Echoes of the Struggle: A Historic Reunion in the Heart of Oromia

There are moments in the life of a nation that transcend politics and policy, touching the very soul of a people’s journey. Today, in the bustling heart of Finfinnee, we witness one such moment. It is a scene heavy with history, a living tapestry woven from threads of sacrifice, exile, and the unyielding dream of self-determination.

Before us stand two elders, not merely as men, but as monuments. Mr. Lenco Lata and Mr. Hassan Ali. Their handshake is more than a greeting; it is the meeting of two rivers that carved the landscape of the modern Oromo struggle. To look at them is to look into the past and see the foundations of the present.

Mr. Lenco Lata, a veteran of the ABO struggle, carries the weight of the armed resistance on his shoulders. His story is one written in the shadows, in the trenches of conviction, where the fight for Oromia was not a political slogan but a daily, dangerous reality. He belongs to a generation that believed the cause was worth their very breath.

Beside him stands Mr. Hassan Ali, a figure of foundational governance. As the first president of the Oromia Regional State, he was tasked with the monumental challenge of translating decades of resistance into the framework of administration. He stood at the vanguard of a new, hopeful, and uncertain chapter, attempting to give structural form to the very cause for which Mr. Lata and his comrades fought.

Though their paths diverged—one in the trenches of guerrilla warfare, the other in the halls of nascent governance—their fates were tragically united. For their unwavering dedication to the Oromo cause, both were branded as threats. Both were forced to drink from the bitter cup of exile, expelled from the very land they dreamed of liberating and building. They became custodors of the Oromo dream from distant shores, watching, waiting, and hoping for the day they could walk the soil of Oromia as free men.

That day is today.

Their meeting in Finfinnee is not a simple reunion of old colleagues. It is a historic memory being made tangible. It is the closing of a painful loop and the affirmation that their sacrifices were not in vain. The city that once felt the absence of their voices now bears witness to their presence.

As they sit together, the ghosts of fallen comrades, the pain of years in exile, and the joy of return all linger in the air. They represent a bridge between the Oromia that was fought for in the wilderness and the Oromia that continues to be built today. In seeing them together, we are reminded that the journey is long, the price has been high, but the spirit—the indomitable spirit of Oromia—remains unbroken. This is more than a photograph; it is a page of history, written in resilience, sealed with sacrifice, and now, finally, framed in the dignity of homecoming.