Author Archives: advocacy4oromia
Irreechaa Festival Celebrated at Malkaa Soor with Honor
Malkaa Soor, Oromia, December 7, 2025 — The vibrant festival of Irreechaa has commenced at Malkaa Soor, bringing together the community in a celebration of thanksgiving and renewal. Abbaa Gadaa (Gadaa leaders), Siinqee women, Qeerroo youth, Qarree elders, and residents from Mattu town and surrounding districts have begun their procession toward the ritual site.
Participants, adorned in traditional white (duudhaa) attire, emphasized the importance of the morning ceremony. “We are passing our heritage and culture on to the next generation,” one celebrant stated.
A Festival of Unique Timing and Profound Meaning
Like other Irreechaa celebrations across Oromia, the Malkaa Soor festival marks the end of the rainy season and the welcoming of the sunny, blooming Birraa (spring). What sets this celebration apart is its timing: while many zones observe Irreechaa earlier in the month of Fulbaanaa (September), Malkaa Soor’s festival is held toward the month’s end of November or beginning of December, a schedule traditionally adapted to local climatic conditions.
The core objectives of the celebration are twofold: to give thanks to Waaqa (God) and to pray for prosperity.
Thanksgiving to Waaqa is expressed through prayers such as: “Oh Waaqa, you heard our prayers, delivered us from hardship, made our crops flourish, and granted us peaceful times. For this, we give you thanks.”
Prayers for Prosperity include appeals for bounty and peace: “May you make us share abundant harvests with people and birds alike. May you make this a year of overflowing peace. May you fulfill our thoughts and hopes.”
A Celebration Reclaimed and Revived
Elders recount that, due to pressure from successive regimes, the Irreechaa festival at Malkaa Soor was suppressed for many years. Its revival began in the year 2000, and it has been observed annually ever since.
The festival gained further significance following the restoration of the Iluu Gadaa system in 2007. In 2008, Malkaa Soor hosted the first annual celebration of the restored Iluu Gadaa, attended by high-ranking officials in a grand and majestic ceremony, cementing its place on the annual cultural calendar.
Rituals and Blessings: The Heart of the Celebration
The rituals are rich with symbolism. Holding aloft fresh grasses (marga jiidhaa) and spring flowers (abaaboo birraa), celebrants proceed to the riverbank, singing praises:
“Ilil, yaa Mareewoo, Mareewoo…
May the outdoors favor us, oh ancestors…
Grant us forgiveness, oh ancestors…”
Following the main ritual, the Abbaa Gadaa and Siinqee women lead the community in profound blessings:
“Oh Waaqa, you who brought us with this spring, bring us also with the one to come.”
“Oh Waaqa, as you have grown and sustained the Odaa tree, so grow and sustain the Oromo people.”
“Oh Waaqa, we stand under the shade of the Odaa tree to pray to you; may your shade shelter us.”
“Oh Waaqa, as you have lengthened the life of this tree, so lengthen our lives.”
The festival at Malkaa Soor stands as a powerful testament to cultural resilience, spiritual devotion, and the unbroken bond between the Oromo people, their ancestors, and the natural world.
In Loving Memory of Jaal Ibrahim Saddiq
Jaal Ibrahim Saddiq was born in Giba Ashamboo, Kober District, Begi Zone, in West Oromia. He began his education in his local area and continued his studies until the Derg regime’s widespread arrests disrupted the lives of countless people across Oromia.
Like many regions in Oromia, his homeland suffered profoundly under the Derg’s final, brutal campaigns of violence and mass killings. Facing such oppression, Jaal Ibrahim made the pivotal decision to join the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in 1986 through the Dirree Dhihaa route. He diligently completed all necessary training and faithfully carried out every duty and mission assigned to him, consistently fulfilling his role with distinction.
Following the adoption of the OLF Charter in 1991, he undertook crucial organizational missions within the country. Later, due to intensified surveillance by the incumbent regime and pressure from the then-powerful Sudanese government on the OLF, he was compelled to seek asylum abroad after the organization’s military and political offices were attacked and closed in 1998.
Jaal Ibrahim found asylum and settled in New Zealand in 1999. Upon his arrival, he rejoined the OLF chapter and actively took on the responsibilities and tasks given by the organization. For many years, he served the OLF in various capacities, including as Secretary of the New Zealand Branch Organizing Committee and later as the elected President of the OLF New Zealand Branch. He also provided steadfast material and moral support for the Oromo people’s struggle.
A father of four, Jaal Ibrahim passed away on December 4, 2025, after a period of illness. May his soul rest in eternal peace. We extend our deepest condolences and prayers for strength to his family, relatives, and all his friends.
A fighter may fall, but the struggle continues!
December 4, 2025
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Foreign Affairs Structure
The Perpetual Oppressor: PP-OPDO, the True Enemy, the Foe of Humanity, the Destroyer of Oromia
The PP-OPDO system is a predatory regime, an enemy of humanity, a genuine adversary, and a destroyer of the Oromo people. It has trained, armed, and deployed individuals devoid of conscience—people liberated from all morality—to eradicate the Oromo and bury them in their own land.
Victim: Obbo Bulchaa Raggaasaa, father of Jaal Ayyaantuu Bulchaa. He was a 70-year-old elder.
Summary of the Atrocity: Today, on December 5, 2025, in a mass execution, PP government forces killed five people, including the elder Bulchaa, in Maaruu village, Gullisoo district, West Welega zone, Western Oromia. This was a targeted attack on unarmed civilians.
The Massacre:
On this day, December 5, 2025, between approximately 5:00 AM and 11:00 AM local time, PP troops forcibly removed five individuals from neighboring households. They were taken to the #Suchii River and executed en masse at a single site.
The Victims:
- Bulchaa Raggaasaa Reebuu, 70-year-old elder (Father of Jaal Ayyaantuu), from Maaruu village.
- Mazgabuu Abshaalee Raggaasaa, 20-year-old youth (Son of Wasiila Ayyaantuu), from Maaruu village.
- Fiqiruu Yandeessaa (Wasiila Ayyaantuu).
- Hambaa Raggaasaa, a family head from Kuree village, Ayra district.
- One additional individual whose name is not yet confirmed.
Background & Context:
Elder Bulchaa had traveled to Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) five months prior for reconciliation talks. He had returned to his home area under a promise of safety.
Today, we have received the horrific account that this respected elder—a man of wisdom and dignity—was taken from his home along with other families and slaughtered like an animal.
The Broader Reality in Oromia:
The overall situation for Oromos across all zones is critically dire and unbearable. The repeated pattern of exterminating entire families, particularly those of activists, has become a grim and recurring phenomenon.
A Call for Justice and Strength:
May the Creator grant eternal peace to those brutally murdered. May He grant patience and resilience to their grieving families and communities.
Obbo Bulchaa Raggaasaa Reebuu, the 70-year-old elder murdered by the PP today. This same regime killed eight members of his family—his spouse, siblings, children, and grandchildren—back in 2019.
The Tragedy at “Mootoma Kaarra” in Fantalle, East Shewa
On **December 1, 2021**, a rainy Wednesday, the respected elder (Abbaa Gadaa) Michillee from Dullachaa had performed his morning prayers. After sharing coffee with neighbors, blessing each other and their country, he tended to his livestock in the pasture and returned home at nightfall to rest.
The livestock later wandered back toward the pasture, and he followed them with a calm heart. The area where he and his neighbors lived was known as a place of peace—a land of Gadaa, free from political strife. They never imagined that government soldiers would come to their peaceful land and bring such devastation. They believed any threat would come from the known direction of Am**ra Fanno, in Qorke and Gorora, who were constantly encroaching on land. The Gadaa community had been vigilant day and night against this known threat.
But the unforeseen struck. A combined force of government militia, the special Oromia force, and federal police arrived at the Gadaa community’s land. They did not just come; they came with clear intent to humiliate. They attempted to insult the Gadaa elder, but an elder of Gadaa, a person of dignity and protocol who embodies the leadership of a nation, cannot be humiliated. She holds her own council and cannot be forced to abandon her principles. If she refuses, she stands her ground.
This force, however, discarded all decency. They insulted the Gadaa elder. In response, the community’s leadership—the *Korma Garaa Hidhee*, Gadaa members, and local elders—gathered. They displayed the Gadaa flag, proclaimed the law of their land, and forbade any disrespect.
The soldiers retorted, “Stop, or we will be forced to act!” As the community members prepared to defend themselves, the elders intervened, declaring, “If conflict erupts here, children and women will not be spared. The blood of our children and women will be spilled on this land. Let what is destined for us happen.”
Hearing this, the community laid down their weapons. The government forces then swept in, looted all household property, and rounded up every man and woman from the area. They were marched about a kilometer away, where the women were separated. The men—including the Abbaa Bokkuu, the *Korma Garaa Hidhee*, the Qaalluu, and Gadaa elders—were specifically taken to a place called *Dhakaa Nyaaqoo*.
There, they were forced face down on the ground, their hands tied behind their backs, and viciously beaten. Others were similarly assaulted, then forced into vehicles and taken away.
A second group, including the Abbaa Bokkuu and the elders, was taken to a place called *Dhakaa Cabbii Aanolee*. Again, they were forced to the ground, hands bound, and subjected to a severe beating. After this torture, as they lay broken, the elder Michillee uttered a final, gasping cry: “Yaabboo! Since you are killing us without cause, if you have weapons, shoot us. Finish us.”
A large convoy of vehicles and commanders was present. Authorities in the East Shewa zone and the local administrators were alerted and informed. None of these officials intervened to stop the massacre; their only role was to authorize it.
Finally, 16 individuals were selected for execution. As the killers prepared their weapons, the condemned Gadaa leaders made a final request: “The hour of our death has come. Give us what you owe us for our blood.” They demanded the *kiisaa* (blood money) owed to them. Their executioners collected money from their own pockets, paid it to the victims, and then carried out the execution.
These Gadaa fathers were taken to a place no person should go and massacred. Their families and nation do not know where they died or where their remains lie. When people later went to retrieve the bodies for burial, soldiers guarding the area attacked them. In the end, when they finally reached the site, their remains were gone—scattered or consumed by wild animals. And so, the elder Michillee and the Gadaa system of Oromoo were extinguished together, plunged into a single, dark abyss.
***
In memory of the Gadaa Fathers of Karrayyu – December 1, 2025
Oromo Community Shines at 2025 Bruce Volunteer Awards
(Saturday, November 30, 2025) Oromo Community Advocates Honored with 2025 Bruce Volunteer Awards
In a celebration of community service, six members of the Oromo community have been recognized with the prestigious 2025 Bruce Volunteer Awards for their dedicated contributions.
At the ceremony, Julian Hills MP highlighted the deep-rooted tradition of volunteering within Australia’s social fabric. He praised the recipients as individuals who perfectly embody this spirit, generously giving their time and talents to enrich their communities. This year’s cohort of six volunteers was celebrated for their exemplary work and for reflecting a strong commitment to gender equality.
The 2025 Award Recipients are:
1. Alemayehu Kube Warat: A prominent and articulate advocate, Alemayehu works tirelessly to advance the rights, self-determination, and cultural preservation of the Oromo people. Through public speaking and oral campaigns, he raises national and international awareness of historical and ongoing injustices, diligently documenting human rights situations to promote global accountability.
2. Bontu Mulissa: A dedicated and influential figure, Bontu focuses on cultural revitalization and grassroots empowerment. She is instrumental in educating Oromo youth about their heritage—including the Gadaa system, language, and Irreecha festival—and organizes community events that foster dialogue and preserve indigenous knowledge.
3. Darartu Fayissa: Serving as a vital cultural diplomat and educator, Darartu centers her work on preserving Oromo heritage as a form of peaceful resistance and identity affirmation. She organizes community events focused on the Oromo language and traditional practices, ensuring these foundational elements are passed on to the next generation.
4. Gammechu Bedada: A foundational figure in cultural advocacy, Gammechu plays a crucial role on the Irreecha Committee. He dedicates himself to the practical preservation and celebration of Oromo identity, volunteering tirelessly to organize this pivotal cultural ceremony and ensure its authentic transmission to youth.
5. Lelisse Fida: A prominent and strategic advocate, Lelisse focuses on international awareness and human rights documentation. She leverages digital platforms to amplify Oromo voices globally, systematically documents human rights issues, and builds transnational solidarity networks to bring the Oromo struggle to international forums.
6. Hana Muleta: A formidable and articulate voice, Hana advocates for human rights, political freedom, and cultural preservation. Through strategic digital campaigns, and engagement with international bodies, she amplifies the plight and aspirations of the Oromo people, playing a pivotal role in mobilizing diaspora support.
The Bruce Volunteer Award celebrates individuals who have generously shared their time and expertise over the long term. The unwavering commitment of volunteers like these has been a cornerstone of the Oromo community, fostering its strength, visibility, and enduring pursuit of cultural preservation and liberation.
Burqaa Gibe Community Association Hosts a Successful Family Day
The Burqaa Gibe Community Association brought families together for a wonderful Family Day, held in a warm and joyful atmosphere.
The event took place on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at the picturesque Lysterfield Park (160 Berwick-Cranbourne Rd, Cranbourne East VIC 3977).
It was attended by numerous association members and their families, who enjoyed a day of connection and celebration.
Participants praised the event, expressing their pleasure and emphasizing the importance of continuing such encouraging community gatherings.
One of the attendees, Chaltu Dhaabasaa, shared her gratitude: “Indeed, the Burqaa Gibee Committee played a major role in organizing this wonderful event. May God bless you from His throne. We had a very good time. Thank you so much everyone, may God build us up even more.”
The association extends its thanks to all who participated and contributed to making the day a resounding success.
A Tribute to Professor Mohammed Hassen Ali
On the eve of Atlanta’s celebration honoring Professor Mohammed Hassen Ali, we are moved to share a few reflections on a man whose contributions to the Oromo nation are nothing short of extraordinary—enduring in their impact and deeply inspiring in their character.
As many of you know, Professor Mohammed stands among a rare few scholars who undertook the courageous and meticulous work of correcting distorted narratives crafted by Abyssinian court historians and state-sponsored academics. At a time when the Oromo story was silenced or twisted, he restored its truth with unwavering discipline and moral clarity. In doing so, he helped reclaim for our people a dignified history—one rigorously documented and grounded in evidence, not propaganda.
For years, we admired his work from afar, learning from his books, relying on his analysis, and drawing inspiration from the courage embedded in his scholarship. Over the past five years, we have been fortunate to know him more personally, and that closeness has only deepened our respect.
Despite his towering intellect and monumental achievements, Professor Mohammed is a man of profound humility—almost embarrassed by praise. He consistently deflects credit, insisting that any accomplishment belongs to the Oromo people and the broader struggle for justice.
At the same time, he is remarkably generous in lifting others up. He offers encouragement and recognition with a sincerity that uplifts everyone around him. His warmth, gentleness, and quiet generosity have endeared him to all who are fortunate enough to cross his path.
His influence extends far beyond the written word. As a founder and early leader of the Oromo Studies Association, he helped create an enduring academic home where Oromo history, culture, and identity could be studied with rigor and dignity. His pivotal role in establishing the Journal of Oromo Studies helped lay the intellectual foundation for the modern Oromo struggle.
In the diaspora, Professor Mohammed has been a steady anchor—providing clarity amid confusion, evidence in the face of disagreement, and truth in moments of denial. His seminal work on Oromo history, from the Gadaa system to conquest-era state formation, has fundamentally shaped how an entire generation understands itself and its place in the Horn of Africa.
Tomorrow, as we gather to honor him, we do more than celebrate a scholar. We pay tribute to a true son of the Oromo nation—a guardian of our historical truth and a model of humility, kindness, and principled devotion.
Professor Mohammed, thank you for restoring to the Oromo people a history rooted in fact, dignity, and justice. Thank you for showing us that liberation is waged not only on battlefields or in political arenas, but also in libraries, archives, and classrooms—through the patient, steadfast work of scholarship.
May your legacy continue to guide Oromo scholars, activists, and generations to come. May your life remind us all that truth, humility, and kindness are, in themselves, revolutionary forces.
Congratulations.
Dr. Tesgara Hirpo’s Journey: Faith, Education, and Oromo Identity
Dr. Tesgara Hirpo: A Lifetime of Advocacy for Faith and Oromo Rights
Dr. Tesgara Hirpo is a man of dual callings: a dedicated priest in the Christian faith and a steadfast advocate for the rights of the Oromo people.
Too often, the narrative of Oromo history is dominated by political figures, party leaders, and government officials. In this narrative, the profound contributions of intellectuals, peaceful activists, and those who champion our social and human rights are often sidelined. However, many have served the Oromo cause not through political parties, but through their professional expertise and unwavering cultural identity. One such towering figure is Dr. Tesgara Hirpo.
A Life of Service and Struggle
Dr. Tesgara is not merely a religious leader; he is a man who understands that faith freedom is deeply intertwined with the right to one’s own language and culture. His lifelong mission has been to ensure that these rights are respected. His key contributions include:
- Championing the Oromo Language in Faith: From his youth, he chose to practice Christianity in Afaan Oromoo. For over 70 years, he has fought for the Oromo people to be served in their own language, arguing that no foreign language should be imposed on them in the name of faith. Today, he is 90 years old.
- Building a Global Oromo Church: He was instrumental in ensuring Oromos in Europe and other countries could receive Christian services in their own language. Today, the establishment of Oromo evangelical churches worldwide bears his direct or indirect influence.
- Founding the Oromo Bible Society: He was among the foremost campaigners for the creation of the Oromo Bible Society.
- Pioneering the Bible in Qubee Script: He played a lion’s share role in translating the Gospel into the modern Qubee script for Afaan Oromoo.
- Embracing Modern Technology: He was a key figure in adapting the Qubee-script Bible for modern technology, supporting its development for reading on smartphones.
- Creating Educational Resources: He has authored and published essential Afaan Oromoo books tailored for adults, youth, and children.
Recently, to mark his 90th birthday, he published a book titled “My Life with the Oromo Bible in Ethiopia and Beyond.”
A Personal Reflection on His Work
Upon seeing the title, I initially assumed the book would be solely about divine wisdom and pastoral service. This was a profound misjudgment. I purchased the book and began reading, quickly realizing that my attempt to fit his immense struggle into a narrow framework was not just an error, but a weakness in understanding his true contribution.
In this book, Dr. Tesgara illuminates the long road the Oromo people have traveled to secure modern education for their children, to serve in their own language, and to establish a free church, independent of external pressure. He also provides a crucial analysis of the historical influences of religion that have been deeply etched into our people’s foundations.
Revealing a Pioneering Educational Legacy
On pages 38-39, he reveals a remarkable piece of history: the first modern school in the area was opened in Cheliya Eka (East Welega), just 5 km from his birthplace in Korme Kebele, by the local governor, Balambaras Gameda Urgesa. Dr. Tesgara himself began his education at this school, which was established over 80 years ago.
What made this school revolutionary?
- Gender Inclusion: Unlike traditional church schools, which only sent boys to become deacons or priests, this new school was open to both young boys and girls.
- Free Supplies: It provided students with notebooks and pencils for free—something unthinkable in the church schools.
- A Modern Curriculum: Beyond the Orthodox religious teachings, Governor Balambaras mandated that this school teach History, Geography, Mathematics, and Language.
- Mandatory Attendance: The governor made it compulsory for every person in his district to send their children to school.
- Free Tuition: The school was entirely free, unlike the church schools where the community bore the teachers’ salaries.
- The Governor as Director: In a striking detail, Dr. Tesgara notes that the director of this school was none other than Governor Balambaras Gameda Urgesa himself.
Confronting Nationalist Narratives through Scholarship
Dr. Tesgara’s academic work also challenged dominant narratives. For his Master’s degree in Germany in the 1970s, he wrote his thesis on the “Orthodox Practice of Baptizing People in Ethiopia.” On page 66, he explains his choice of topic:
“…I myself was baptized in the Orthodox faith, as was my family… I decided to write about the ritual of baptism because when a person is baptized, they did not understand the meaning of the sacrament and were given no teaching. The point I wanted my thesis to focus on was that baptism in Ethiopia was used to promote the principle of ‘One Nation, One King, One Culture, One Flag, One Language.’ The one being baptized was expected to conform to this.”
A Theological Fight for Linguistic Rights
Dr. Tesgara powerfully argues for the use of the Oromo language in religious service. On pages 89-90, he recounts a pivotal historical moment:
“When the German missionaries came to found the Lutheran Church among the Oromos, they came to Irreecha. Upon their arrival, missionaries like D. Wassmann and other Europeans made a concerted effort to learn Afaan Oromoo. The first person to teach them the language was Qees Daffa Jammo. Ironically, Qees Daffa Jammo also learned their language with astonishing speed.
The Ethiopiangovernment’s policy in the 1940s decreed that education in all schools and religious institutions must be in Amharic.”
This policy, championed by the then-Minister of Education, Sahle Tsedalu, had immediate consequences, which Dr. Tesgara describes:
“…Except for the Germans in Irreecha, even in the main Bible school, the teachers and students were Oromos, yet teaching was in Amharic and had to be translated into Afaan Oromoo. When I started my work as President of the Western Synod (1971), I decided, ‘This must be changed!’ For this goal, I was greatly assisted by Qees Manfered Zach, who had many years of experience in gospel work and was the finance officer, and Abo Theophilus Qanqaa, who had exceptional skill in gospel teaching and the Afaan Oromoo language.”
Conclusion: A Legacy for Generations
It is with deep admiration that I express my respect for Dr. Tesgara Hirpo for documenting his life’s work in this book and preserving it for future generations. His is a story of profound dedication, intellectual courage, and an unwavering commitment to his people’s spiritual and cultural liberation.
Oromia Peace Institute: Bridging Dialogue and Community Action
An Oromia Peace Institute is necessary to provide a permanent, professional, Oromo‑centered hub for conflict analysis, dialogue, and peace education that can guide political and community actors out of the current cycles of violence. It would connect Gadaa/Waaqeffannaa-based peace values, community experience, and modern peace-research methods into one institution that serves all of Oromia and contributes to Ethiopia-wide settlement efforts.
Current gaps in Oromia
Studies on Oromia’s security show there is no clear, comprehensive regional peacebuilding framework, and indigenous Oromo mechanisms like Gadaa, Abba Gadaa, and Siinqee are not systematically used in present peace processes. Existing initiatives are often short-term projects run by NGOs or ad‑hoc committees, so lessons are lost, coordination is weak, and there is no single reference body for evidence-based advice on the Oromia conflict.
What such an institute would do
An Oromia Peace Institute could systematically collect data on conflicts across zones and woredas, produce regular trend analyses, and advise government, parties, elders, and civic groups using rigorous and locally grounded research. It could design and support community-led dialogue processes that elevate elders, women, and youth, similar to participatory action research and dialogue models already piloted in Oromia by partner organisations.
Linking tradition and modern peacebuilding
Research highlights the relevance of Gadaa peace principles and Oromo customary institutions for conflict transformation, but these are not yet meaningfully integrated into formal policy and security structures. A dedicated institute could document Gadaa and Siinqee peace norms, train mediators and local officials in their use, and translate them into practical tools for modern governance and inter-ethnic conflict management.
Supporting political dialogue and long-term settlement
Recent calls for inclusive dialogue on Oromia’s crisis by Oromo political forces underline the need for neutral, credible technical support: mapping stakeholders, designing dialogue processes, and monitoring agreements. An Oromia Peace Institute can play this technical and moral support role, helping transform elite bargains into people-driven processes that include displaced communities, victims, women, and youth, and feeding Oromia’s experience into any broader Ethiopian peace architecture.
Remembering Obbo Doti Tura: A Hero of the Oromo People
Oboo Doti Tura was a hero of the Oromo people—his story is one of resilience, often untold, unexpressed, and unwritten. He fought alongside General Wako Gutu, Baro Tumsa, and other prominent heroes.
I met him for the first time in Atlanta with his daughter, Berdu, and his grandchildren during the Oromo convention and leadership meeting. I went to him and told him my name and my father’s name. Immediately, everything changed—he began to cry, and I cried with him. He told me about my father, how close they were, and the things they did together during the Arsi Basic School movement. My mood shifted completely. His daughter, Berdu, calmed him down. I wished I could sit by his side and talk with him longer, but unfortunately, I could not.
Obbo Doti was one of the first Oromo businessmen who owned a pharmacy in Finfinne during the Haile Selassie regime. I was told that his pharmacy advertised on the radio between 1960 and 1970. During that time, Oromos were marginalized in many ways, but he stood strong. He was one of our heroes, a man with history, and an advocate for human rights. We have lost a remarkable and permanent figure in our community.
My condolences to the Oromo community in Portland, his friends, and his family.
RIP Obbo Doti Tura.
Advocacy for Oromia 