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.