As the month of March unfolds, it carries with it the weight of memory—a time to reflect on the extraordinary sacrifices of Oromo heroes who gave everything for the freedom and dignity of their people.

March holds particular significance in the Oromo liberation struggle. It was in this month, on March 19, 1975, that General Tadesse Birru—the father of modern Oromo nationalism—was executed by the Derg regime alongside fellow commanders Hailu Regassa and other Oromo leaders. Their blood soaked the soil of Addis Ababa, but their legacy seeded the consciousness of generations to come.

General Tadesse Birru: The Father of Oromo Nationalism

Colonel General Tadesse Birru (circa 1920 – March 19, 1975) stands as a colossus in Oromo history—a man whose journey from loyal imperial soldier to revolutionary nationalist embodies the Oromo people’s awakening to self-determination .

Born in Salele, Shewa province, Tadesse’s early life was marked by tragedy. His father, Birru, was killed by poison gas during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, and his mother died of grief just three months later. Orphaned, young Tadesse joined his uncle as a member of the Arbegnoch—patriots fighting Italian occupation. Captured and sentenced to life in prison with hard labor in Mogadishu, he was freed when the British captured the city in 1940, received military training in Kenya, and returned to Ethiopia in 1941 .

His military career was distinguished. By 1954, he was a lieutenant colonel, later commanding the “Fetno-Derash” (Rapid Force)—Ethiopia’s special forces. In a remarkable historical footnote, it was Tadesse Birru who trained Nelson Mandela in guerrilla warfare and gave the South African anti-apartheid leader his famous lost Liliesleaf pistol .

The turning point came during a meeting with Prime Minister Aklilu Habtewold. Unaware of Tadesse’s Oromo heritage, the prime minister suggested it was unwise to educate or recruit Oromos into the military. This revelation of deep-seated prejudice transformed the general. He joined the Mecha and Tulama Self-Help Association in 1963, a Oromo social movement that his public stature elevated into a pan-Oromo organization advocating for Oromo empowerment through education and self-reliance .

The government responded with brutal repression. The organization was banned, its members arrested, killed, or exiled. Tadesse was placed under house arrest, escaped after three years, and attempted an unsuccessful coup in 1966. Captured and tortured, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Released but kept under house arrest in Gelemso, he was visited by legendary Oromo leaders including Baro Tumsa, Elemo Qiltu, and Shaykh Bakhri Saphalo .

As the imperial regime weakened in 1974, Tadesse escaped and returned to Addis Ababa. The Derg offered him the Ministry of Interior—he refused twice. When police came to detain him, he fled again and began organizing an armed Oromo rebellion in Shewa, joined by fellow officers including Colonel Haile Regassa. In respect to the defunct Oromo army of Elemo Qiltu, his forces operated under the name of the Oromo Liberation Army (Waraanna Bilisummaa Oromoo) .

Captured along with Hailu Regassa, they were tried, sentenced to life imprisonment, then executed by the Derg on March 19, 1975. The OLA continued to operate and became part of the Oromo Liberation Front in 1976 .

Tadesse’s legacy is immeasurable. His lectures on Oromo identity and nationhood inspired an entire generation, leading to the reaffirmation of Oromo culture, language, and identity. He is rightly considered the father of modern Oromo nationalism .

Jaarraa Abbaa-Gadaa: The Uncompromising Combatant

March 2013 brought another grievous loss. Jaarraa Abbaa-Gadaa, the great national hero of Oromia, passed away in exile on March 3 of that year, still actively engaged in the liberation struggle until his final days .

Known in his youth as Abdulkarim, Jaarraa began his activism organizing secondary school students in Harar, speaking with “touching eloquence” about the trials of the Oromo people under imperial rule and the responsibility of the new generation to organize for national resistance .

He joined the heroic Bale resistance led by Waaqo Guutoo and others, then continued organizing in neighboring Somalia, where he resisted efforts to subordinate Oromo national aspirations to the Greater Somalia project. Finding sanctuary in South Yemen, he played a decisive role in planning a pan-Oromia liberation struggle. His daring 1969 return to Oromia ended in over five years of Somali imprisonment—a setback that only hardened his resolve .

Released in 1975 as Siad Barre prepared for war with Ethiopia, Jaarraa courageously reminded the Somali president that Oromos wished to continue their sacred mission to liberate Oromia. When this proved unacceptable, he secretly slipped back into Oromia, consulted with underground leaders including Baro Tumsa, and successfully reignited the fire of pan-Oromo national liberation .

General Ismail Ahmed of the Somali regime later recalled Jaarraa’s courage in speaking truth to power: “Abdulkarim was courageous, and he loved and respected his people very much” .

The Bale Resistance: Waqo Gutu and Elemo Qiltu

The Bale Revolt of the 1960s produced two other towering figures whose sacrifices in March and beyond shaped Oromo resistance.

Waqo Gutu Usu (1924 – February 3, 2006) was a revolutionary leader of the Bale Revolt, which fought against the feudal system of the Ethiopian Empire. Born to an Oromo father and Somali mother, his rebellion began almost accidentally when a grazing rights conflict was ignored by the central government. After waiting in vain for three months, Waqo “went to Somalia and brought back 42 rifles and two Thompson submachine guns” .

By 1966, about three-fifths of Bale Province was in turmoil. The revolt, running from 1964 to 1970, addressed issues of land, taxation, class, and religion. Waqo surrendered in 1970, but the struggle he ignited continued .

After the Ethiopian revolution, Waqo established the United Oromo People Liberation Front in 1989 and later formed the ULFO in 2000 to unite armed and political groups fighting for Oromo self-determination. He died in a Nairobi hospital on February 3, 2006, survived by 20 sons and 17 daughters. Following the fall of the EPRDF regime in 2018, a statue of Waqo Gutu was erected in Bale .

Elemo Qiltu (Hassen Ibrahim) was another legendary figure who gave his life in the struggle. Visited by General Tadesse Birru during his house arrest, Elemo commanded Oromo forces in the Bale resistance. The Oromo Liberation Army later named its Shewa unit in honor of his defunct army, ensuring his name lived on .

Hachalu Hundessa: The Voice of a Generation

Though June 29, 2020, not March, claims the date of his assassination, no tribute to Oromo heroes would be complete without Hachalu Hundessa—the 34-year-old singer whose murder by gunmen in Addis Ababa sent shockwaves through Oromia and the diaspora .

Hachalu was more than a musician. He was “a voice for the deliberately silenced,” in the words of Amina Dedefo, a young Oromo activist. “A majority of Oromo people don’t have education or access to education. They’re not able to articulate their struggles, but he did it for them through his music” .

His songs like Maalan Jira directly addressed the preservation of Oromo land and culture. His lyrics served as the soundtrack to the Oromo-led social movement that defined Ethiopian politics from 2014 to 2018. Ayantu Ayana, an Oromo historian, likened Hachalu to “a living, breathing historical archive for a group of people whose cultural ways have been continually endangered” .

Hachalu spent five years in prison for his activism as a young man, writing many of his early songs behind bars. His music resonated in “the soul of every Oromo person,” bridging generations in the diaspora and at home. “Hachalu made it cool to be Oromo and to be proud of it,” said Girma Hassen of the Oromo Cultural Institute of Minnesota .

His assassination sparked massive protests and a brutal government crackdown, with Amnesty International reporting at least 5,000 arrests. But his legacy endures. As Abdulrahman Wako, a young Oromo organizer in Minnesota, reflected: “Being Oromo is something I used to run away from. But when I saw Oromo youth peacefully protesting against the Goliath that is the Ethiopian government, I felt closer to what my dad and grandfather had to go through” .

Ancient Heroes: Oromo Commanders at the Battle of Adwa

The tradition of Oromo heroism extends back centuries. At the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896—another March date of profound significance—Oromo commanders played decisive roles in securing Ethiopia’s victory over Italian invasion .

Fitawrari Gebeyehu (Abba Gammada) was a top-ranking Oromo commander and hero, known for his bravery and leadership. He led the advance guard and is celebrated for his sacrifice, dying in the heat of battle while charging Italian positions .

Dejazmach Balcha Safo (Abba Nefso) was an influential Oromo general who later became Governor of Sidamo. He led Oromo soldiers and distinguished himself through valiant resistance .

Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael, though of mixed Oromo and Amhara ancestry, commanded a large contingent of troops and was one of Emperor Menelik II’s most trusted generals .

Fitawrari Tekle and Birru Wolde Gabriel also commanded Oromo troops, contributing to the victory that ensured Ethiopia remained independent .

The Living Legacy

As March 2026 unfolds, the Oromo people carry forward the legacy of these heroes. The struggle they began continues. The torch they lit still burns.

General Tadesse Birru, executed March 19, 1975, taught that Oromo identity was not a source of shame but a wellspring of dignity. Jaarraa Abbaa-Gadaa, who passed March 3, 2013, demonstrated that courage never compromises. Waqo Gutu, who died February 3, 2006, showed that resistance can take many forms. Elemo Qiltu gave his life in the field. Hachalu Hundessa gave his voice, then his blood.

The young Oromo generation, in Minnesota and across the diaspora, has taken up their mantle. As Amina Dedefo said, borrowing Hachalu’s own words: “Waa’ee keenya yoo Otto dhissan silaa nama hin dhiisu”—”Even if we left our struggle, our struggle won’t leave us” .

In this month of memory, we honor:

• General Tadesse Birru – Father of modern Oromo nationalism, executed March 19, 1975
• Jaarraa Abbaa-Gadaa – Uncompromising liberation fighter, died March 3, 2013
• Waqo Gutu – Bale Revolt leader, died February 3, 2006
• Elemo Qiltu – Legendary commander of early Oromo forces
• Hachalu Hundessa – Voice of the Oromo people, assassinated June 29, 2020
• Fitawrari Gebeyehu and the Adwa commanders – Oromo heroes of March 1, 1896

Their sacrifices were not in vain. The Oromo people endure. The struggle continues. And one day, when Oromia is free, their names will be carved not only in memory but in the foundations of a nation they gave everything to build.

Gootota Oromoo, ulfina fi kabajaan isinif haa tahu!

(Heroes of Oromia, honor and respect be upon you!)