Monthly Archives: October 2019

Why the Borana people of Kenya and Ethiopia name their children 2 or 3 years after birth

By Global News 

Borana Tribe Mother Carrying Her Baby, Yabelo, Ethiopia

By THEODORA AIDOO |

The naming ceremony of a new baby is one of the most important rites of passage in life.

In traditional African society, the naming ceremony announces the birth of a newborn, introduces the child to his or her extended family and the larger community, and above all, it confers on the child a name.

The name given to a baby can have an enduring influence on their personality and upbringing. Usually, the circumstances surrounding the birth of an African child coupled with several factors influence the names parents choose for their children.

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African names reveal a lot of information about a baby ranging from emotions, events surrounding the birth, culture, order of birth, day of birth, faith, time of the day or season and ancestry.

ALSO READ:  ECOWAS single currency threat to the West —Sierra Leonean envoy

Naming ceremonies are practised by many countries in Africa with methods differing over cultures and religions. The timing at which a name is assigned can vary from some days to months after birth.

In some rare cases, as in the case of the Borana people, it takes years to name a baby.

The Borana Oromo are currently located in Ethiopia and Kenya, with a few in Somalia. Pic credit: South World

The Borana Oromo are currently located in Ethiopia and Kenya, with a few in Somalia. They are also called the Boran, a subethnic section of the Oromo people who live in southern Ethiopia (Oromia) and northern Kenya.

They speak a dialect of the Oromo language that is distinct enough. The Borana people are notable for their historic Gadaa political system and they follow their traditional religions – Christianity and Islam, according to accounts.

Unlike the other African countries, when a baby is born in the Borana community, a name is not instantly given to the child until the child turns 2 or 3-years. They give the child a name in a special ceremony two or three years after the child has been born.

This means that naming ceremonies only happen occasionally among the Boranas. There are specific names for specific children; some names are said to be preserved for firstborns only.

A Kenyan elder, Kosi Billingaa, in an interview with BBC, revealed that until the children are named, they are called random names.

Quite a number of people would be wondering why it takes such a long time to name a child and why the names of the babies are not determined before they are born.

But what makes this interesting is that Africa is home to many unique people and culture. According to Billingaa, their naming culture was inherited from their forefathers.

Another interesting twist is that when the time is nigh for the naming ceremony, which involves a gathering of community members, parents who are unable to hold the ceremony probably due to financial constraints can seek help from relatives.

The actual day of the naming ceremony is determined by the elders and the festivities, which include blessing, singing, dancing and eating, could last for three days.

The Borana are one of the resulting groups of Oromo migrants who were reported to have left the southern highlands of Ethiopia in the 1500s. The Oromo had migrated east but were pushed back by the Somali leading to greater southern expansion.

There are almost 4 million Borana people mostly living in Ethiopia, according to reports.

The Ethnologue reports that ethnic Oromo in Ethiopia number about 30,000, making the cluster as a whole the largest cultural-ethnic block.  These various Oromo groups speak several languages that are not mutually intelligible.

“Eight days before the ceremony, a large hut, the Galma, is built and the child’s father invites the family’s numerous relatives to the naming ceremony. Each guest to the event brings an Oodha full of curdled milk as a gift and that is why the ceremony takes place after the heavy spring rains have greened up pastures that provide abundant forage for cows,” a report on SouthWorld explaining the details of the naming festivities said.

The Galma hut. Pic Credit: southworld.net

“The arrival of the guests from the nearby villages indicates that the party is about to start. Seven people, the Torban, help the baby’s father throughout the event,” the report added.

It further said that “two sticks, five twigs (one of which is bigger than the others), and a big branch are placed in a row before the entrance of the cow fence. One of the sticks, the Wades, is for the baby’s father; the other, the Danis, is for the baby.”

“Two of the twigs, the Ootti, are placed above the door of the Galma; the others, including the largest one, are put on the wall at the bottom of the hut. The branch, called Gulanta, is located in the center of the place.”

The following video has more:

BBC News Africa

✔@BBCAfrica

“We don’t name children just after they are born. We wait.”

The Borana people of Ethiopia & Kenya can wait up to three years after their children are born to name them. It all revolves around this traditional ceremony…

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Read the Original Article on Face2FaceAfrica.com

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Oromia’s spring festival in capital after 150 years

Ethiopia‘s Oromo community is celebrating its annual spring season festival of Irreecha.

But for the first time in 150 years, the celebration is being held in the capital, a city many Oromo leaders argue is part of their territory.

The move has raised concerns of reigniting ethnic tensions.

Al Jazeera’s Robyn Kriel reports from Addis Ababa.

The last few years of Irreecha celebrations, held outside Addis Ababa, have been marred by protests following a stampede at the festival in 2016 where the government says 50 people were killed.

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Oromia’s capital hosts Oromo cultural event

Oct 8

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Oromia has celebrated the grand Irreecha festival with more than ten million people attending, making it one of the biggest outdoor cultural events in Africa.

The celebration of the Oromo people, which is UNESCO registered Gadaa system of the Oromo, is an event of peace, love and unity.

As CGTN’S GIRUM CHALA reports, this years Irreechaa festival is unique.

 

Posted in News, Oromia, Uncategorized

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Irreechaa Devoted to Cultivate Peace

Irreechaa Devoted to Cultivate Peace

Oct 4

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(Advocacy4oromia, Melbourne, 4 October 2019) — The Oromo Irreecha Birraa celebration held on 29 September 2019 for the 15th time in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia at Berwick Botanic Park.

The ceremony was celebrated at Berwick Botanic Park to praise Waaqa (God) for peace, health, fertility and abundance they were given with regards to the people, livestock, harvest and the entire Oromo land.

Head of the Irreechaa Committee, Ob Abdeta Homa said the celebration is to strengthen and promote Oromo culture, particularly the Irreechaa celebration in Melbourne.

Ob Abdeta Homa, Head of the Irreechaa Committee at Irreechaa 2019

According to the organisers the festival was designed to provide a better understanding of Oromo peace, freedom, dignity, culture, history and humanity, to pave the way for promotion of the Oromo culture, history, lifestyle and practice.

Oromo elders’ blessings at Irreechaa 2019, Melbourne

The ceremony honoured the Oromo elders’ blessings and wisdom, and eventually helped to preserve the Oromo heritage and strengthen the Oromo Peace and the progress of humanity. It is also committed to provide care and respect for mother earth.

Irreechaa is the annual Oromo people Thanksgiving Day that is celebrated every year in Birraa near the river bank or water and tree.

Irreechaa is celebrated every year in the end of September or beginning of October in various part of the globe where the Oromo community resides.

The celebration in Melbourne was held in the context of the country while cultural values of the Irreechaa celebration are maintained.

According to Irreechaa committee member Danye Dafarsha Irreechaa is a sign of reciprocating Waaqa in the form of providing praise for what they got in the past, and is also a forum of prayer for the future.

“Irreechaa is the celebration of peace, unity and cooperation where the celebrants carrying bunch of straw and daisies in their hands praising, blessing and praying Waaqa in their songs. It is very important for our community as it brings the community together and helps to connect and share experiences in their day to day life.”

After many years’ unseen events, the first national Irreechaa Festival was held in 1991 in Oromia, East Africa and later became an annual event, which now runs for five weeks, and is one of the most pleasant reminders in Oromia that spring has definitely sprung!

Ob Danye Dafarsha, Irreechaa committee member, Melbourne

“Here in Australia, Melbourne, we continue this fabulous event every year for more than fifteen years.

“The celebrations are unique in that the Melbourne celebration has come again and that contributes to the development of Oromummaa in the Diaspora,” Ob Danye said.

Currently, Irreechaa has got publicity among the non-Oromos (Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike) to the extent that Finfinnee City Administration recognized the celebration for the first time and granted Oromo the whole support for the ritual.

In the traditional religion of the Oromos, the spirit is the power through which Waaqaa  (The Almighty God) governs all over the world. Thus, Oromos believe that every creation of Waaqaa has its own spirit.

Moving Forward: Cultivate Peace

This year’s Oromian Irreechaa Festival is going to be bigger and better than ever, with a whole theme park devoted to Oromian Peace where everyone’s contribution is valued in peace building process and implementation.

The theme of this year national Thanksgiving Day is “Moving Forward: Cultivate Peace” in which it aims to celebrate Irreechaa festivals as a medium for bringing all Oromias together to cultivate and promote peace in our daily practice where the members are willing to work together to find the solution that meets the needs of Oromo people.

The theme also aims to create public awareness where Oromo cultural and religious issues will be discussed, to provide a better understanding of Oromo peace, culture and history, to pave the way for promotion of the Oromo peace, culture, history and lifestyle and to celebrate  Oromo Irreechaa.

What is Irreechaa?

Traditionally, the Oromo practiced Irreechaa (Thanksgiving) ritual as a thanksgiving celebration twice a year (in autumn and spring) to praise Waaqa (God) for peace, health, fertility and abundance they were given with regards to the people, livestock, harvest and the entire Oromo land.

Irreechaa is celebrated as a sign of reciprocating Waaqa in the form of providing praise for what they got in the past, and is also a forum of prayer for the future. In such rituals, the Oromo gather in places with symbolic meanings such as hilltops, river side and shades of big sacred trees.  These physical landscapes are chosen for their representations in Oromo worldviews, for example, green is symbolized with fertility, peace, abundance and rain.

Irreechaa is not only practiced among the Oromo in Oromia. As hundreds of the Oromo are in exile for different reasons, their culture, religion, language and identity also exiled with them. Because Irreechaa has a cultural ambiance in connecting the people to Oromo land and the creator, Waaqa, it still remained as strong element of connection between the Oromo in diaspora and home – Oromia.

In the past ten years or so, the Oromo across different parts of the world (from Toronto to Melborne and Bergen to Johannesburg) have come together and celebrated Irreechaa as a common icon of their identity. If anything could be mentioned in bridging the differences (political and religious) within Oromo in the diaspora, Irreechaa has become the major binding force not as a mere cultural or religious practice but for its conjoint constitution of culture and identity.

Unresolved Oromo Issues

For over six thousand years, the Oromo people maintained a unique national identity distinct from the national identity of Abyssinia. In 1900, the Abyssinian rulers invaded the land of Oromo people and embarked on a policy of occupation and oppression that seriously threatens the continued survival of the unique cultural and religious identity of the Oromo people. We are extremely concerned about the human rights abuses in Oromia. Tragically, a world that condemns dictators has largely ignored Abyssinia’s occupation of Oromo land.

The human cost to the Oromo people has been of tragic proportions. Hundreds of thousands of Oromo’s were killed outright or died as the result of aggression, torture or starvation. Over 8,000 sacred places and centre of Gadaas were destroyed. The repression of the Oromo people in their own land continues to this day and compounds the illegitimacy of the Abyssinian rule.

The Oromo people have demonstrated repeatedly against the Abyssinian occupation. Their struggle is manly nonviolent and worthy of our special attention. We continue to advocate for the cause of Oromo people and for peace, tolerance, human rights, non-violence, and equality throughout the region. As our freedom fighters say, for the peace and harmony to truly turn to Oromian, our stolen natural rights must be respected.

Our Theme: Cultivate Peace!!

The theme of this year Irreechaa celebration is simple: Cultivate Peace!! As Oromo, while we continue to advocate for the cause of Oromo people, we will work to build peace in Oromia through celebrations .

We can still overcome our multi-faces obstacles as fast as we holding our glory history and culture to ensure the survival of identity.  No matter where you live, you can begin to develop the art of peace building based on your own experiences and expertise. Here are some framed habits that will help us to learn how to cultivate peace in Oromia:

Habit #1 – Be Calm and Centered

At your deepest level, peace is the natural state of the mind. Not being peaceful happens in so many small ways, when you are worried, restless, distracted, uneasy, or dissatisfied. Begin being mindful of those signals from your inner world. When you feel them, take a moment to return to your calm space. You can pause and take a few deep breaths or meditate. Either works well. This is about learning how to act upon early signals that peace is not there inside.

Habit #2 – Conscious Participation

To create peace consciousness, stay out of conversations that include gossip, blame, backbiting, and discussions of how terrible the world is. I don’t mean for you to be Pollyanna and act as if everything is perfect, but I suggest focusing on NOT participating (feeding the fire) when you can feel that a situation is turning toward anger, resentment, envy, and hostility in any form.

Habit #3 – Don’t Take Sides

Peace consciousness wants peace to be equally shared by everyone. This isn’t possible if you take sides, judge against others, or indulge in us-versus-them thinking. Be aware of everyone’s right to have it. When you find yourself reacting with a knee-jerk response against a certain person, group, faith, ethnicity, or belief system, remind yourself that you can hold a different viewpoint while still wishing peace for all concerned.

Habit #4 – The Intention of Peace

Be in the intention and show up as your best Self. Anytime I witness or confront a situation I set the intention of a peaceful resolution to be found for everyone. You can sit quietly at times and set the intention to let your heart go out to those not at peace.

Habit #5 – Connect

When you get together with others with the intention of peace, the consciousness grows for everyone. Start finding ways to commune with others who want it. This could be singing with others, sitting with a friend, or discussing the topic with a sympathetic person. You could join a group that helps prevent violence. The key is to feel the warmth of sharing it with others.

Habit #6 – Be of Service

It does little good to be at peace passively in isolation. Let yourself experience the kindness, good will, and compassion you can bring to a troubled situation. It could be helping in a community project, volunteering to spend time with the elderly, or leading a book club. Your aim is to give and receive at the level of peace that benefits everyone.

Habit #7 – The Peace of the Soul

From the Soul’s perspective, there is only pure Being. Take time to meditate on compassion, reverence for life and unity. You can imagine seeing a light expanding from your heart in all directions. Let simply being here be enough. Realize deeply that you are an indispensable part of the journey.

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እሬቻ የምስጋና ክብረ በአል ቀን! 

እሬቻ የምስጋና ክብረ በአል ቀን! 

Oct 4

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Yoseph Mulugeta Baba Ph.D., Onkololeesa 3, 2019

An Irreecha gathering in 1903 at Lake Hora Bishoftu.

እሬቻ በኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ዘንድ እንደ ቅዱስ በዓል ይከበራል። እሬቻ በዓል ለዋቃ ጉራቻ ምስጋና የሚሰጥበት ቀን ነው። የመልካም ነገሮች ሁሉ ምንጭ ዋቃዮ ነው። ሕዝቡ ለዚህ መልካም ስጦታ ከልብ የመነጨ ምስጋና ለአምላኩ የሚያቀርብበትና  “የዋቃዮ ስጦታ ተመልሶ ለዋቃዮ የምሰጥበት ቅዱስ በአል ነው” ብለው ከልቡ ያምንበታል። ስለዚህ እሬቻ ማለት “ስጦታ” ማለት ነው።

በኦሮሞ ሕዝብ ዘንድ ለምለም ሣር የሰላምና የብልጽግና ምልክት በመሆኑ፣ በእሬቻ በዓል ላይ የሚሳተፈው እያንዳንዱ ግለሰብ፣ ይህንን ለምለም ሣር በሁለት እጆቹ በመያዝ አምላኩን ያመሰግናል። ከሁሉም በላይ ክረምቱን ከበረዶ፣ ከከባድ ነፋስ፣ ከጎርፍና ከውርጭ የታደጋቸውን ታላቅና ቅዱስ አምላካቸውን አንድ ላይ ሆኖ ያመሰግናሉ። መኸሩንና አስመራውን ደግሞ እንድባርክላቸው ወደ ፈጣሪ ይጸልያሉ። ስለዚህ የእሬቻ በዓል ከጨለማ ወደ ብርሃን ላሻገረ አምላክ የሚሰጥ የክብር ዋጋ ነው።

ሀገር በቀል የሆኑ የእምነት በዓላትን የመገንዘብና የማብራራት ችግር ያለባቸው ኢትዮሮፒያንስ (Westernized Ethiopians) ግን፣ የእሬቻ በዓልን በተሳሳተ መንገድ ሲረዱና ሲተረጉሙ ይታያሉ። ለምሳሌ፤- በበዓሉ ላይ የሚደረገውን የአምልኮ ሥነ-ሥርዓት  በመመልከት፣ ሕዝቡ ዋቃዮን ሳይሆን ውሃውን አልያም ሰይጣንን “እንደሚያመልክ” አድርገው ይረዳሉ። ኦድላይ ሶቴቪንስን “በአቶሚክ ቦንብ ውስጥ ሰይጣን የለም፣ በሰዎች ልቦና እንጂ” እንዳለ ሁሉ፣ ሰይጣን በእነዚህ ሰዎች አይምሮ ውስጥ እንጂ በውሃ ውስጥ አይኖርም። ሰይጣን ዳክዬ ወይም ጉማሬ አይደለም—ካልጠፋ ቦታ ውሃ ወስጥ አሁን ምን ይሰራል! ባይሆን የሰይጣን ትክክለኛ አድራሻና ማደሪያ የሰው ልቦና ነው—ስለዚህ፣ኢትዮሮፒያንስ ሰይጣንን ልቦናቸው ውስጥ ይፈልጉት!

በተቃራኒው ውሃ የሕይወት ምልክት ነው። ለዚህም ነው ውሃና ልምላሜ እንደ ዋቃዮ ስጦታ የሚታዩት። ያለ ውሃ ሕይወት ቀጣይነት የለውም። ውሃ ዋቃዮ ለፈጠራቸዉ ልጆቹ የሰጠ ፀጋ ነው። ድሪቢ ደምሴ ቦኩ እንዳለው፤ “ኦሮሞ፣ ወንዝ፣ ጫካና ተራራ ይወዳል፤የተፈጠረበትና ፍቅር ያገኘበት ስለሆነ በየዓመቱ ለምለም ሣርና የፀደይ አበባ ይዞ ለእሬቻ ወንዝ ውሃ ዳርቻ በመሄድ፤ ተራራ ላይ በመውጣት፤ ለፈጣሪው ምስጋና ያቀርባል። በጤና፣ በሰላም፣ ለሰውና ለከብት እርባታ እንዲሰጠውም ይጸልያል።”

በሌላ በኩል #እሬቻ  ሃይማኖታዊ ክብረ በአል እንጂ ሃይማኖት አይደለም። ለምሳሌ፡- ፋሲካ፣ አረፋ፣ ጥምቀት፣ ገና ወዘተ ሃይማኖታዊ በዓሎች ናቸው እንጂ በራሳቸው ሃይማኖት አይደሉም፡፡ የኦሮሞ ሀገር በቀል ሃይማኖት #ዋቄፋና ተብሎ ይጠራል። Waaqa ማለት እግዚአብሔር ማለት ሲሆን፣ Faana ማለት ደግሞ መከተል ማለት ነው። ትርጉሙም ፈጣሪን/እግዚአብሔርን መከተል ማለት ነው።

ለኦሮሞ ሕዝብ  ዋቃ የሁሉ ነገር አስገኝ፣ የማይጠፋ፣ የማይለወጥ፣ ቋሚና ዘለዓለማዊ ነው።  ነው። የሁሉም ነገር ምንጭ ዋቃ ነው። ዋቃ ምሉዕ በኩለሄ (omniscient)፣ ሁሉን ቻይ (ominipresent)፣ ዘላለማዊ (eternal)፣ ፍጹም (absoulute)፣ እና ገደብ የሌለው (infinite) ነው። ዋቃ ፍጹም አንድ ነው።  ሀገር-በቀሉ የኦሮሞ ሥነ-እውቀት ዋቃን የሚገልጽበት መንገድ ጥንቃቄ የተሞላበት ነው። በማንኛውም ጊዜና ቦታ ዋቃ የሚለው ቃል ሲጻፍም ሆነ ሲነገር ‹‹ጉራቻ›› የሚለውን ቅጽል አስከትሎ ነው። ቀጥተኛ ትርጉሙም ‹‹ጥቁር›› ማለት ሲሆን በኦሮሞ ንጽረተ-ዓለም ጥቁርነት የልዕልና ምልክት ብቻ ሳይሆን፣ የዋቃን ቀዳማዊነት (Originality) የሚገልጽ ነው። ጥቁርነት የዋቃ ምንነት በሰው አህምሮ ሊደረስበት የማይቻል እጅግ ፍጹም ምስጢር መሆኑን የሚገልጽ ጽንሰ–ሐሳብ ነው።

እንግዲህ እሬቻ የሰላምና የእርቅ ጊዜንም ስለምያስታውሰን ይህንን በዓል ስናከብር:-

(1ኛ) ለሀገራችንም ዋቃዮ አንድነት፣ ፍቅርና ሠላም እንድያመጣ እንጸልያለን። በተለይ ለሆዳቸው ሳይሆን ለህሊናቸው ብቻ ሲሉ ሕዝባቸውን በቅንነት የሚያገለግሉ ግለሰቦችን ዋቃዮ ሀብታቸውንና ልጆቻቸውን እንድባርክላቸው ወደ ዋቃዮ ጉራቻ እንጸልያልን፤

(2ኛ) በተቃራኒው በሕዝብ ስም የሚነግዱ ሆዳሞች፣ ወንጀለኞች፣ ነፍስ ገዳዮች፣ ሌቦች፣ አጨበርባሪዎች፣ አስመሳዎች…ወዘተ ዋቃዮ የሕዝቡን ለቅሶ ሰምቶ በታላቅ ክንዱ ወደ ፍርድ እንዲያመጣልን  ለምለም ሣር በሁለት እጆቻችን በመያዝ ዋቃዮን እንማጸናለን።

(3ኛ) ስለ ድሆች አሰቃቅ ሁኔታ ሳይሆን፣ ስለ “ፔንሲዮን”ና “ዶላሪዝም” አብዝቶ የሚያስቡ የመንግስት ባለስልጣናትና የሃይማኖት አባቶች እንደ አሸን ፈልተዋልና፣ ዋቃዮ የ“ሳፉና ሳፌፋና” ምስጥር እንድገልጥላቸው ለምለም ሣር በሁለት እጆቻችን ይዘን ወደ እርሱ እንፀልያልን፤

(4ኛ) ስለ አይምሮው ሳይሆን፣ ስለ አለባበሱና ሆዱ ብቻ ብዙ የሚጨነቅ ወጣት ትውልድ ተፈጥረዋልና፣ ዋቃዮ ጉራቻ ‹ልብስ› ሳይሆን ‹ልብ›፣ ‹ጋቢና› ሳይሆን ‹ልቦና›፣ ‹ፎቅ› ሳይሆን ‹ሐቅ›፣ ‹ድራፍት› ሳይሆን ‹ድፍረት› እንድሰጣቸው ለምለም ሣር በሁለት እጆቻችን ይዘን ወደ እርሱ እንፀልያልን!

የእሬቻ ቅዱስ በዓል ጸሎትን አንድ ላይ እንጸልያልን፡–

ሀዬ! ሀዬ! ሀዬ!
ሀዬ! የእውነትና የሰላም አምላክ!
ሀዬ! ጥቁሩና ሆደ ሰፊው ቻይ አምላክ!
በሰላም ያሳደርከን በሰላም አውለን!
ከስህተትና ከክፉ ነገሮች ጠብቀን!
ለምድራችን ሰላም ስጥ!
ለወንዞቻችን ሰላም ስጥ!
ከጎረቤቶቻችን ጋር ሰላም ስጠን!
ለሰውም ለእንስሳቱም ሰላም ስጥ!
ከገዳ ባህላችን ከዋቄፋና እምነታችን ጋር አኑርልን!
አንድነታችንን አጠንክርልን!
ትናንሾቻችንን አኑርልን!
ጤነኛና ብልህ ልጆች ስጠን!
ወላድ በጤና ትገላገል!
የወለደችውን አሳድግላት!
ሕጻን በእናቱ እቅፍ ይደግ!
ለወላድ ጤናና ዕድሜ ስጣት!
ላልተማረው እውቀት ስጥልን!
ኦ አምላክ አደራጀን!
አደራጅተህ አታፍርሰን!
ተክለህ አትንቀልን!
ፈጥረህ አትዘንጋን!
ክፉውን ያዝልን!
ከወንጀልና ከወንጀለኛ አርቀን!
ምቀኛና ቀናተኛውን ያዝልን!
ከመጥፎ አየር ጠብቀን!
ንጽሕ ዝናብ አዘንብልን!
ያላንተ ዝናብ የእናት ጡት ወተት አይሰጥምና!
ያላንተ ዝናብ የላም ጡት ወተት አይሰጥምና!
ያለንተ ዝናብ መልካው ውሃ አይሰጥምና!
ያላንተ ዝናብ ምድሩ ቡቃያ አይሰጥምና!
ከእርግማን ሁሉ አርቀን!
በአባቱ ከተረገመ አርቀን!
በእናቷ ከተረገመች አርቀን!
እውነትን ትቶ ከሚዋሽ አርቀን!
ከረሀብ ሰውረን!
ከበሽታ ሰውረን!
ከጦርነት ሰውረን!
ልጄ እያሉ አልቅሶ ከመቅበር ሰውረን!
በጥቁር ፀጉር ከመሞት ሰውረን!
በነጭ ፀጉር ከመደህየት ሰውረን!
አርሶ ምርት ከማጣት ሰውረን!
ከሌላ ሰው ጦስ ሰውረን!
ከከፉ ነገር ሁሉ ሰውረን!
ገዳው የሰላም፣ የልምላሜና የድል ነው!
ሀዬ! ሀዬ! ሀዬ!

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Athletes united, but rival fans show Ethiopia’s divides

Oct 2

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By JAMES ELLINGWORTH, AP SPORTS WRITERDOHA, Qatar — Oct 2, 2019, 9:27 AM ET

The Ethiopian supporters are the loudest in the stadium at the track world championships — because they’re trying to drown each other out.

As Ethiopian runners clean up on the track and celebrate together, the fans are divided into two rival political camps.

One group displays pictures of past monarchs like Emperor Haile Selassie and flies an older version of the national flag, one which some Ethiopians consider less inclusive. The other fans champion a long-marginalized ethnic group, which produces many of the nation’s great distance runners.

Around 100 fans from the Oromo ethnic group, many of them migrant workers living in Qatar, fly the flag of the once-banned Oromia Liberation Front at every distance race at the championships.

The world champion in the 5,000 meters, Muktar Edris, seemed to endorse them Monday when he picked up and wore an OLF flag thrown to him by fans after winning gold. That had disappeared when Edris arrived to speak with reporters, draped once again in the Ethiopian national flag.

A team official refused to translate a question from The Associated Press to Edris about the OLF flag, saying: “Athletes only represent their country, not a political party.”

The divisions between fans were starker in the women’s 10,000 on Saturday, when Sifan Hassan won gold for the Netherlands. She was born in Ethiopia’s Oromia region but left as a teenage refugee before eventually gaining a Dutch passport. The OLF-supporting fans backed her, but others were left cold by an athlete not wearing Ethiopia’s uniform.

At one stage, a group with the national flag moved down to the front of the stand to cheer Ethiopia’s runners, antagonizing the nearby OLF supporters. Qatari police moved in to keep the groups separate as they called to each other.

The Oromo are the largest of Ethiopia’s numerous ethnic groups, but have historically had little influence in the ruling classes, though the reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is Oromo.

In recent months, several parts of Ethiopia have experienced deadly unrest fueled by ethnic tensions and disputes over resources. In the past week, Ethiopian officials disclosed more than 1,100 people were killed in the unrest that is putting a strain on the reforms the new prime minister is taking in the East African nation.

The OLF previously waged guerrilla war against the Ethiopian state and remains controversial after its official return to the country last year by invitation of the new Ethiopian government. OLF members kept their arms and some have allegedly continued to commit violent acts amid a split between the group’s political and military wings.

The OLF says its members were not treated well after their return home last year and the government is still harassing their members.

In the Khalifa International Stadium, some Oromo fans were resentful of the group waving old-style national flags, accusing them of ties to the Ethiopian embassy and of wanting a return to the monarchy, which Ethiopia abolished 45 years ago.

“This is Oromia,” said Kemal Ketubo, in the crowd with the OLF flags. “We are supporting our team, the national team of our people.” Gesturing to the group with Ethiopian national flags, he said “they want the 18th century, like it was before.”

Fans waving Ethiopian flags dismissed the division. Zerhuan Lanta said the championships should be a moment of unity for Ethiopia, where distance running is by far the most popular sport.

“Every moment, you have to watch,” said Lanta. The divisions among the fans were just “a political issue,” he added.

———

Associated Press writer Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report.

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/athletes-united-rival-fans-show-ethiopias-divides-66002725?cid=share_facebook_widget&fbclid=IwAR2B3d5uIuhrR0d4QbONOMjWqZZbZAfhDSDpHfcGeVf3S_MeTJd2JFkQVvs

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