Forced marriage and abduction in Guji Zone expose deep cracks in protection of women and children

By: Daandii Ragabaa

GUJI ZONE – She was 18 years old, a 9th-grade student with dreams of finishing school. Her name is Haroo Xona. And for the past several months, she has been running for her life – not from an enemy, but from her own family, a wealthy man, and a system that refuses to protect her.

Haroo’s story, detailed in a recent investigative account from Sabba Boru District, reveals a conspiracy of forced marriage, abduction, bribery, and official collusion that has left a teenage girl pregnant, traumatized, and still in hiding.

Her crime? She said no.

A Father’s Deal

According to multiple sources, Haroo’s father and family elders had been negotiating with a wealthy local man named Hirbaayyee Sherkuu – a man already with two wives – to force Haroo into marriage.

The family’s motivation was wealth. In exchange for Haroo, Hirbaayyee promised to build a house for her mother, buy vehicles for her brothers, and pay the father handsomely.

Haroo refused. Repeatedly.

To escape this fate, on May 29, 2018, Haroo voluntarily married a young man of her choice, Fayyisaa Galchuu, in Qanxicha Village, Sabba Boru District. It was not a love match. It was survival.

THE ABDUCTION

Haroo’s family did not accept her choice. They sent elders to break the marriage. When the elders refused, the family turned to force.

Armed with local militia and accompanied by Haroo’s own mother, Haannaa Birbissa Dukkallee, and her brother, Paakistaan (Ilfinaa) , the family stormed Fayyisaa’s home. Without any court order, they took Haroo and Fayyisaa and marched them to Qanxicha Village.

At the village office, the chairman – who happened to be a cousin of Hirbaayyee – questioned Haroo. She stated clearly: “I married Fayyisaa by my own choice. My father wants to give me to someone I do not love.”

The chairman ignored her. She was handed over to Hirbaayyee.

TWO DAYS OF TERROR

For two days, Haroo was held at Hirbaayyee’s compound. He slapped her. He grabbed her by the throat. He shouted:

“If you refuse me, I will kill you. I will not leave you for a poor man. You are mine.”

Haroo did not break. She secretly sent a message to her brother, Fiqaaduu Haroo, who brought militia to rescue her. When they surrounded the compound, Hirbaayyee fired a gunshot and fled into the forest with Haroo. She was found by her brother and returned to her family.

But her family, already bought with promises of wealth, pressured her to go back to Hirbaayyee. Terrified, she fled again to Fayyisaa.

THE SECOND ABDUCTION

On June 21, 2018, Haroo and Fayyisaa fled to Haya Diimaa Town in Aagaa Waayyuu District, seeking refuge with relatives.

Her family, working with Hirbaayyee, tracked her using phone calls and GPS. On June 24, 2018, without any court order, armed men – including police from Shaakkisoo District – arrived at the house.

Their excuse? A fabricated theft charge: Haroo had supposedly stolen 180 grams of gold. It was a lie.

They took Haroo and Fayyisaa to the Aagaa Waayyuu Police Station.

THE POLICE WHO COLLUDED

At the station, Haroo begged: “I am afraid for my life. I have committed no crime. This is a conspiracy to return me to a man I do not want. Investigate me here. Do not send me back.”

She wept. She fell to her knees.

The head of the investigation unit, Inspector Waasihuun Taaji’oo, ignored her. He had already made arrangements with Haroo’s family and Hirbaayyee.

The family argued that the case should be transferred to Sabba Boru District – where Hirbaayyee’s influence was strongest. Haroo screamed that she would not go. A local elder, Alangaa Abdulfattaa, intervened, demanding that the police respect her rights.

The police hesitated briefly, then proceeded. They changed vehicles but did not release Haroo. A crowd gathered. Fearing public backlash, the police backed down temporarily – but Haroo and Fayyisaa remained in custody.

THE BRIBERY NETWORK

According to community sources, Hirbaayyee Sherkuu has spent over 15 million Ethiopian Birr bribing officials across multiple districts – police, administrators, judges, and traditional elders.

His goal: to recapture Haroo and eliminate Fayyisaa.

The bribery worked. Despite Haroo’s clear statements, despite the lack of any court order, despite the violence, officials in Sabba Boru, Aagaa Waayyuu, and Oddoo Shaakkisoo districts have consistently sided with the wealthy man.

THE ARREST OF THE INNOCENT

When Fayyisaa’s family continued to resist, they were arrested.

On July 21, 2018, Fayyisaa’s elderly mother, Gororrii Adoolaa (age 70), and his brothers, Fullaasa Galchuu and Gammachuu Galchuu, were taken from their beds. No warrant. No charge. They were held for one month – until Haroo and Fayyisaa were forced apart.

By this time, Haroo was pregnant – by Fayyisaa, not by Hirbaayyee.

THE PREGNANCY AND PRESSURE

Haroo’s family, still in the wealthy man’s pocket, tried to force her to abort. They beat her. They pressured her. They wanted her “clean” for Hirbaayyee.

She refused.

On July 29, 2018, at 1:30 AM, Haroo escaped again. Pregnant. Barefoot. Terrified. She ran through the darkness back to Fayyisaa’s family.

The next morning, Hirbaayyee struck back. At 7:30 AM, a police officer named Hayilee Hirbaayyee led six armed anti-riot police to Fayyisaa’s family home. Without a warrant, they opened fire. A bullet entered the house.

Then they arrested the family again – but Haroo was not there. A local elder, Odaa Dhaddachaa, had hidden her and taken her to the Sabba Boru Police Station.

THE STANDOFF AT THE STATION

At the station, Haroo collapsed. She told officers:

“I have no hope left. The only escape I see is death. They have tried to force me to abort. They have tried to sell me. I will not leave this station until my baby is born. If you send me back to that man, I will kill myself.”

For once, the system paused. Haroo was kept at the station. She gave birth there. The baby was healthy.

But even after the birth, the conspiracy did not end. Hirbaayyee continues to spread money. He continues to pressure authorities. He continues to hunt a teenage girl who only wanted to go to school and marry a man of her choice.

WHAT MUST HAPPEN

The story of Haroo Xona is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a deeper rot – where wealth buys justice, where family betrays blood, and where girls are treated as currency.

We call upon:

1. Federal authorities to launch an immediate, independent investigation into the conspiracy across Sabba Boru, Aagaa Waayyuu, and Oddoo Shaakkisoo districts.
2. The police and judiciary to arrest and prosecute Hirbaayyee Sherkuu, Inspector Waasihuun Taaji’oo, and all officials who participated in this crime.
3. Women’s and children’s rights organizations to intervene urgently and provide Haroo with safe shelter and legal protection.
4. The media to amplify this story so that no wealthy man can buy silence again.

EPILOGUE: A GIRL STILL RUNNING

As of this publication, Haroo Xona is still alive. Still hiding. Still fighting.

She is now a mother. She never returned to school. Her dreams of education are on hold – perhaps forever.

But she has not given up. And neither should we.

“Justice belongs to the one who seeks it,” the Oromo say.

Haroo has sought justice. It is time for the system to answer.