family and Principle:
Beyond his public life, Obbo Maammaa Argoo was a devoted family man, a loving husband, and a father to five children. He was widely known as a steadfast advocate for human rights and actively participated in numerous charitable and social service initiatives in Seattle.
Today, as we lay him to rest at Bole International Airport, we do not say goodbye to his spirit. We commit to carrying forward the institutions he built, the language he taught, and the unwavering love for Oromia he embodied. His name will forever be synonymous with dedication, resilience, and the boundless potential of community service.
Rest in perfect peace, Obbo Maammaa Argoo. Your work is done, but your light will forever guide our path.
#MaammaaArgoo #OromoHero #SeattleOromo #OSFNA #OromoDiaspora #RestInPower #Simannaa
In His Light, We Remember: A Candlelight Vigil for Professor Asmarom Legesse
Subtitle: An Evening to Honor the Scholar Who Illuminated the Soul of the Oromo Nation
The flame of a candle does more than push back the darkness; it creates a space for memory, for gathering, and for honoring a light that once burned brilliantly among us. Join us as we come together in quiet solidarity to celebrate the life, legacy, and eternal wisdom of Professor Asmarom Legesse.
Professor Legesse was more than an anthropologist; he was a guardian of civilization. His seminal, tireless work was the bedrock upon which the world came to understand the sophistication, depth, and democratic brilliance of the Gadaa System. Through his meticulous scholarship, he did not merely study Oromo history—he preserved its constitutional soul for future generations, affirming its place in the global canon of indigenous political thought.
His dedication was an act of profound love for the Oromo people, ensuring our identity is documented with the academic rigor and dignity it deserves. His legacy is an indelible mark on our history, a torch that continues to guide scholars, leaders, and all who seek justice rooted in ancient wisdom.
You are warmly invited to an evening of reflection, prayer, and shared light.
- Host: OLF Victoria Chapter
- Date: Saturday, 14th February 2026
- Time: 5:30 PM onwards
- Location: Ross House Association, Level 4, 251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 3000
Let us gather, candles in hand, to share stories, offer prayers, and reaffirm our commitment to the principles he so eloquently championed. In the soft glow of our collective light, we will ensure that his wisdom is never extinguished.
Let his wisdom shine eternally.
#ProfessorAsmaromLegesse #GadaaSystem #OromoHistory #CandlelightVigil #MelbourneEvent #OLFVictoria #LegacyOfLight
The Seed of Culture: Oromo Heritage Training Takes Root at Grassroots in Yaaballo
Subtitle: Local and Village Leaders Empowered as Standard-Bearers of Cultural Revitalization
YAABALLO, BORANA ZONE, OROMIA – In a significant move to ground cultural preservation in community leadership, a comprehensive Oromo Cultural Heritage Training (Leenjii Haaromsa Aadaa Oromo) has been successfully delivered to administrators at the woreda (district) and village levels in Yaaballo.
The training, held on Gurrandhala 2, 2018, is part of a sustained, multi-year strategy. It falls under the broader Oromo Cultural Heritage Revitalization Strategic Plan (2017-2027) and the specific annual plan for 2018, signaling a long-term, institutional commitment to preserving Oromo identity.
In his opening remarks, Yaaballo Woreda Administrator, Obbo Boruu Diida, framed the initiative as foundational to nation-building. “Cultural heritage is not merely about expressing our identity,” he stated. “It is the very pillar of peace, social cohesion, and prosperity. Therefore, cultural revitalization must be adopted as a core agenda and implemented vigorously at all levels.”
Echoing this sentiment, Obbo Soraa Halakee, Head of the Woreda Prosperity Party Office, highlighted the multidimensional importance of culture. “Cultural heritage plays a critical role in social, economic, and political life,” he said. He called on all community structures to work in an integrated manner and urged the youth to actively engage in revitalization work, which will help “preserve valuable traditions and transform detrimental practices.”
The message from Addee Simenyi Aschaloo, Head of the Woreda Public Mobilization Office, positioned the training as a key implementation of the Oromia regional government’s flagship cultural policy. “This cultural revitalization is a strategy to reinstate our forefathers’ morning rituals in every household, to change work habits, and to strengthen the stage, knowledge, and economy of the Oromo people,” she explained. “It goes beyond restoring lost culture; it plays a paramount role in shaping the ongoing social, economic, and political transformations.”
Participants in the training engaged actively, sharing perspectives and unanimously emphasizing that every individual must play their part in making this cultural revitalization a reality and in returning lost heritage to its rightful place.
Why This Matters:
This training represents a top-down support for bottom-up change. By equipping local leaders—the figures closest to the people—with knowledge and a clear mandate, the initiative ensures that cultural preservation is not a distant policy but a living, community-driven practice. It recognizes that sustainable cultural vitality begins with empowered local stewardship.
#OromoCulture #AadaaOromo #CulturalHeritage #HaaromsaAadaa #Yaaballo #Borana #CommunityLeadership #Oromia
The Power of the Table: Why Choosing to Sit Down is Africa’s Greatest Political Strength
A Look at the Psychological, Democratic, and Social Benefits of Dialogue
Across our world, diverse societies are navigating complex conflicts and seeking their own solutions, evolving with the times. While African communities have long-held methods for resolving disputes, there is one universal, key action that binds them all: choosing to sit down and talk.
The act of sitting down to negotiate is a cornerstone of national dialogue, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding processes. What positive contributions does it make? The following points explain:
👉 Psychological Benefits:
Studies in this field show that when conflicting parties willingly sit down to talk, numerous psychological advantages emerge. When people sit down to dialogue, they enter a state of mental calm. By exercising self-control and utilizing their capacity for reason, their stable personality is actualized. This creates a favorable condition for discussion and debate, moving away from raw emotion and toward reasoned exchange.
👉 Democratic Benefits:
The act of sitting down to negotiate is, in itself, a demonstration of achieved equality. When all parties sit for discussion, it is a visible sign that none are inherently superior to the others. Furthermore, in forums like national dialogues, people gathering in a circular formation helps balance power dynamics, symbolizing that all voices hold space and that no single position dominates.
👉 Benefits Based on Social Trust:
In a national dialogue process, the preparation and willingness of all stakeholder groups to sit together and talk in unity builds mutual trust. It moves parties away from thinking, “The other side wants to destroy us,” and instead permits them to express their opposition, concerns, and desires, and to listen to the other’s. This fosters and deepens trust, which is the essential foundation for any lasting agreement.
The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission embodies this critical philosophy. By creating the literal and figurative table around which Ethiopians can sit, it seeks to harness these very benefits—psychological calm, democratic equality, and social trust—to navigate the nation’s complex challenges. The simple, profound act of taking a seat is the first step in moving from confrontation to conversation, and from conflict to shared understanding.
#Dialogue #Peacebuilding #NationalDialogue #ConflictResolution #Africa #Ethiopia #SocialCohesion
Where Land, Life, and Legacy Converge: Discovering Borana National Park
Subtitle: A Journey into Southern Oromia’s Sanctuary of Wildlife, Culture, and Resilience
Far from the well-trodden tourist circuits, in the heart of southern Oromia, lies a landscape that breathes with a raw and majestic spirit. Borana National Park is more than a protected area; it is a profound narrative of coexistence, etched across vast rangelands and under a boundless sky.
Here, nature asserts itself not in dense forests, but in the stunning expanse of a unique dryland ecosystem. This is a land of subtlety and strength, where life has adapted with ingenious resilience. The golden grasslands and acacia woodlands are a stage for an iconic ensemble of wildlife: herds of graceful Grant’s zebras and gerenuks (giraffe gazelles) silhouetted against the horizon, the haunting call of spotted hyenas at dusk, the dignified stride of the rare and resilient wild camels, and a vibrant symphony of diverse bird species that fill the air.
Yet, the soul of this park is not found in wildlife alone. Borana National Park is a living testament to a deep cultural heritage. This land has been shaped and sustained for centuries by the Borana Oromo people and their sophisticated Gadaa system—a holistic sociopolitical and environmental governance philosophy. The park is intrinsically linked to their pastoral traditions, their sacred wells, and a deep-rooted ethic of communal stewardship and balance with nature.
This creates an extraordinary blend of nature, culture, and community. Visiting Borana National Park offers a chance to experience authentic community-based tourism. It’s an opportunity to learn directly from Borana guides, understand the Gadaa principles that have conserved this landscape, and witness a way of life that respects the delicate equilibrium of the ecosystem.
Come for the wildlife, stay for the wisdom.
- Witness the breathtaking drama of the African drylands.
- Connect with one of humanity’s oldest and most sustainable democratic systems.
- Support tourism that empowers local communities and preserves a priceless heritage.
Borana National Park is not just a destination to see; it is a profound experience to feel and understand. It is a place where every sweeping vista tells a story of survival, where every animal sighting reflects a legacy of co-existence, and where the journey leaves you with a deeper appreciation for the intricate tapestry of life and culture.
Plan your journey to where the wild meets the wise. Discover Borana National Park.
#BoranaNationalPark #Oromia #EthiopiaTravel #CommunityTourism #GadaaSystem #WildlifeConservation #CulturalHeritage #ExploreAfrica
Odaa Nabe: A Pilgrimage to the Sacred Root
*The Eternal Return to the Spiritual Heart of the Oromo Nation
The journey is never just a physical one. When feet leave the familiar ground of Dirree Ulfoo and turn toward the hallowed expanse of **Odaa Nabe**, a deeper movement begins—a movement of the spirit, a return to source.
**Odaa Nabe is not merely a location.** It is the **Galma Amantii Waaqeffannaa**—the spiritual center, the ancestral anchor, the very **root and sanctuary** of the Oromo worldview. Under the immense, sacred *Odaa* (sycamore) trees, the cosmic order (*Ayaana*) is felt in the rustle of leaves, the foundational law (*Seera*) of the people was nurtured and proclaimed, and the democratic spirit of the *Gadaa* system drew its first breath. To stand in Odaa Nabe is to stand at the birthplace of a civilization’s soul.
The pilgrimage from any corner of Oromia—from the fields of Ulfoo or the peaks of the spiritual center—is therefore an act of remembrance and reaffirmation. It is an acknowledgment that our identity, resilience, and moral compass are woven from the threads of history spun in this sacred grove. It is where we remember who we are, not just in the present, but across the vast expanse of time.
And so, as we make this journey in our hearts or with our feet, as we honor the legacy it holds, we send forth a prayer that is also a declaration of hope:
“Odaa Nabe. Kan milkii nuuf haa ta’u!”
“Odaa Nabe. May it be a source of blessing for us!”
This blessing we seek is multifaceted. It is the blessing of **wisdom** to navigate modern complexities with ancient integrity. It is the blessing of **unity** that once flourished under its branches. It is the blessing of **strength** to protect our heritage and our land. It is the blessing of **peace** that aligns our society with the natural and divine order.
In a world of constant noise and fragmentation, Odaa Nabe remains a silent, powerful testament to harmony, justice, and connectedness. Let us cherish it, protect it, and draw from its deep well. May its sacred legacy continue to be a living fountain of milkii—of grace, prosperity, and unwavering identity—for generations to come.
A Presidential Visit and a Promise: Stewardship for Baale’s Crown Jewels
Subtitle: Oromiya President Sheik Hassan Ali’s inaugural visit to Baale underscores a commitment to its natural and cultural heritage.
BAALE, OROMIYA – In a move symbolizing both connection and commitment, the inaugural President of the Oromiya Regional Government, Mr. Sheik Hassan Ali, chose the landscapes of Baale for one of his first official visits. The focus of his tour was a profound engagement with the region’s most iconic natural treasures: Mount Tulluu Diimtuu and the sacred waters of Bishaan Gurraacha, both core components of the Baale Mountains National Park.
The visit was more than a ceremonial stop. It was a strategic statement. By physically standing at the foot of Tulluu Diimtuu and observing the serene flow of Bishaan Gurraacha, President Sheik Hassan Ali placed the stewardship of Oromiya’s environmental heritage and the wellbeing of its communities at the forefront of his administration’s agenda.
“This visit by our first President is a powerful signal,” said local guide and community representative, Abebe Dida. “These are not just tourist sites for us. Tulluu Diimtuu is our fortress and our sanctuary. Bishaan Gurraacha is life and history flowing. To see our highest leader come here to witness them firsthand gives us hope that their protection and sustainable development will be a priority.”
The Baale Mountains National Park is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance, home to endemic species and ancient ecosystems. Tulluu Diimtuu, with its commanding presence, and Bishaan Gurraacha, a site of deep cultural and spiritual significance, represent the intertwined natural and cultural identity of the Oromo people in the region.
The presidential tour is expected to catalyze several key initiatives:
- Strengthened Conservation: Renewed efforts to protect the park’s fragile ecology from deforestation, land degradation, and unsustainable practices.
- Community-Centric Tourism: Developing a sustainable tourism model that benefits local communities directly, preserving cultural integrity while creating economic opportunities.
- Infrastructure for Preservation: Potential investment in the careful infrastructure needed to allow both citizens and visitors to experience these wonders responsibly, without harming the environment.
In pausing to behold the majesty of Tulluu Diimtuu and the serenity of Bishaan Gurraacha, President Sheik Hassan Ali did more than survey a landscape. He acknowledged a legacy. His presence reaffirmed a pact between the new regional government and the land itself—a promise to honor, protect, and wisely shepherd these crown jewels of Oromiya for generations to come. The true work begins now, transforming the symbolism of the visit into lasting policy and tangible guardianship.
A Torch Against the Night: The Unyielding Legacy of Jaal Muudaa
In the Story of One Fearless Warrior, We See the Blueprint for a People’s Liberation
There are figures whose lives do not merely belong to history books; they become maps. They chart a course for a people, a set of coordinates that future travelers can use to navigate their own storms. Among the Oromo people, Jaal Muudaa stands as one such landmark—a “gameessa” (brave fighter), whose name itself is a chronicle of resistance and a guidepost for the ongoing struggle.
The core of his legacy is captured in a powerful phrase: “Obsaa fi kutataa ba’aa garbummaa hunda danda’ee dabarsuun akkataa qabsoon itti jiraatuuf kan fakkeenya ta’ee jiru.” – “He demonstrated the ability to break through all the nets and traps of colonialism, setting an example of how the struggle must be waged.”
This is not simple praise; it is a technical manual for liberation, inscribed in courage.
First, the Nets and Traps of Colonialism (Garbummaa). Oppression is never a simple, brute force. It is a sophisticated system. It weaves nets of psychological subjugation, economic dependency, and cultural erasure. It sets traps of division, collaboration, and despair. It aims not just to control the body, but to entangle the spirit.
Second, The Ability to Break Through (Danda’ee Dabarsuun). Jaal Muudaa’s greatness lies in this active verb. It is a declaration of agency. He was not just a victim of the system; he was a master of its subversion. He studied the nets, found their weak threads, and cut through. He saw the traps before they snapped shut and stepped over them. This required more than physical bravery; it demanded profound strategic intelligence, a deep knowledge of his enemy, and an unshakeable clarity of purpose.
Third, The Enduring Example (Akkataa Qabsoon itti Jiraatuuf). Herein lies his immortal contribution. He did not just win battles; he modeled a method. He showed that the seemingly invincible machinery of oppression has flaws. He proved that a determined, principled, and strategic resistance is not futile. He became a fakkeenya—a living example—demonstrating how to organize, how to resist, and how to maintain integrity in the face of immense pressure.
Today, as new forms of control and assimilation present themselves, the example of Jaal Muudaa remains critically relevant. The nets and traps have evolved—they may now be digital, economic, or political—but the fundamental need to see them clearly, dare to resist, and forge a strategic path through them remains unchanged.
He teaches us that liberation is not a gift; it is a capability that must be developed, a path that must be carved by those willing to break through. His life is a testament that the struggle endures not as a cycle of suffering, but as a continuous, conscious act of breaking barriers and passing on the knowledge of how it is done.
In honoring Jaal Muudaa, we do more than remember a hero. We recommit to studying his craft. We pledge to see the nets for what they are, to cultivate the courage to cut them, and to walk the path he helped clear, ensuring the struggle for justice, dignity, and true freedom lives on, just as he showed us how.
Gullallee: The Land That Speaks Truth, The People Who Bear History
In the heart of Oromia, there exists more than a place. There exists a testament. Gullallee is not merely a location on a map; it is a platform, a sacred ground where the truth and rights of the Oromo people are voiced and affirmed. It is a stage where history is not just remembered but actively performed, and where the echoes of those who were silenced for speaking Oromo truth are amplified and heard. Their stories emerge here. Their legacy is made visible here.
Gullallee stands as a powerful symbol of resilience. It is where voices rise to declare dhugaa (truth) and haqa (justice), confronting oblivion and demanding recognition. It is also hallowed ground that commemorates the fallen—the thinkers, poets, activists, and ordinary people who boqotan (rest) because they dared to speak that truth. Their names, their struggles, and their principles are not buried with them; they are resurrected in the collective memory and determination of those who gather. At Gullallee, history is not a closed book but an open gathering, a living conversation between the past and the present.
The profound statement that “Gullallee is a land of history, but not only its land—it is the people who stood there, who reside there, who are the ones that possess and know history,” captures its essence perfectly. This insight shifts the focus from geography to humanity. The power of Gullallee does not emanate solely from its soil, but from the feet that have stood upon it, the voices that have resonated across it, and the communities that embody its spirit. The land becomes historical because of the people who have consecrated it with their purpose, their courage, and their unwavering commitment.
These are the people who qabu (possess) history—not as a passive inheritance, but as a living, breathing responsibility. They are the ones who beeku (know) history—not as mere facts, but as a narrative of identity, struggle, and aspiration that must be carried forward. They are both the custodians and the continuators.
Thus, Gullallee transforms into more than a site. It is an idea. A promise. A continuous assembly where the Oromo nation asserts its rightful place, honors its martyrs, and reaffirms its journey toward justice. It is where the land and its people become one—a unified, undeniable force declaring that truth cannot be silenced, and history cannot be erased.
In every gathering, in every utterance of truth, Gullallee lives on. It is the eternal meeting ground where the past speaks, the present listens, and the future is shaped.
Korri Lammii Buundhaa: Cimsannaa Aadaa Oromoo
Kora Lammii akka Dirree Sabaatti: Akkamitti Korri Lammii Buundhaa Hundee Tokkummaa Aadaa Oromoof Mootora Ta’e
Amboo Ejersaatti Korri Lammii Buundhaa ardaalee Jaha jiraniif Aadaa fi Safuu Cimsuuf Ta’e
AMBO EJERSA, OROMIA — Dirree aduudhaan jiidhe naannoo Boojii irratti, sagaleen sirba kora lammii Buundhaa waa’ee eenyummaa fi duudhaalee callisaa, gadi fagoo ta’e waliin walsimsiisaa jira. Wanti akka jalqabbiilammii keessaatti jalqabe gara taatee hawaasaa guddaatti guddateera, korri lammii haaromsa aadaa wajjin haala wal hin tuqneen wal makaa jira.
Dorgommiin Kora Lammii Amboo Ejersaa dargaggoota Oromoo ardaalee adda addaa ja’a: Itayyaa, Amboo, Meexxii, Maatiii, Waddeessaa, fi Shanan irraa walitti fiduun milkaa’inaan walitti fiduun isaa ni yaadatama. Walga’iin isaanii walgahii caalaa; itti yaadanii gocha hawaasummaa deebi’anii walitti hidhamuudha. Kaayyoon giddu-galeessaa, akkuma hirmaattotaa fi qindeessitoonni walqixa ibsaman, waancaa bira darbee kan babal’atudha: Korri lammii aadaa aadaa (aadaa) fi safuu (seera naamusaa fi naamusaa) Oromoo cimsuuf akkamitti humna cimaa ta’uu akka danda’u qorachuuf yaalii walooti.
“Kaayyoon waltajjii marii uumuu ture,” jechuun qindeessaan korichaa ibseera. “Goolii fi qusannaa qofaaf osoo hin taane, haasa’uuf, dhaggeeffachuu fi eenyu akka taane yaadachuuf. Humna korichaa fayyadamuun waa’ee bu’uuraalee keenyaa marii boba’aa jirra.”
Mul’ata kanaaf dhugaa ta’ee, cinaa fi iddoowwan hawaasaa naannoo dirree jiran gara waltajjii marii boonsaatti jijjiiramaniiru-marii hawaasaa bal’aa, gadi fageenya qabu. Maanguddoonni, daawwattoonnis hojiirra oolmaa qabatamaa safuu jireenya ammayyaa keessatti, kunuunsa afaanii fi seenaa afaaniin dubbatamu, akkasumas gahee dargaggoonni akka guca aadaatti qaban irratti ofumaan marii irratti bobba’aa jiru.
”Korri Lammii kun maagneetiidha, garuu haasofni kun qabeenya dhugaati,” jedhan jaarsi buleeyyiin yeroo akeeka isaa ibsan. “Miseensi Kora Lammii Waddeessaa akaakayyuu Itaayyaa irraa dhufe tokko waliin taa’ee waa’ee kabajaa fi hawaasaa haasa’uu arguun… aadaan akkasitti hafuura baafata. Duudhaaleen kun kitaabota qofa keessatti osoo hin taane, gocha keenya guyyaa guyyaa keessatti akka ta’an akkamitti mirkaneessina.”
Miirri garmalee hirmaattota biratti mul’atu gammachuu fi itti quufinsa gadi fagoodha. ”Hirmaachuuf qofa hin dhufne,” jedhe miseensi Kora Lammii Buundhaa irraa dhufe. “Walqabsiisuuf dhufne. Jarreen kana waliin walarguu, achiis nyaachuu fi booda isaan waliin haasa’uu-dallaa ijaan hin mul’anne ni diiga. Akka ummata tokkootti akka cimnu nu taasisa.”
Miira namoota hedduu kan dhageessisan, hirmaattonni saganticha gaalee Afaan Oromoo humna guddaa qabuun wal irraa hin cinne ibsu: “Korre lammii kun waan haalan nama gammachisuu dha,” hiikni isaas, “Lammummaan hawaasaa kun waan gammachuu gadi fagoo, onnee irraa madde fiduudha.”
Korri Lammii Buundhaa Amboo Ejersaa akka moodeela dirqisiisaa sochii aadaa bu’uuraa ta’ee dhaabbatee jira. Meeshaaleen lubbuu ummata tokkoo kunuunsuuf gargaaran yeroo hunda dhaabbilee idilee keessatti akka hin argamne, garuu jaalala waloo kora lammii, dorgommii fi eenyummaa waliinii irraa maddu akka danda’an agarsiisa. Taphi kora lammii yommuu dhihaatu, injifannoowwan waaraa asitti argaman qabxiidhaan osoo hin taane, walitti hidhamiinsa cimee fi waadaa haaromfameen hambaa Oromoo boonsaan fuulduratti ceesisuuf akka madaalamu ifaadha.
Oromo in Boji Becomes a Hub for Oromo Cultural Revival
Subtitle: Generations of Buundhaa Return Home, Spark Cultural Revival and Unity in Boji
AMBO, OROMIA – The dusty fields of Boji have transformed into a vibrant arena of unity and cultural pride. This week, the Ambo Ejersa social fabric and shared identity kicked off, achieving what few events have done recently: seamlessly bringing together the sons and daughters of Oromia from towns across the region and beyond its borders.
In a powerful display of shared identity transcending geography, generations of Buundhaa from the local Boji area have been joined on the pitch by teams representing Oromo communities from Itaya, Ambo, Meexxii, Maatii, Wadessa, and Shanan. The gathering, organized at a grassroots level, has become more than a local meeting competition; it is a homecoming and a unifying social festival.
“This is truly something that brings joy to the heart,” said one elder spectator, watching a match. “Seeing our generations, from here and from distant places, compete as brothers, wearing our shared identity with pride… it is powerful.”
Beyond the thrilling matches and skilled displays on the field, the community gathering around the tournament has taken on a deeper significance. Attendees, from players to elders to families, have spontaneously engaged in collective discussions, or marii, focusing on vital issues of Oromo culture (aadaa) and moral-ethical values (safuu). These dialogues aim to revisit, reaffirm, and revitalize these core societal pillars in a contemporary context.
“This tournament is a goal scored for our unity,” said a local organizer from Ambo. “We came to play our commitment, but we are staying to rebuild the bonds between us. We are talking about who we are, our values, and how to carry them forward. The energy is incredible.”
The spontaneous cultural discourse alongside the cultural event highlights a community-driven initiative to strengthen social fabric and shared identity. The return of strengthen social fabric and shared identity to participate has infused the gathering with a renewed sense of collective purpose and optimism.
Local administrators have praised the peaceful and constructive nature of the event, noting it as a model for community-led engagement and social cohesion.
As the strengthen social fabric and shared identity progresses towards its final match, the sentiment on the ground is clear: the true victory is not just the lifting of a trophy, but the strengthening of a people. The Ambo Ejersa has become a living testament to the enduring power of shared identity, culture, and community to inspire and unite.
Waan haalan nama gammachisudha, as the people here say—it is indeed something that brings profound joy.
In the Shadow of the Comet: The Unseen Architects of a Revolution’s Soul
Subtitle: A Tribute to the Silent, Steadfast Pillars of the Oromo Liberation Struggle
They are the steady heartbeat beneath the drum of revolution. From its very founding to this day, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has been profoundly shaped by a unique cadre of leaders: those who shun the spotlight, who cloak themselves in modesty, yet who hold the ideals and objectives of the OLF aloft like a fixed star, ensuring it shines undimmed. This tradition has grown immensely from yesterday to today, and it continues to grow.
These individuals possess a resilience and patience that is unshakable. Within the OLF, and indeed among all supporters and sympathizers of the Oromo cause, we often pass by them, seeing them as ordinary. And because the OLF is what it is—a cause, not a mere party—the organization and its followers are not always quick with lavish praise and flattery. This is not a flaw; for it is said that a fighter is dignified by his work, not by a group or clique.
Nevertheless, we must not take this for granted. And so today, I have come with a humble bouquet of remembrance and reflection; not merely to praise, but to remind you.
My humble bouquet is for a man who, from the spring of his youth to the maturity of his years, played a lion’s role in the Oromo cause. A man who served as everything from a soldier to a political leader within the OLF, who is slow to speak, deliberate in action, endowed with a rich spirit and exemplary character: Jaal Gammachis Tolasa. We speak from the little we know, for we lack the capacity to fully express who Jaal Gammee is.
As mentioned, Jaal Gammachis is among those who obscure themselves to make the OLF’s aim and objective shine like a star. He is one who has dedicated and continues to dedicate immense work, time, and energy to this end.
Jaal Gammee speaks little, but works abundantly; his patience, discipline, and wisdom are formidable.
He was raised in the love of his people, and he loves the OLF and its cause as his own life.
To Jaal Gammee, we say: may you be healthy for us. We honor you.
The Unsung Code:
In a world that often mistakes noise for strength and visibility for value, the OLF’s silent architects operate by a different code. Their leadership is not etched in loud proclamations but in the quiet consistency of action. They build not monuments for themselves, but fortifications for the idea they serve. Their strength lies in a profound understanding that the revolution’s light must not be refracted through the prism of individual ego, but must emanate purely from the collective star of liberation.
The Legacy of Steadfastness:
Figures like Jaal Gammachis Tolasa represent the critical spine of any enduring struggle. They are the keepers of institutional memory, the anchors in stormy political seas, and the living embodiment of strategic patience. While orators ignite the fire, it is they who ensure the coals burn steadily through the long night. Their “lack” of public acclaim is, in fact, a testament to their success; their identity has successfully merged with the cause, making their personal story secondary to the collective history they are helping to write.
A Call for Recognition:
This reflection is not an attempt to create cults of personality. It is a necessary correction, a reminder to a community and a movement to consciously honor its own ethos. To look beyond the stage and see the builders of the stage itself. To remember that the most radiant stars are often those whose light reaches us from the deepest, quietest parts of the universe.
The Oromo liberation journey, long and arduous, is paved with the silent sacrifices of its Gammachises. They ask for no parades. But they deserve our deepest remembrance and respect. For in guarding the purity of the star, they guard the destiny of the nation.
Fayyaa nuuf haa ta’u, Jaal Gammee. Isin jenna.
Honoring Oromo Scholars: Asmarom Legesse and Hamdesa Tuso
A Legacy Forged in Scholarship and Struggle: ABO Honors Professors Asmarom and Hamdesa
(WAJJJIRA, MUUMMEE GLLALLETTI, FEBRUARY 07, 2026) – Under the solemn banner of memory and celebration, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) today convened a ceremony of profound significance at its headquarters. The gathering paid tribute to two intellectual giants who dedicated their lives to the Oromo cause: the late Professor Asmarom Legesse and Professor Hamdesa Tuso.
The event, more than a memorial, served as a powerful reaffirmation of the inseparable bond between academic rigor and the national struggle. It drew a distinguished assembly of Oromo elders (Hayyoota), scholars, OLF leadership—including Chairman Jaal Dawud Ibsa—and numerous members of the community, all united in gratitude and reflection.
In a poignant address, Chairman Jaal Dawud Ibsa spearheaded the tribute by dismantling what he termed “the great lies of Professor Asmarom Tulu.” This direct refutation underscored the ceremony’s deeper purpose: to reclaim historical truth and honor those whose scholarship authentically served the Oromo people. The chairman and other speakers extended particular gratitude to Eritrean nationals who have steadfastly supported the Oromo liberation struggle through the OLF, singling out Gaaxaseessaa Tesfaayee G/Ab for his exemplary role.
The ceremony highlighted the enduring impact of the two professors. Professor Asmarom Legesse was celebrated for his groundbreaking anthropological research, most notably his seminal work Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society. His scholarship did not merely document Oromo culture; it presented the Gada system to the world as a profound and democratic form of governance, pulling Oromo history from the shadows of a repressive past (bar dukkanaa) into the global light.
“Oromummaa (Oromo national identity) is not just about blood,” one speaker affirmed, echoing the professors’ legacy. “It is a great symbol. During that dark era, rather than simply placating Habasha hegemony, it was Asmarom who made the world accept that the Gada system is a great and democratic governance tradition.”
Professor Hamdesa Tuso, a revered philosopher and peace scholar, was honored for his relentless dedication to framing Oromo liberation within universal principles of justice, human rights, and ethical philosophy. His work provided the intellectual and moral framework that elevated the struggle beyond mere political contestation.
A poignant moment arose with the participation of Obbo Dirribi Damise, former head of the Oromo Broadcasting Service (WMT). His presence symbolized the bridge between scholarly work and public dissemination. Speakers expressed deep gratitude for his role in carrying the professors’ profound knowledge of Oromo affairs to the world, ensuring their insights reached a broad audience.
The gathering was not only a look backward but a call to the future. The elders and leaders issued a clear directive to the younger generation (dhaloota): the monumental work begun by Asmarom and Hamdesa remains unfinished. They must take up the mantle and continue it.
In a powerful closing sentiment, the elders emphasized the collective responsibility to this legacy. “Professor Asmarom has left an unforgettable mark that other Oromos can emulate,” they stated. “We must internalize the mission he started and left for us, and pledge to carry it forward.”
Today’s ceremony in Wajjira solidified a central truth for the Oromo movement: that the pen and the resolve for freedom are allies in the same fight. The legacy of Professors Asmarom Legesse and Hamdesa Tuso stands as a challenging and illuminating torch, guiding the path toward both intellectual sovereignty and national liberation.
A Generation Passing: On the Legacies of Tussoo and Legesse
By Alemayehu Diro
Commentary
When two intellectual pillars of a people fall within a span of two months, it is not merely a moment for mourning. It is a historical event, a closing of a distinct chapter, and a profound test of a community’s capacity to be its own custodian. The passing of Professors Hamdeessaa Tussoo and Asmarom Leggesse represents precisely such a rupture. Their collective departure compels a reckoning not just with what has been lost, but with the monumental, unfinished work they have bequeathed.
These were scholars whose lives formed a powerful dialectic. Professor Tussoo, a foundational pillar of the Oromo Studies Association, wielded the scalpel of political science and history. His works—The Survival of Oromo Nationalism, The Oromo Problem and U.S. Foreign Policy—were acts of intellectual demystification, systematically dissecting the structures of domination and articulating the “Oromo question” on a global stage. His was the scholarship of confrontation, dismantling the “mythical Ethiopia” brick by academic brick.
Professor Legesse, in contrast, wielded the archeologist’s brush and the anthropologist’s deep gaze. His seminal works, Gadaa: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society and Oromo Democracy, were acts of majestic reconstruction. He did not just study an indigenous system; he resurrected its sophisticated architecture for the world, proving that democracy, checks and balances, and rule of law were not Western imports but African traditions practiced for centuries. His was the scholarship of reclamation, restoring a pillar of cultural and philosophical identity.
Together, they formed a complete intellectual front: one deconstructing the prison, the other rebuilding the home. Their shared mission was to arm the Oromo people with the two most powerful weapons against erasure: a true history of their oppression and a true understanding of their innate capacity for self-governance.
The personal recollection of Professor Legesse in forums like the GPAAC meetings is illuminating. His insistence on discussing Gadaa even while representing Eritrean civil society was not mere academic interest; it was a lifelong vocation. His profound insight—that Oromo unity (tokkummaa) is not an abstract goal but a lived reality woven through the exogamous fabric of their social life—reveals the depth of his understanding. He saw the political in the cultural, the unity in the everyday, long before it became a slogan.
This is why his unfinished agenda, shared in private conversation, is not a personal footnote but a collective mandate. His five visionary projects—from translating Oromo Democracy into Afaan Oromoo to developing a Gadaa-based educational curriculum—are not merely items on a to-do list. They are the blueprint for the next phase of intellectual sovereignty. They represent the critical work of moving from explaining a system to institutionalizing its wisdom for future generations.
Herein lies the true challenge and the call to action. The passing of this generation of intellectual giants—Tussoo, Legesse, and before them, figures like Sesay Ibsaa—creates a daunting vacuum. But it also presents a clear, urgent charge. Their legacies are not passive monuments to be admired; they are active toolkits to be used. The responsibility now falls squarely upon institutions like the Oromo Studies Association, universities within Oromia, and a new generation of scholars to pick up the threads of these unfinished projects.
To honor Professor Tussoo is to continue the rigorous, unflinching analysis of power structures. To honor Professor Legesse is to build the educational systems and cultural institutions that can breathe continuous life into the Gadaa philosophy. Their work was, in essence, a single project: the restoration of Oromo agency in history and in the future.
Their physical voices are silent, but their scholarship shouts. The question now is who will answer. The highest tribute to these “giant scholars” will not be found in eulogies alone, but in the determined, collaborative effort to complete the monumental tasks they envisioned. To ensure their history remains dignified, their memory indestructible, and their contributions timeless, the work must continue. Bol’a isaanii daadhiin haa guutu—may the earth rest lightly upon them. But may their unfinished work weigh heavily upon us, guiding our hands and sharpening our minds in the struggle they so brilliantly illuminated.
Revealed: Internal Talks on War Crimes by Ethiopian and Eritrean Leaders
Internal Communication Reveals Ethiopian and Eritrean Leaders’ Concerns Over War Crimes Accountability
5 February 2026 – Internal communications from the early stages of the Tigray War, revealed in former Ethiopian official Gedu Andargachew’s open letter, show that the leadership of Ethiopia and Eritrea privately expressed concern over potential legal consequences for alleged human rights violations, while publicly denying them.
According to the letter, in January 2021, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tasked Gedu with delivering a message to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. The message included a warning that “supporters of the TPLF and foreign forces who do not want good relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have launched a widespread defamation campaign through various international organizations and media regarding human rights violations.”
The message, as conveyed by Gedu, stated that this issue “could expose us to serious accountability if left to fester, so we must exercise shared caution.”
President Isaias Afwerki’s reported response, as detailed in the letter, was one of alignment and caution. He allegedly agreed that “all possible caution should be taken” and that both sides should issue instructions to their respective structures. He then reportedly added, “Beyond that, there is still much work to be done based on the agreement that Isaias and I have reached.”
The letter states that Gedu, after receiving these instructions, reported back to PM Abiy that the meeting had been positive and that Isaias emphasized the need for caution regarding human rights allegations.
This private exchange, now made public, stands in stark contrast to the official wartime narratives from both capitals, which largely dismissed reports of atrocities. It reveals that at the highest levels, the potential for “serious accountability” was a recognized risk from the outset of the conflict.
Gedu’s letter presents this communication as evidence that his mission to Asmara was focused on coordinating a political and legal defense, not on addressing the humanitarian situation, stating that “no message whatsoever concerning the suffering of the people of Tigray was conveyed.”
For more detail see the official Amharic letter of Gedu Andargachew
Ethiopian Ex-Foreign Minister’s Open Letter Challenges PM Abiy’s War Accounts
Former Ethiopian Foreign Minister Challenges PM Abiy’s War Narrative in Explosive Open Letter
ADDIS ABABA – 5 FEBRUARY 2026 – In a remarkable and unprecedented public rebuke, Gedu Andargachew, a former high-ranking Ethiopian official, has published a detailed open letter directly contradicting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s account of Eritrea’s role in the Tigray war and alleging the PM displayed open contempt for the Tigrayan people.
The letter, addressed to “His Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed,” is a point-by-point rebuttal of statements Abiy made in Parliament on February 3, 2026, where the Prime Minister cited Gedu as a witness regarding Ethiopia-Eritrea relations.
Direct Challenge on Eritrea’s Role
Gedu’s most significant claim fundamentally alters the official narrative of the 2020-2022 war. He asserts that the Eritrean army was a consistent, integrated ally of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) from the very beginning.
“From the outset of the war in Tigray until it was halted by the Pretoria Agreement, there was hardly a moment when the Eritrean army was not fighting alongside the Ethiopian National Defense Forces,” Gedu writes. He provides a specific military detail, alleging that when Tigrayan forces advanced into the Amhara region in mid-2021, “the Eritrean army operated as far as the vicinity of Debre Tabor.”
He states the two armies functioned as “a single force” and only ceased joint operations after the Pretoria ceasefire was announced, directly challenging narratives that sought to minimize or obscure the extent of Eritrean involvement.
Allegations of Moral Failure and Deflection
The letter accuses PM Abiy of avoiding responsibility for the war’s catastrophic human toll. “After such widespread destruction, I expected that you would seek forgiveness from both the people of Tigray and the people of Ethiopia,” Gedu states. Instead, he claims the Prime Minister engages in “distorted” storytelling to “deflect responsibility.”
Gedu links the Tigray conflict to ongoing crises in Amhara, Oromia, Benishangul, and Gambella, arguing they are “primarily the result of your weak governance and the mistaken belief that political survival requires perpetual conflict.”
Explosive Claim of Abiy’s Contempt for Tigrayans
The letter’s most incendiary passage recounts a private meeting Gedu says occurred after the capture of Mekelle in late 2020. After Gedu advised establishing civilian rule to avoid fueling resentment, he claims Abiy summoned him and expressed a radically different view.
Gedu quotes the Prime Minister as allegedly saying:
“Gedu, do not think the Tigrayans can recover from this defeat and rise again. We have crushed them so they will not rise… Who are the people of Tigray above? We have broken them so they will not rise again. We will break them even further. The Tigray we once knew will never return.”
Gedu presents this as evidence of Abiy’s “true attitude toward the people of Tigray.”
Denying a Secret Humanitarian Mission
Gedu forcefully denies Abiy’s parliamentary claim that he was sent to Eritrea as a special envoy concerning atrocities in Tigray. He clarifies he resigned as Foreign Minister “within days of the outbreak of the war.”
He confirms a single trip to Asmara in early January 2021 but describes a mission with three military-focused objectives: congratulating President Isaias Afwerki on joint operations, thanking Eritrea for hosting the shattered Northern Command, and coordinating a response to mounting international “human rights violations” allegations.
Critically, Gedu claims that when he suggested asking Eritrea to withdraw its forces—as the international community demanded—Abiy explicitly forbade it. “You explicitly instructed me not to raise this issue under any circumstances,” he writes. He states unequivocally that “no message whatsoever concerning the suffering of the people of Tigray was conveyed.”
A Call for Historical Truth
Presented as a necessary act of conscience, Gedu’s letter concludes, “This is the truth as I know it.” It stands as a direct challenge from within the former political establishment to the Prime Minister’s version of history, demanding a reckoning with the war’s conduct and moral consequences that, the author implies, has yet to occur.
The Prime Minister’s office has not issued an immediate public response to the allegations.
For more detail see the official Amharic letter of Gedu Andargachew
For more information see the English copy of the letter of Gedu Andargachew
Gedu Andargachew: To Abiy Ahmed: Regarding Statements Made in Parliament
Press Release
February 5, 2026
To: His Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
From: Gedu Andargachew
Subject: Regarding Statements Made in Parliament Referencing My Name Your Excellency,
On February 3, 2026, during the address you delivered before Parliament, you spoke about the causes of the disagreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea and, in doing so, cited my name as a witness. I became aware of this through a video clip that was recorded and shared with me.
As you yourself noted in that speech, such matters should be properly documented for the historical record. For this reason, and without adding to or subtracting from the facts, your remarks compel me, in good conscience, to clarify the truth as I know it.
1. From my side, I had no intention of offering public commentary on matters related to Eritrea–Ethiopia relations. I hold the view that the history between these two sister countries has been marked by deep bitterness and therefore requires exceptional care and responsibility. For this reason, I had decided to remain silent about what I know.
From the outset of the war in Tigray until it was halted by the Pretoria Agreement, there was hardly a moment when the Eritrean army was not fighting alongside the Ethiopian National Defense Forces. Moreover, when Tigrayan forces advanced into the Amhara region in the summer of 2021, the Eritrean army operated as far as the vicinity of Debre Tabor.
The Ethiopian National Defense Forces and the Eritrean army ceased joint military operations only after the ceasefire announced under the Pretoria Agreement. Until then, they functioned effectively as a single force. If any distinction existed, it was that during the lull following the second phase of the war, after Tigrayan forces withdrew from the Amhara region, Eritrean commanders were not included when Ethiopian commanders were highly promoted.
2. After such widespread destruction, I expected that you would seek forgiveness from both the people of Tigray and the people of Ethiopia. Instead, when I observed the issue being presented in a distorted manner, I chose to respond only to the specific matter you raised.
The devastation inflicted during the war in Tigray by all parties involved, was so severe that it has left the people of Tigray struggling to survive. Attempting to absolve oneself by assigning responsibility exclusively to one party does not remove legal, political, or moral accountability. On the contrary, it prevents the country from learning the necessary lessons to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
In truth, during that war, the people of Tigray had no government or political force that stood firmly by their side. The limited support they received came from a small number of Ethiopian political figures, international organizations, and certain foreign governments. This is an uncomfortable but accurate account of our recent national history.
3. Had you sought to repair your severely damaged relationship with the people of Tigray, I would have been among those who welcomed such an effort. Instead, you showed no sign of remorse for past mistakes and attempted to deflect responsibility for the massive loss of life, destruction of property, social fragmentation, and the country’s existential crisis by shifting blame to others.
This deeply alarmed me. It appears that you are attempting to manufacture a new crisis at a time when the country is already overwhelmed by instability. While you and your administration bear primary responsibility for the disasters suffered by our people, you consistently attribute these failures to external conspiracies.
The war in Tigray, the atrocities being committed against the Amhara people, the protracted war in Oromia, the violence in Benishangul, the recent conflict in Gambella, and numerous other crises across the country are, in my view, primarily the result of your weak governance and the mistaken belief that political survival requires perpetual conflict.
4. With this context in mind, I now address the specific claim you made in Parliament concerning my alleged role as your envoy to Eritrea.
Your assertion that I was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs after the outbreak of the war in Tigray, and that I was sent to Eritrea as your messenger regarding crimes committed against the people of Tigray, is entirely false. It is a complete fabrication. I stepped down from my position as Minister of Foreign Affairs within days of the outbreak of the war, something you could not have forgotten.
Unless this misrepresentation is intended to manufacture justification for future harm to the country and its people, my tenure as Foreign Minister and my later trip to Eritrea are entirely unrelated.
5. You further called upon me to serve as a witness to support your claim that you sent me to Eritrea with a message stating, “Do not harm my people,” in reference to the suffering of civilians in Tigray. In this matter, too, you have committed a serious error.
Because the truth as I know it is fundamentally different, I cannot serve as a credible witness for such a claim. If you seek a witness whose testimony contradicts the facts, you would need to look elsewhere.
If I were to speak honestly about your true attitude toward the people of Tigray, it would differ greatly from what you have stated publicly. One of the issues that most angered you during the war was the mere act of raising concerns about abuses committed against the people of Tigray.
I recall, from my own experience, a meeting of the Executive Committee convened to celebrate what was described as the defeat of the TPLF within three weeks and the capture of Mekelle. An assessment was presented stating that the people of Tigray had largely remained neutral, viewing both the attack on the Northern Command and the military response as equally problematic.
Based on this assessment, I cautioned that efforts must be made to calm the population, prevent lawlessness, restrain victorious forces from abusing civilians, rapidly establish civilian administration, and allow the region to be governed by its own people. Otherwise, I warned, mistreatment would only revive support for the TPLF.
Although you appeared to accept this view during the meeting, you later summoned me privately and expressed a very different perspective. You stated:
“Gedu, do not think the Tigrayans can recover from this defeat and rise again. We have crushed them so they will not rise. People keep saying ‘the people of Tigray, the people of Tigray.’ Who are the people of Tigray above? We have broken them so they will not rise again. We will break them even further. The Tigray we once knew will never return.”
Subsequently, when international pressure mounted to negotiate with the Tigrayan forces, you publicly stated that the strategy was to gradually render Tigray ineffective. In my view, this accurately reflects your true attitude toward the people of Tigray.
6. The only element of your parliamentary remarks that contains a partial truth concerns my trip to Eritrea. Although I cannot recall the exact date, in early January 2021 you sent me, accompanied by a Foreign Ministry official, to deliver a message to President Isaias Afwerki. I arrived in Asmara the following day and returned shortly thereafter.
The message consisted of three points:
1. Conveying congratulations to President Isaias on the joint success of the coordinated military operation against the TPLF.
2. Expressing gratitude to the Eritrean government and people for receiving members of the Northern Command and providing support that enabled their recovery and counteroffensive.
3. Warning that supporters of the TPLF and foreign actors opposed to Eritrea–Ethiopia relations were conducting a widespread campaign accusing both of us of human rights violations, which could expose us to serious accountability, and that we should remain vigilant and take coordinated action.
After receiving these instructions, I raised one question: given that we had publicly declared the war over and the international community was demanding the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Ethiopia/ Tigray, why not we formally request such a withdrawal?
You explicitly instructed me not to raise this issue under any circumstances. I complied and carried out the mission. No message whatsoever concerning the suffering of the people of Tigray was conveyed. At the time, your sole concern was the potential consequences of human rights allegations, not the suffering of civilians at all.
Upon arrival in Asmara, we met President Isaias and delivered the message. There was no disagreement regarding its contents. When the issue of human rights allegations was raised, President Isaias responded that both sides should exercise caution and issue appropriate instructions, adding that there remained further work to be done based on his prior agreement with you.
I have no knowledge of the details of any such agreement. After concluding the discussion, we returned to Addis Ababa. The following day, I called and reported to you that the meeting had been positive and that President Isaias had emphasized caution regarding human rights allegations. That concluded our exchange.
This is the truth as I know it.
Respectfully,
Gedu Andargachew
Oromo Federal Congress Pays Tribute to Professor Legesse
Oromo Federal Congress Honors Professor Asmarom Legesse: “The Star of Your Scholarship Will Not Fade”
(Finfinnee, Oromia – February 5, 2026). – The Oromo Federal Congress (OFC) has issued a powerful and culturally resonant statement mourning the passing of Professor Asmarom Legesse, hailing him not merely as a distinguished scholar but as a “hero of great intellect” whose life’s work was a “sacrificial investment” in Africa’s intellectual reawakening.
The statement, rich with tributes to his scholarly legacy, positions Professor Legesse’s work as a defiant act of intellectual reclamation. It asserts that at a time when African political systems were “dismissed as relics” by Western scholars, Professor Legesse “provided scientific evidence” to prove the Oromo people possessed a sophisticated system of “negotiation, equality, and democracy” long embedded in human history.
The OFC specifically highlighted the professor’s foundational texts, “Gadaa: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society” and “Oromo Democracy,” praising them for doing more than recording history. These works, the statement says, “restored the dignity” of the Oromo people and irrefutably proved that democracy was not a “foreign concept imported to African countries” but a lived reality for the Oromo for centuries.
The Congress emphasized the practical impact of his research, crediting it with playing a “leading role” in the successful inscription of the Gadaa System as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage. Furthermore, his work ensured the Gadaa system was recognized globally as a “source of world democracy.” For the KFO and the Oromo people, the statement notes, his research formed a “great foundation for the development of our culture and unity.”
Looking toward the future, the OFC underscored the enduring relevance of his scholarship. By studying the checks and balances and peaceful transfer of power within Gadaa, Professor Legesse provided the current generation with “a great tool of knowledge” to build their identity and governance upon. His work, the statement declared, has provided “indisputable evidence” for the Oromo struggle for self-determination and democratic rights.
The tribute concluded with a poetic and culturally profound farewell, stating: “Although his body has departed from us, his soul will not die; his light will remain in the orbit of the Gadaa star forever. Professor Asmarom Legesse, may the earth rest lightly upon you.”
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About the Oromo Federal Congress (OFC):
The Oromo Federal Congress is a political organization advocating for the rights and self-determination of the Oromo people within a federal Ethiopian framework. Its statement reflects the deep intersection of academic scholarship, cultural identity, and political aspiration in the Oromo national movement.
Gadaa Bank Honors Professor Asmarom Legesse’s Legacy
Gadaa Bank Mourns the Loss of a Guiding Intellectual: Professor Asmarom Legesse
(Finfinnee, Oromia – 5 February 2026) The Board of Directors, Management, and Staff of Gadaa Bank have announced their profound sorrow at the passing of Professor Asmarom Legesse, the eminent scholar and preeminent global authority on the Oromo Gadaa system. In an official statement of condolence, the institution extended its deepest sympathies to his family, relatives, and the entire community, wishing them strength and solace.
The bank’s statement carries a unique and symbolic significance. As a financial institution that bears the name “Gadaa,” its tribute to the scholar who dedicated his life to studying, documenting, and elevating this indigenous democratic system represents more than a standard corporate condolence. It is a poignant acknowledgment of the intellectual and cultural foundations that underpin its very identity.
Professor Asmarom Legesse’s pioneering scholarship, particularly his seminal texts “Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society” (1973) and “Oromo Democracy: An Indigenous African Political System” (2000), is credited with transforming global understanding of the Gadaa system. His work meticulously detailed its sophisticated architecture—built on principles of rotational leadership, term limits, checks and balances, and public accountability—revealing it as a self-originating model of African democracy. His efforts were instrumental in UNESCO’s 2016 inscription of the Gadaa system as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The tribute from Gadaa Bank underscores the professor’s dual legacy: as a towering academic figure and as a cultural pillar whose work provides a source of pride and a framework for modern institutions. While the bank’s core operations are financial, its namesake connects it to a heritage of governance, social order, and communal responsibility—principles that Professor Legesse spent a lifetime elucidating for the world.
In expressing grief, the institution implicitly honors the connection between contemporary enterprise and ancestral wisdom. The statement serves as a powerful reminder of how indigenous knowledge, once brought to light and validated by scholars of Professor Legesse’s caliber, can resonate across all sectors of society, inspiring identity and purpose.
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About Gadaa Bank:
Gadaa Bank is a private financial institution in Ethiopia, committed to providing inclusive banking services. Its name honors the enduring legacy of the Gadaa system, reflecting values of governance, fairness, and community development.
Borana University Remembers Professor Legesse: Indigenous Knowledge Advocate
Borana University Mourns a Beacon of Indigenous Knowledge: Professor Asmarom Legesse
(Yabelo, Oromia – February 5, 2026) Borana University, an institution deeply embedded in the cultural landscape it studies, today announced its profound sorrow at the passing of Professor Asmarom Legesse, the preeminent anthropologist whose lifelong scholarship fundamentally defined and defended the indigenous democratic traditions of the Oromo people. The University’s tribute honors the scholar not only as an academic giant but as a “goota” (hero) for the Oromo people and for Africa.
In an official statement, the University highlighted Professor Legesse’s “lifelong dedication to understanding the complexities of Ethiopian society—especially the Gadaa system,” crediting him with leaving “an indelible mark on both the academic and cultural landscapes.” This acknowledgment carries special weight from an institution situated in the heart of the Borana community, whose traditions formed the bedrock of the professor’s most celebrated work.
The tribute detailed the pillars of his academic journey: a Harvard education, esteemed faculty positions at Boston University, Northwestern University, and Swarthmore College, and the groundbreaking field research that led to his seminal texts. His 1973 work, “Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society,” was cited as revolutionary for revealing “the innovative solutions indigenous societies developed to tackle the challenges of governance.”
It was his 2000 magnum opus, however, that solidified his legacy as the definitive voice on the subject. In “Oromo Democracy: An Indigenous African Political System,” Professor Legesse meticulously documented a system characterized by eight-year term limits for all leaders, a sophisticated separation of powers, and the Gumi assembly for public review—a structure that presented a centuries-old model of participatory democracy. “His insights challenged prevalent misconceptions about African governance,” the University noted, “showcasing the rich traditions and political innovations of the Oromo community.”
For his unparalleled contributions, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from Addis Ababa University in 2018.
Perhaps the most powerful element of the University’s statement was its framing of his legacy beyond academia. By “intertwining the mechanics of the Gadaa system with the broader narrative of Oromo history and cosmology,” Professor Legesse was credited with fostering “a profound understanding of Oromo cultural identity.” It is for this work of preservation, interpretation, and transmission that he is declared “a hero—a goota—to the Oromo people and to Africa as a whole.”
Looking forward, Borana University management has called upon its students and faculty to honor his memory through “ongoing research and discourse on indigenous governance systems,” ensuring his foundational work continues to inspire new generations of scholars.
The entire university community extended its deepest condolences to Professor Legesse’s family, friends, and loved ones, mourning the loss of a true champion of Oromo culture and a guiding light in the study of African democracy.
About Borana University:
Located in Yabelo, Borana Zone, Oromia, Borana University is a public university committed to academic excellence, research, and community service, with a focus on promoting and preserving the rich cultural and environmental heritage of the region and beyond.
A Scholar Immortal: Prof. Asmerom Legesse’s Legacy Lives in the Hearts of a Nation
5 February 2026 – Across the globe, from the halls of academia to the living rooms of the diaspora, the Oromo community is united in a chorus of grief and profound gratitude. The passing of Professor Asmerom Legesse at the age of 94 is not merely the loss of a preeminent scholar; it is, as countless tributes attest, the departure of a cherished friend, a fearless intellectual warrior, and an adopted son whose life’s work became the definitive voice for Oromo history and democratic heritage.
The outpouring of personal reflections paints a vivid portrait of a man whose impact was both global and deeply intimate. Olaansaa Waaqumaa recalls a brief conversation seven years ago, where the professor’s conviction was unwavering. “Yes! It is absolutely possible,” he declared when asked if the Gadaa system could serve as a modern administrative framework. “The scholars and new generation must take this mantle, think critically about it, and bridge it with modern governance,” he advised, passing the torch to future generations.
This personal mentorship extended through his work. Scholar Luba Cheru notes how Professor Legesse’s 1973 seminal text, Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society, became an indispensable guide for her own decade-long research on the Irreecha festival. She reflects, “I never met him in person, but his work filled my mind.”
Ituu T. Soorii frames his legacy as an act of courageous resistance against historical erasure. “When the Ethiopian empire tried to erase Oromo existence, Professor Asmarom rose with courage to proclaim the undeniable truth,” they write, adding a poignant vision: “One day, in a free Oromiyaa, his statues will rise—not out of charity, but out of eternal gratitude.” Similarly, Habtamu Tesfaye Gemechu had earlier praised him as the scholar who shattered the conspiracy to obscure Oromo history, “revealing the naked truth of the Oromo to the world.”
Echoing this sentiment, Dejene Bikila calls him a “monumental figure” who served as a “bridge connecting the ancient wisdom of the Oromo people to the modern world.” This notion of the professor as a bridge is powerfully affirmed by Yadesa Bojia, who poses a defining question: “Did you ever meet an anthropologist… whose integrity was so deeply shaped by the culture and heritage he studied that the people he wrote about came to see him as one of their own? That is the story of Professor Asmerom Legesse.”
Formal institutions have also affirmed his unparalleled role. The Oromo Studies Association (OSA), which hosted him as a keynote speaker, stated his work “fundamentally reshaped the global understanding of African democracy.” Advocacy for Oromia and The Oromia Culture and Tourism Bureau hailed him as a “steadfast guardian” of Oromo culture, whose research was vital for UNESCO’s 2016 inscription of the Gadaa system as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Binimos Shemalis reiterates that his “groundbreaking and foundational work… moved [Oromo studies] beyond colonial-era misrepresentations.” Scholar Tokuma Chala Sarbesa details how his book Oromo Democracy: An Indigenous African Political System proved the Gadaa system was a sophisticated framework of law, power, and public participation, providing a “strong foundation for the Oromo people’s struggle for identity, freedom, and democracy.”
The most recent and significant political tribute came from Shimelis Abdisa, President of the Oromia Regional State, who stated, “The loss of a scholar like Prof. Asmarom Legesse is a great damage to our people. His voice has been a lasting institution among our people.” He affirmed that the professor’s seminal work proved democratic governance originated within the Oromo people long before it was sought from elsewhere.
Amidst the grief, voices like Leencoo Miidhaqsaa Badhaadhaa offer a philosophical perspective, noting the professor lived a full 94 years and achieved greatness in life. “He died a good death,” they write, suggesting the community should honor him not just with sorrow, but by learning from and adopting his teachings.
As Seenaa G-D Jimjimo eloquently summarizes, “His scholarship leaves behind not just a legacy for one community, but a gift to humanity.” While the physical presence of this “real giant,” as Anwar Kelil calls him, is gone, the consensus is clear: the intellectual and moral bridge he built is unshakable. His legacy, as Barii Milkeessaa simply states, ensures that while “the world has lost a great scholar… the Oromo people have lost a great sibling.”
Oromo Liberation Front Honors Professor Asmerom Legesse’s Contributions
Oromo Liberation Front Mourns the Passing of Intellectual Pillar, Professor Asmerom Legesse
Finfinnee, March 4, 2026 – The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has issued a formal statement of profound grief, marking the passing of Professor Asmerom Legesse, whom it hailed as a “great historian” and an “intellectual pillar of the Oromo struggle.” In a detailed tribute released today, the OLF emphasized that the death of the 95-year-old scholar, a global authority on the Oromo Gadaa system, represents not just an academic loss but the departure of a “true sibling” to the Oromo people.
Born in Asmara, Eritrea, in 1931, Professor Legesse was celebrated by the OLF for a lifetime of work that went far beyond scholarship. The statement described his research as an “act of cultural reclamation” that systematically documented and presented the Gadaa system to the world, revealing it as a sophisticated African democratic tradition. His work, the OLF noted, provided irrefutable proof that principles such as “equality, rotational leadership, checks and balances, and the supremacy of law” were not foreign imports but deeply embedded practices of the Oromo people.
The OLF’s tribute positioned Professor Legesse’s academic contributions within the broader context of Oromo political identity and resistance. It credited him with restoring dignity to a history that had been “marginalized and distorted” and for providing the intellectual foundation that allowed the Gadaa system to gain global recognition, including its inscription by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The statement poignantly noted that the scholar, while Eritrean by birth, became “Oromo by choice,” a sentiment that reflected his deep solidarity and lifelong engagement with the Oromo community. His extensive fieldwork, particularly with the Borana Oromo, was highlighted as a bridge that connected ancestral wisdom to contemporary understanding.
“While his voice is now silent, his work and his history will live on for generations,” the OLF statement read, affirming that Professor Legesse’s legacy is an “indelible part of Oromo history” that will continue to guide future generations toward truth and knowledge.
The OLF extended its deepest condolences to his family, relatives, friends, and the entire Oromo nation. It called upon the global Oromo diaspora and communities everywhere to participate, as circumstances allow, in memorial ceremonies honoring the scholar, stating that such acts of remembrance are a fitting way to “demonstrate gratitude for the great service this scholar rendered to our people’s struggle.”
The funeral service for Professor Asmerom Legesse is scheduled for February 7, 2026.
About the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF):
The Oromo Liberation Front is a political organization founded in 1973, advocating for the right to self-determination of the Oromo people. It has been a central institution in the modern Oromo national movement, seeking to address historical and political grievances through the establishment of an independent or autonomously democratic Oromia.
Advocacy for Oromia 