Author Archives: advocacy4oromia
General Damisse Bulto: The Forgotten Eagle of Ethiopia’s Skies
Personal Profile
Who was General Damisse Bulto? 💔
The question lingers, suspended in grief and memory. For those who knew him, he was a son of Ada’a Berga, a herdsman turned warrior, an aviator who painted his nation’s future across African skies. For those who have forgotten—or were never taught—he is a ghost in the military archives, a name erased from official histories, a body moved in secret.
This is his story.
From the Pastoral Plains
General Damisse Bulto Ejersa was born in 1926 in Ada’a Berga District, West Shewa, to his mother Adde Ayyee Jiraannee and his father Mr. Bultoo Ejersa. From childhood, he knew the weight of responsibility. While other boys played, young Damisse tended his family’s cattle, moving through grasslands that would later seem impossibly distant from the jet streams he would one day command.
But the open fields that raised him also gave him his first taste of horizons. A boy who watches the sky from the earth learns to dream of flight.
When he reached the appropriate age, Damissae traveled to Finfinne to study at the Medhanealem School. It was there, in the capital’s classrooms, that a military recruitment announcement changed everything. The Makonnen School was calling for cadets. Without informing his family, the young man enlisted—and stepped onto a path that would define the rest of his life.
The Making of a Makonnen
Three years of intensive training transformed the cattle herder’s son into a disciplined officer. By 1946, as Lieutenant Colonel, he received orders that would carry him far from Ethiopian soil.
The Korean Peninsula was aflame. The Cold War’s first hot conflict had drawn nations from across the globe into its crucible. Ethiopia, under Emperor Haile Selassie, committed troops to the United Nations forces. Among them was Damissae Bultoo—a young commander representing his ancient empire on a distant battlefield.
He served with distinction. He returned alive. He completed his consecration ceremony. And then his nation called again.
Ethiopia had no air force to speak of. The Emperor, modernizing his military, sought to build one from the cockpit up. Damissae was selected for training in Israel, where he learned the arts of aerial warfare from one of the world’s most capable air arms. He returned home a pilot—and soon, commander of the famed “Flying Leopard” squadron.
Wars and Recognitions
The 1950s and 1960s were decades of fire. When Somalia challenged Ethiopia’s territorial integrity, General Damisse took to the skies. In 1955 and again in 1957, he flew combat missions against Somali forces, his Leopards drawing blood across the Ogaden skies.
Emperor Haile Selassie took notice. The young man from Ada’a Berga, who had once watched clouds from cattle pastures, now received medals and commendations from the Lion of Judah himself. He rose through the ranks: Colonel in 1969, Brigadier General in 1972, Major General in 1977.
Each promotion marked not merely personal advancement but the trajectory of a man who had dedicated his entire existence to the defense and dignity of his nation.
The Dream of Oromia
Yet General Damisse’s patriotism was not uncritical. He loved Ethiopia—but he also saw its failures. He served the empire—but he also dreamed of liberation for his own people.
When the Derg seized power, when Mengistu Hailemariam’s Red Terror washed Ethiopian cities in blood, General Damisse made his choice. He would not merely serve. He would resist.
The plan was audacious, befitting an airman accustomed to thinking in three dimensions. On the morning of December 8, 1981, Mengistu was scheduled to depart for East Germany. General Damisse and his co-conspirators intended to shoot down the dictator’s aircraft—or, alternatively, divert it to Eritrea and capture the leader himself. A single blow to decapitate the Derg and open the path for Oromia’s liberation.
But conspiracies breathe thin air in authoritarian states. Fellow air force officers, when approached, hesitated. Some refused outright. The plot faltered, then collapsed. No missile was fired. No aircraft was diverted. No dictator fell.
The dream of an Oromo political order, forged in that moment of daring, remained unrealized.
The Exile and the Grave
What follows is contested, obscured, deliberately forgotten.
What is known: General Damisse was killed. The commander of the Flying Leopards, the veteran of Korea and Ogaden, the man who had received medals from an emperor’s hand, died at the hands of fellow officers—or of the regime they served.
His body was initially interred in Asmara, within the compound of the Catholic Church of St. Isteqs. Eritrea, then still part of Ethiopia, received the fallen general in silence. His grave marked nothing more than a name, a date, a vanished life.
But even the dead are not beyond the reach of politics.
Years later, after Eritrea had separated, after Asmara had become foreign soil, General Damisse’s remains were exhumed. They traveled south, across the border his squadron had once defended, back to the capital city where a cattle herder’s son had first dreamed of flight.
Today, they say, he rests in Finfinne. Within the compound of St. Joseph’s Church. A man displaced even in death, his final resting place known to few, visited by fewer still.
What Remains
General Damisse Bulto left no political testament. No memoirs. No public confessions or private apologies. He left only the record of his service—the medals, the missions, the promotions—and the whispered memory of a plot that failed.
To Ethiopian military history, he is an embarrassment: a decorated commander who turned against the state. To Oromo nationalists, he is a martyr: a patriot who understood that love of nation and love of people could not be separated. To his family, he is simply gone—a father, a grandfather, a name spoken in prayers.
And to the young men and women of Ada’a Berga, who still tend cattle beneath the same skies he once watched, he is a question without answer.
Who was General Damisse Bulto?
The cattle know. The grass knows. The wind that moves across the West Shewa highlands remembers the boy who became an eagle.
But the archives are silent. The grave is quiet. And the dream he died for remains, like his body, displaced—waiting for a nation that has not yet decided whether to claim him.
💔
The author acknowledges the family of General Damisse Bulto and surviving members of the Ethiopian Air Force who provided information for this profile, many of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ethiopia’s Sudan Calculus: Beyond Bystander, Toward Strategic Survival
By Hayyuu Oromia
Feature Commentary
In the discourse surrounding Ethiopia’s engagement in the Sudanese conflict, a curious expectation has taken root—one that presumes Addis Ababa should somehow transcend the very logic of statecraft that every other regional actor employs without apology.
Egypt maneuvers. The United Arab Emirates projects power. Saudi Arabia calibrates. Turkey expands. Qatar hedges. All pursue their interests with the unembarrassed clarity that sovereign states have always done. Yet when Ethiopia—a nation sharing 744 kilometers of border with Sudan, hosting hundreds of thousands of its refugees, and dependent upon stable transit corridors through its territory—dares to act in its own defense, a chorus of disapproval arises.
This double standard is not merely unjust. It is strategically naïve.
The Geography of Vulnerability
Let us state plainly what diplomatic language often obscures: Ethiopia cannot afford to be a bystander in Sudan. Not because of ideological affinity with any faction. Not because of adventurism. Not because of a governing party’s foreign policy vanity.
Because geography has already decided otherwise.
When Sudan burns, the flames do not stop at the border. They leap. They travel along ancient trading routes, through porous boundaries that no government on either side has ever fully controlled, into the ethnic borderlands where kinship ties defy colonial cartography. They arrive in the form of automatic weapons flowing into regions already wrestling with internal tensions. They arrive as refugee surges that strain already limited resources. They arrive as disrupted trade corridors upon which Ethiopian businesses and consumers depend.
Egypt does not share a border with Sudan. Its cities will not receive Sudanese refugees. Its farmers will not lose access to Port Sudan. Its traders will not watch their goods stranded at border crossings.
Ethiopia will. Ethiopia does. Ethiopia has.
The Egyptian Calculus
To speak of Ethiopia’s engagement in Sudan without referencing Egypt’s extensive involvement is to analyze a chess game while ignoring one player’s moves entirely.
Cairo has not been neutral. It has not been passive. It has not been a disinterested mediator seeking only Sudanese welfare. Egypt has actively cultivated relationships with specific Sudanese armed factions, provided political cover for certain actors in regional forums, and framed its engagement as protective of its own red lines—the most significant being the preservation of its historical dominance over Nile waters.
This is not an accusation. It is an observation of normal state behavior. Egypt, like any sovereign nation, pursues its perceived strategic interests. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam represents a fundamental shift in the region’s hydro-political balance. It would be extraordinary—indeed, irresponsible from Cairo’s perspective—if Egypt did not seek to offset this shift wherever possible.
Sudan has become an arena for that effort.
The question, then, is not whether Ethiopia should be present in Sudanese affairs. The question is whether Ethiopia can afford to be absent while its primary regional competitor works actively to shape outcomes that will directly affect Ethiopian security, economy, and water interests for generations.
The Luxury of Abstraction
Critics of Ethiopia’s Sudan policy often deploy a peculiar rhetorical maneuver. They concede that Ethiopia has legitimate interests. They acknowledge that other actors are deeply involved. They may even admit that Cairo’s activities are not purely altruistic.
And then they pivot to demand that Ethiopia nevertheless behave as though these facts did not exist—as though moral suasion were a substitute for strategic positioning, as though abstention were a viable posture in a region defined by zero-sum competition.
This is not principled foreign policy analysis. It is the luxury of abstraction available only to those who do not bear direct responsibility for national security.
Ethiopia’s policymakers do not have that luxury. They cannot instruct the military not to monitor border developments. They cannot tell intelligence services to ignore foreign powers cultivating relationships with armed groups along Ethiopian frontiers. They cannot inform the foreign ministry that diplomatic engagement with Sudanese stakeholders is somehow beneath Ethiopian dignity.
These are not policy choices. They are existential imperatives.
What Strategy Is, and Is Not
To argue that Ethiopia must be engaged in Sudan is not to endorse every specific action taken by Ethiopian officials. Strategy can be well-executed or poorly executed. Tactics can be effective or counterproductive. Decisions about which actors to engage, what pressure points to employ, and how to calibrate public and private messaging are all legitimate subjects of critique.
But critique requires an alternative framework. It must answer certain questions:
What would Ethiopian non-involvement actually look like? Complete diplomatic withdrawal? Termination of engagement with Sudanese stakeholders? Silence in regional forums while other states shape narratives and outcomes favorable to themselves?
And what would be the consequence of such withdrawal? Would Sudan become more stable? Would Ethiopian interests be better protected? Would Egypt reduce its own engagement out of reciprocal restraint?
The answers write themselves.
Survival, Not Adventurism
There is a word for a state that observes regional instability affecting its core interests and chooses deliberate inaction: it is not virtuous. It is not principled. It is not strategically sophisticated.
It is a failed state.
Ethiopia has endured enough decades of weakness, enough periods when others made decisions on its behalf, enough moments when its voice was absent from conversations determining its own fate. The current government, whatever its domestic shortcomings, has demonstrated a consistent refusal to return to that posture.
This refusal is not driven by ideological affinity with any Sudanese faction. It is not motivated by expansionist ambition. It is not evidence of some supposed Abiy Doctrine of regional interventionism.
It is survival.
The same survival instinct that led every Ethiopian government since Menelik to seek access to the sea. The same survival instinct that impelled successive administrations to pursue equitable utilization of the Nile. The same survival instinct that has kept Ethiopia engaged with its neighbors through every political transition, every change of ideology, every shift from empire to republic to federal democracy.
The Continuity Beneath Change
Governments change. Parties rise and fall. Personalities dominate headlines and then recede from memory. But Ethiopia’s strategic geography remains stubbornly constant.
The same Nile that concerned Emperor Tewodros concerns Prime Minister Abiy. The same borderlands that worried Emperor Haile Selassie worry the current National Security Council. The same imperative to prevent hostile powers from dominating Ethiopia’s periphery that animated Derg foreign policy animates EPRDF and PP administrations alike.
This continuity is not evidence of ideological capture. It is evidence of reality—unyielding, indifferent to political fashion, unforgiving of strategic negligence.
Critics who conflate temporary partisan grievances with permanent national interests may achieve emotional satisfaction. They may generate applause in certain forums. They may even convince themselves that their opposition to a particular government constitutes enlightened statesmanship.
But they do not thereby absolve themselves of the responsibility to distinguish between the party in power and the state itself. They do not exempt themselves from the obligation to think seriously about Ethiopia’s enduring strategic requirements.
And they do not alter the fundamental fact that Ethiopia—like Egypt, like every other regional state—will continue to pursue its interests in Sudan and beyond, because the alternative is not moral purity.
The alternative is strategic suicide.
Beyond the Current Moment
The Sudanese conflict will eventually resolve, as all conflicts do. The configuration of power in Khartoum will shift. Egypt will continue its engagement. Other external actors will come and go. The headlines will move elsewhere.
But Ethiopia will remain. Its geography will not change. Its fundamental interests will persist. Its need to engage with its neighbors—to protect its people, secure its economy, and defend its sovereignty—will outlast any single administration, any particular policy, any contemporary debate.
The question facing Ethiopia’s political class is not whether to support or oppose the current government’s Sudan policy. It is whether they can develop the strategic literacy to distinguish between contingent political disagreements and permanent national necessities.
Thus far, the evidence is not encouraging. But necessity, as they say, is a harsh teacher.
And Ethiopia’s geography is not finished instructing.
Two Helens, One Heartbeat: The Untold Story of the Artists Who Refuse to Let War Define the Horn
By Hayyuu Oromia|
February 12, 2026
Finfinne, Oromia — They have never shared a stage. They have never recorded together. They have never, by any public record, even met.
Yet Helen Pawlos of Eritrea and Helen Berhe of Ethiopia sing the same song.
It is a melody not written in musical notation but etched in the shared cultural fabric of the Horn of Africa—a region where borders shift but kinship endures, where politicians trade accusations and artists trade influences, where two women carrying the same name have become, however unwittingly, twin pillars of a quiet resistance against division.
This is their story.
The Eritrean Helen: Crossing When Crossing Meant Everything
ASMARA/ADDIS ABABA — The year was approximately 1998. As Ethiopian and Eritrean forces mobilized along a disputed border, preparing for a war that would claim some 80,000 lives, a fifteen-year-old girl crossed from Asmara to Addis Ababa.
She carried no diplomatic passport. She bore no peace proposal. Helen Pawlos carried only a koboro drum and a voice that would one day silence artillery.
What happened next defies the official record of those years.
While state media of both countries traded accusations of aggression and territorial violation, Ethiopian artists did something the history books rarely record. They embraced her. Haile Tadesse, Aregahegn Worash, Minalush Reta, Buzuayehu Demsse, Gossaye Tesfaye, Abnet Agonafir—legends of Ethiopia’s golden age of music—took a teenage Eritrean girl into their fold. They taught her. They performed with her. They made her their own.
“She came as a stranger but left as a sister,” recalls a veteran sound engineer who worked at Hager Fiker Theatre during those years, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Nobody asked where she was from. We only heard what she could do.”
What Helen Pawlos could do proved extraordinary. She would go on to become the “Queen of the Stage,” a polyglot vocalist fluent in Tigrigna, Arabic, Amharic, Tigre, Oromigna, and Guragigna. She recorded albums that topped charts in both countries. She performed before audiences who forgot—or simply didn’t care—that she was, technically, a foreign national.
Today, Helen Pawlos resides in Sweden. But she never stopped singing in the languages of both her homelands.
The Ethiopian Helen: From Classroom to Global Stage
ADDIS ABABA — At Menen High School, Helen Berhe was known as the girl who kept disappearing.
Her truancy had nothing to do with rebellion and everything to do with vocation. While classmates studied mathematics and biology, Berhe slipped away to Hager Fiker Theatre, pressing her face against windows, absorbing every rehearsal she could witness.
“A trainer heard me humming,” Berhe recalled in a 2019 interview with Addis Maleda. “He said, ‘Your sound should be tamed.’ Not silenced. Tamed. Those words changed my life.”
At eighteen, Berhe left Ethiopia—first for Bahrain, then Dubai. And there, in the improbable setting of Gulf hotel lounges, her Eritrean-Ethiopian story began to write itself.
She heard a Sudanese singer named Nada Algesa perform “Uzaza Allina” at the Sheraton Dubai. The melody arrested her. She approached Algesa, an artist she had never met, and asked permission to translate the song into Amharic.
Algesa said yes.
The resulting cover became Berhe’s breakthrough hit. It also became something else: a quiet testament to the cultural fluidity that predates and transcends the borders of the Horn. A Sudanese melody, reimagined by an Ethiopian vocalist, echoing harmonies that have traveled camel caravan routes for centuries—routes that do not recognize the checkpoints now bleeding into the sand.
When Berhe returned to Addis to record her 2010 album Tasfelegnaleh, she collaborated with Abegaz Kibrework and Wondimeneh Assefa, among Ethiopia’s most celebrated composers. She became a star. And somewhere in Sweden, another Helen continued singing songs in Amharic.
The Art That Precedes Politics
ADDIS ABABA/ASMARA — Cultural historians note a striking pattern: Ethiopian and Eritrean artists have repeatedly forged connections long before diplomatic normalization made such contact officially acceptable.
In 2019, at the height of the brief “medemer” rapprochement following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Nobel Peace Prize, Ethiopian painter Brihan Beyene and Eritrean painter Nebay Abraha mounted a joint exhibition at Fendeka Cultural Center in Addis Ababa. Their canvases depicted shared traditions: dressing styles, traditional dishes, coffee ceremonies, wedding songs.
“People of the two countries are just like two sides of the same coin,” Nebay told AFP at the time. “You live by sharing ideas. You live by preaching the peace. You live by preaching the love.”
Nebay had entered Ethiopia through Zalambessa when the border briefly opened—a window of movement that has since, like so much else, closed without explanation. He found Ethiopian artists who helped him exhibit, who treated him not as a foreigner but as a colleague.
“If there was no peace I wouldn’t have this chance,” Nebay said. “I would be forced to stay and protect Eritrea. So peace is the most important thing in my opinion.”
That peace, so hard-won and so celebrated, has since proven agonizingly fragile.
February 2026: Art in the Time of Renewed Tension
ADDIS ABABA — As this newspaper reports, the headlines have darkened.
“Ethiopia and Eritrea Trade Accusations as Tensions Rise.” “Eritrea Rejects Addis Claims of Troops Inside Ethiopian Territory.” The language is familiar to anyone who lived through the 1998-2000 war: false accusations, fabricated claims, acts of aggression, withdraw your troops.
Border crossings that briefly opened have been closed again, with no official explanation. Eritrean soldiers remain in Ethiopia’s Tigray region despite the Pretoria Agreement’s call for foreign troop withdrawal. The diplomatic thaw has curdled into fresh suspicion.
Yet in this poisoned atmosphere, the artists continue their work.
Helen Berhe performs regularly in Addis Ababa, her repertoire unchanged—still including Sudanese melodies, still sung with the voice that refuses to recognize cultural borders. Helen Pawlos, though based in Sweden, maintains active connections with Ethiopian musicians and producers.
Neither woman has commented publicly on the recent deterioration in bilateral relations. Neither has issued statements about troop movements or diplomatic protests.
They simply continue to create.
What the Politicians Miss
ANALYSIS — Political scientist Dr. Mahlet Shiferaw of Addis Ababa University suggests that official discourse consistently misunderstands the relationship between ordinary Ethiopians and Eritreans.
“Politicians speak of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Dr. Mahlet said. “Artists speak of something else entirely. They speak of shared childhood memories, of grandmothers who told the same stories on both sides of the border, of music that cannot be assigned a single nationality.”
Helen Pawlos sings in Oromigna and Guragigna not because it serves an Ethiopian government agenda, but because she learned those languages from Ethiopian colleagues who became her second family. Helen Berhe covers Sudanese songs not because she seeks to make a political statement about regional integration, but because the melody moved her.
This distinction—between politically motivated unity and organically cultivated kinship—may be the most important difference neither government seems to grasp.
Diaspora Dialogues: The California Connection
OAKLAND, California — In 2014, a decade before the current tensions, a remarkable experiment unfolded nearly 8,000 miles from the Horn.
Ethiopian American singer Meklit Hadero and Eritrean American filmmaker Sephora Woldu collaborated on a multimedia installation called “Home [away from] Home.” They constructed a traditional gojo/adjo—a circular hut with a conical roof, common to both Ethiopian and Eritrean architectural heritage—and filled it with interviews, photographs, and soundscapes documenting the lives of Horn of Africa immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area.
They interviewed taxi drivers. Mostly Eritrean, mostly men who had fled indefinite military conscription, they drove through the foggy streets of San Francisco and Oakland, carrying passengers whose stories they never told.
“Everybody has a family member who is a taxi driver,” Hadero said during the project’s launch. “It’s an incredible metaphor of moving in general, moving through the city, being the eyes and ears of the city.”
Woldu added: “Our people are pretty private. They don’t easily share their histories. But their stories are woven into so much of the art they create, the food they cook, the way they raise their children.”
Our people. Not their people. Our people.
The phrase hung in the California air, unremarked upon, unquestioned.
The Unfinished Duet
ADDIS ABABA/STOCKHOLM — It remains unknown whether Helen Pawlos and Helen Berhe have ever met.
Neither artist responded to interview requests for this feature. Representatives for both women declined to comment on their relationship or lack thereof. Searches of concert archives, recording credits, and photographic records reveal no documented encounter.
But the imagination supplies what documentation withholds.
“We dream of a concert,” confided a young Ethiopian musician who requested anonymity, fearing professional repercussions for speaking about Eritrea during this sensitive period. “Two Helens. One stage. One microphone between them. Can you imagine?”
She paused.
“When governments fail, artists remember how to talk to each other. It’s always been this way. It will always be this way.”
What Endures
CODA — Nebay Abraha’s 2019 words return like a refrain: You live by preaching the peace. You live by preaching the love.
The two Helens have preached this sermon for decades. Not from pulpits, but from stages. Not in diplomatic communiqués, but in the spaces between notes. Not by demanding unity, but by embodying it so naturally that audiences forget to ask where the singer was born.
This is the work that continues when treaties fail and borders close. This is the song that refuses to stop, even when checkpoints multiply and accusations fly. This is the truth that politicians cannot legislate away: that Ethiopians and Eritreans were family long before they were citizens of separate states, and they will remain family long after the current tensions recede into memory.
The Ethiopian Helen. The Eritrean Helen.
Two women. One name. One region. One heartbeat.
They have never shared a stage. But they have always shared a song.
And that song, unheard but undeniable, continues to play.
This feature was reported and written against the backdrop of renewed Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions in February 2026. The Ethiopian Herald made multiple attempts to reach Helen Pawlos and Helen Berhe for comment; neither responded by press time. The artists’ non-response should not be interpreted as endorsement or rejection of this article’s thesis.
Dhagaa Baabbilee: Nature’s Marvel Beckons Tourists to Eastern Hararghe
Oromia, Babille— Rising majestically from the rugged landscape of Eastern Hararghe Zone, the extraordinary rock formation known as Dhagaa Baabbilee stands as one of Ethiopia’s most remarkable natural wonders, offering visitors an unforgettable encounter with geological history.
Located just five kilometers from the town of Babile and approximately 40 kilometers from the ancient walled city of Harar, this fascinating volcanic rock structure is easily accessible to both domestic and international tourists seeking authentic natural experiences. The site, situated in an area locally called Dakkata, presents visitors with a stunning visual spectacle that has captivated travelers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts alike.
A Testament to Volcanic Origins
Dhagaa Baabbilee’s distinctive shape tells a story millions of years in the making. Geological experts attribute its unusual formation to ancient volcanic activity that shaped the region’s topography. Unlike typical rock formations found elsewhere in the country, these particular monoliths stand in remarkably preserved forms, their peculiar contours defying conventional expectations of natural rock structures.
Standing prominently along the roadside, the formation offers convenient viewing opportunities without requiring strenuous hiking or specialized equipment. Visitors can simply park and witness this geological masterpiece up close, making it an ideal stop for travelers journeying between Harar and Babile.
Photographer’s Paradise
For photography enthusiasts and social media content creators, Dhagaa Baabbilee presents an unparalleled backdrop. The interplay of light and shadow across the volcanic rock faces during golden hours creates dramatic compositions that have made the site increasingly popular among Ethiopia’s growing community of nature photographers.
“The way these rocks catch the morning light is simply magical,” observed Tadesse Alemu, a frequent visitor from Harar. “Every visit offers a different perspective, a new angle to appreciate.”
Gateway to Greater Exploration
The Dakkata Valley, stretching from Harar to Funyaan Bira, features an entire landscape dotted with similar volcanic formations, creating what tourism experts describe as an underutilized geological corridor with tremendous potential for adventure tourism, educational field trips, and scientific research.
Unlike many tourist destinations that offer only recreational value, Dhagaa Baabbilee serves multiple purposes. Its accessibility makes it suitable for school excursions focusing on geography and natural sciences, while history researchers find value in understanding how such formations have influenced human settlement patterns in the region.
Untapped Tourism Potential
Despite its proximity to Harar—a UNESCO-recognized heritage site that attracts thousands of international visitors annually—Dhagaa Baabbilee remains relatively unknown outside the immediate region. Local tourism stakeholders are now advocating for greater promotional efforts to integrate this natural attraction into existing tourist circuits.
“We have this magnificent resource practically at our doorstep, yet many visitors to Harar leave without knowing it exists,” said Mulugeta Tesfaye, a tourism operator based in Babile. “The potential here is enormous—for local job creation, for community development, and for diversifying Ethiopia’s tourism offerings beyond the northern circuit.”
An Invitation to Discover
As Ethiopia’s tourism sector continues recovering and expanding, destinations like Dhagaa Baabbilee represent opportunities to showcase the country’s lesser-known natural heritage. The site embodies the geological diversity that makes the Horn of Africa region scientifically significant while offering accessible adventure for casual travelers.
“We invite everyone—whether you’re a researcher seeking to understand our geological history, a photographer chasing that perfect shot, or simply someone who appreciates the extraordinary beauty of nature,” said community representative Amina Ibrahim. “Come, visit Dhagaa Baabbilee, witness this wonder of Oromia’s natural heritage, and take pride with us in this magnificent gift of nature.”
As sunset paints the volcanic rocks in shades of amber and crimson, visitors to Dhagaa Baabbilee experience what local guides describe as “the moment when stone and sky become one”—a fitting metaphor for a place where Ethiopia’s ancient geological past meets its promising tourism future.
A Call for Security, A Pledge for Protection: Oromia’s Leadership Outlines Commitment After Period of Unrest
A Call for Security, A Pledge for Protection: Oromia’s Leadership Outlines Commitment After Period of Unrest
In a direct address to mounting public concerns, a statement from Oromia’s leadership has acknowledged a sustained period of violence and insecurity, vowing to restore safety as the region’s fundamental priority. The message strikes a resonant chord with communities who have felt vulnerable, explicitly referencing the unresolved trauma of the 2016 Irreechaa tragedy as a pivotal moment of institutional failure.
“A safe nation is the foundation for everything else,” the statement declares, framing security not as a privilege but as the essential bedrock upon which economic prosperity, social development, and personal freedom are built. “Oromians cannot build their lives with confidence if they do not feel secure in their own communities.”
The frank acknowledgment of public anxiety comes after years of reported unrest involving various armed groups, inter-communal clashes, and allegations of state violence. This instability has disrupted livelihoods, deepened social fractures, and fueled a widespread demand for decisive action.
A Four-Pillar Pledge for Action
Moving beyond acknowledgment, the leadership has outlined a four-point action plan, presenting it as an unwavering commitment to its citizens:
- 🔵 Crack down on anti-Oromummaa: A pledge to confront ideologies and actions deemed hostile to Oromo identity, culture, and self-determination.
- 🔵 Tackle violent extremism: A commitment to address radicalization and violence from all sources that threaten civil order.
- 🔵 Take strong action to fight terrorism: A vow to combat groups officially designated as terrorist organizations operating within and across Oromia’s borders.
- 🔵 Secure our borders to protect Oromians: A promise to enhance control over regional boundaries to prevent cross-border incursions and the flow of weapons.
“Protecting Oromians and defending our way of life is a government’s first responsibility,” the statement concludes. “That is the standard we will uphold.”
The Shadow of Irreechaa and the Test of Trust
The explicit mention of the 2016 Irreechaa tragedy is particularly significant. During the annual Oromo thanksgiving festival that year, a deadly stampede and alleged security force actions led to hundreds of deaths, a profound national trauma that has become symbolic of a broken trust between the people and the state. By invoking it, the current statement directly ties its new security pledge to the healing of that historic wound.
The success of this pledge now rests on its translation from rhetoric into tangible, even-handed, and effective action on the ground. Observers and citizens alike will be watching closely to see if these commitments lead to a measurable decrease in violence, the protection of all communities, and the restoration of the confidence needed for Oromians to build their futures without fear. The ultimate test will be whether safety, promised as a foundation, can truly be rebuilt.
“Protecting Oromians and defending our way of life is a government’s first responsibility,” the statement concludes. “That is the standard we will uphold.”
Australia’s Untold Stories: Celebrating Refugee Contributions
Australia’s Untold Stories: New Project Celebrates the Lives and Legacies of Former Refugees
[Advocacy for Oromia] Today launched Australia’s Untold Stories, a powerful digital archive of oral histories from 12 former refugees who have rebuilt their lives and enriched the nation. The project spotlights individuals from diverse backgrounds—including Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Eritrea, Laos, South Sudan, and Vietnam—as a testament to the resilience and contributions of over a million refugees who have settled in Australia since World War II.
Body Content Structure:
You can structure the main body of your article to include the following sections:
- The Heart of the Project: Briefly explain the “why” behind the project. Emphasize its goal to move beyond statistics and present personal, human narratives of courage, loss, hope, and new beginnings. Mention the format (e.g., video interviews, written narratives) and the goal of preserving these stories for a national audience.
- Introducing the Storytellers: This is the core of your feature. Once you access the project site, select two or three compelling individuals to highlight. For each, provide:
- Name and Origin: (e.g., “Amina, who fled Afghanistan…”).
- A Glimpse of Their Journey: A brief, poignant detail from their story (e.g., the profession they left behind, a moment of danger or hope).
- Their Contribution in Australia: How they rebuilt their life (e.g., founded a community organization, became a nurse, opened a restaurant sharing their culture, raised a family).
- A Powerful Direct Quote: Pull a short, impactful line from their interview that summarizes their experience or perspective. This adds authenticity and emotional depth.
- The Broader Tapestry: Connect these individual stories to the larger historical narrative mentioned in your prompt. Discuss how these 12 stories represent the wider contributions refugees have made to Australian society over eight decades in fields like medicine, cuisine, arts, business, and community life. Acknowledge the role of welcoming communities and settlement support.
- Call to Action and Access: Direct readers clearly to where they can experience the stories. You can use the text you already have: “Through their stories, we reflect on the contributions refugees have made… Watch Australia’s Untold Stories: https://bit.ly/AustraliasUntoldStories“. Consider adding a final reflective sentence on the importance of listening and understanding.
Quotes to Incorporate (add from the videos once you watch them):
- Look for a quote from a project organizer on the vision for the archive.
- Look for 2-3 moving quotes from the featured individuals about their past, their journey, or their life in Australia.
- You could also consider including a brief quote from a historian or community leader on the national significance of such projects (if available on the site or from your own research).
Practical Next Steps:
- Visit the Direct Link: Go to
https://bit.ly/AustraliasUntoldStoriesin your web browser to watch the videos and read the full profiles. - Take Detailed Notes: As you watch, note down the names, key life events, professions, and the most powerful statements from the interviewees.
- Fill in the Template: Use the notes to populate the article structure above with specific, vivid details.
- Add a Relevant Image: If the project page provides promotional images or video stills you have permission to use, include one with your article to make it more engaging.
The Poet Who Spoke for a Continent: Remembering Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (1936-2006)
Subtitle: Ethiopia’s towering playwright, poet laureate, and pan-African visionary left a legacy that bridged tradition, revolution, and human dignity.
On a February day in 2006, in a Manhattan hospital room far from the highlands of Boda where he was born, the heart of Ethiopian letters ceased to beat. Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin – playwright, poet, pan-Africanist, and keeper of his nation’s conscience – passed away at 69, physically separated from the land he immortalized but spiritually never departed from it.
Tsegaye’s life was a testament to the power of art to shape national identity and awaken continental consciousness. Educated in the wake of Ethiopia’s liberation from Italian occupation, his genius was recognized early. While still a schoolboy, he wrote a play performed before Emperor Haile Selassie—a prophetic beginning for a writer who would spend a lifetime wrestling with the myths, heroes, and soul of his nation.
The Playwright as Patriot and Teacher
Rejecting careers in law and commerce, which he saw as “soul-destroying,” Tsegaye devoted himself to the stage. As a director of Ethiopia’s National Theatre, he became a deliberate pedagogue. He believed his country needed heroes, and through historical dramas like Tewodros and Petros at the Hour, he taught Ethiopians to respect the martyrdom, reform, and resistance that defined their past. Yet his vision was never parochial. His celebrated play The Oda Oak Oracle, a comedy of Ethiopian country life, was performed across eight nations, proving the universal appeal of locally-rooted storytelling.
The Poet as Pan-African Visionary
Tsegaye’s patriotism was expansive, firmly rooted in an Africanist worldview. A friend of Senegal’s President Léopold Sédar Senghor, he engaged deeply with the Négritude movement. His scholarship led him to trace the linguistic and cultural threads linking the Nile Valley civilizations, asserting Ethiopia’s place within a broader African continuum. This vision culminated in 2002 when his poem, calling to “make Africa the tree of life,” was adopted as the anthem of the newly-formed African Union.
The Advocate as Unyielding Conscience
Beyond the stage and page, Tsegaye was a formidable advocate for justice. He campaigned tirelessly for the return of Ethiopia’s looted heritage—the Aksum Obelisk taken by Mussolini and the priceless manuscripts pillaged from Emperor Tewodros’s fortress at Magdala. For him, these were not mere artifacts but fragments of the national soul.
In his later years, his focus broadened to the universal themes of peace and human dignity, earning him international recognition and a place in the United Poets Laureate International.
A Legacy of Unbroken Spirit
Confined to exile by the medical necessity of dialysis, Tsegaye became a spiritual anchor for the diaspora, affectionately known as Blattengetta—the great scholar. His seminal poem, “Prologue to African Conscience,” remains a piercing critique of post-colonial malaise, warning of “luxury and golden chains that free the body and enslave the mind.”
Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin taught us that to look forward, a people must first learn to look deeply into their own past and see themselves within the grand tapestry of their continent. He was not just Ethiopia’s poet laureate; he was Africa’s scribe, a visionary who understood that true freedom lives in the stories we tell, the history we reclaim, and the conscience we dare to awaken.
Galatoomaa, Blattengetta. Your footprints in time are indelible.
Urgent Action: Halt Ethiopia TPS Termination Now
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
URGENT PETITION: HUMANITARIAN GROUPS PLEA FOR LAST-MINUTE HALT TO ETHIOPIA TPS TERMINATION
With just 48 hours remaining before a critical deportation protection expires, the Oromia Support Group (OSG) is issuing a global call to action. A petition on Change.org, directed at Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, demands the immediate rescission of the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Ethiopia, including the Oromo people.
The termination, set for February 13, will revoke the legal right of approximately 2,200 Ethiopians to live and work in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decision, announced last year, concludes that conditions in Ethiopia—a country grappling with recent conflict, severe drought, and ongoing human rights concerns—no longer warrant temporary humanitarian protection.
“This decision implies Ethiopia is now a safe place to deport people to, which contradicts the reality on the ground,” said Dr. Trevor Trueman, Chair of the Oromia Support Group. “We are in a race against time to prevent the return of individuals to a situation of extreme peril.”
The petition explicitly holds Secretary Noem, who oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), accountable. It references controversial ICE actions, alleging the agency has “detained thousands of immigrants, including children, in hostile detention centres many hundreds of miles from their homes, families, and legal representatives.” The petition frames the appeal as a chance for the public to “register disapproval of the actions of the DHS, including ICE.”
Dr. Trueman specifically addressed potential concerns about the petition’s organizer, the Ethiopian American Association. He emphasized it is a young, non-partisan organization with no nationalistic bias within Ethiopia. “Unlike other similarly-named organisations, it does not exhibit an anti-Oromo bias,” he stated, noting that its President, Aga Ambissa Ayana, is a former Oromo refugee himself, whom Trueman met in Nairobi in 2010 prior to his resettlement in the U.S.
Advocates warn that without TPS, beneficiaries will face imminent deportation to a country still recovering from a devastating civil war and facing severe humanitarian crises in several regions, including Oromia. The termination affects those who have built lives, families, and careers in the U.S., often for several years.
The Petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/…/protect-tps-holders-of…
About the Oromia Support Group:
The OSG is a UK-based advocacy organization focused on human rights and political issues concerning the Oromo people of Ethiopia.
Contact: Dr. Trevor Trueman, Chair, Oromia Support Group.
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Note to Editors: The DHS has stated the termination is based on a thorough assessment of country conditions. Requests for comment from the Department of Homeland Security on this specific petition were not immediately returned.
Love and Understanding: Join Our Online Peace Academy
Subtitle: Join the Australian Religious Peace Academy (ARPA) for an Evening of Dialogue, Trivia, and Shared Insight
In a world that often highlights our differences, we believe peace begins with a simple, courageous act: choosing to understand one another.
We warmly invite you to the February Australian Religious Peace Academy (ARPA) Interfaith & Intercultural Dialogue—an interactive gathering designed to inspire connection, curiosity, and shared insight across cultures and faiths.
Event Details:
- 📅 Date: Tuesday, 24 February
- 🕐 Time: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
- 📍 Location: Online via Zoom
- 🔗 Registration: https://forms.gle/oCCwzo6p3LqKoq3L6
This Month’s Theme: “Love Starts with Understanding”
We will explore how empathy, open dialogue, and a willingness to learn from one another can transform relationships and strengthen our communities. When we take time to truly understand, love grows naturally—and peace becomes possible.
What to Expect:
This will be a lively and interactive evening! We’ll engage through a game of cultural and religious trivia, where you’ll have the opportunity to discover new perspectives, put your knowledge to the test, and build genuine understanding in a welcoming and enjoyable space.
We’ll also introduce our upcoming major event, the International Religious Peace Academy (IRPA), beginning on Saturday, 28 February. Learn how this global gathering invites us to build religious harmony through deepening our understanding of one another’s faiths and lived experiences.
Whether you are new to ARPA or a returning participant, your voice and presence matter. We would be honoured to have you join us for this meaningful and uplifting session.
Let’s come together to learn, connect, and rediscover how understanding can be the true starting point of love and lasting peace.
Please register via the link above to secure your spot and receive the Zoom details.
#ARPA #InterfaithDialogue #Intercultural #LoveStartsWithUnderstanding #Peacebuilding #Community #OnlineEvent #ReligiousHarmony #AustralianDialogue
A Titan’s Farewell: Seattle Bids Final Goodbye to Obbo Maammaa Argoo, Pillar of the Oromo Struggle
Subtitle: A Hero’s Funeral at Bole International Airport Honors a Life of Service, From Shashamanne to Seattle.
SEATTLE, USA – Under solemn skies, the global Oromo community gathered at Bole International Airport to perform the final rites of honor (Sirna Simannaa) for a true giant of the Oromo struggle and a foundational pillar of the diaspora: Obbo Maammaa Argoo.
His passing marks not just a personal loss, but the closing of a chapter in modern Oromo history. Obbo Maammaa Argoo was a man who never left the side of his people, fighting for Oromumma until his final breath, as his life story powerfully attests.
The dignified funeral service was attended by elders, prominent figures, political leaders, and countless community members, a testament to the vast and profound impact of his decades of unwavering service.
A Life of Action, From the Heart of Oromia to the Heart of the Diaspora:
Born in 1946 in Shashamanne, West Arsi, Obbo Maammaa Argoo’s commitment to his people ignited early. In the 1960s, he and his peers launched literacy campaigns in their local area, establishing schools and teaching in remote villages—a foundational act of empowerment.
After immigrating to the United States in 1989, settling first in Washington D.C. and then moving to Seattle in 1992, he immediately began serving the Oromo community with visionary leadership. He helped build the Seattle Oromo community from the ground up, serving in various leadership capacities.
His legacy is etched in the preservation of identity. For over 27 years, he tirelessly organized weekly programs to teach Oromo children their language, culture, history, and sense of self—ensuring the flame of Oromumma burned bright in a new land.
He was also a key architect of unity and institution-building. His instrumental role in founding the Oromo Soccer Federation and Sports Association in North America (OSFNA) stands as a monumental achievement, creating a lasting platform for community cohesion, pride, and networking across the continent.
A Man of Family and Principle:
Beyond his public life, Obbo Maammaa Argoo was a devoted family man, a loving husband, and a father to five children. He was widely known as a steadfast advocate for human rights and actively participated in numerous charitable and social service initiatives in Seattle.
Today, as we lay him to rest at Bole International Airport, we do not say goodbye to his spirit. We commit to carrying forward the institutions he built, the language he taught, and the unwavering love for Oromia he embodied. His name will forever be synonymous with dedication, resilience, and the boundless potential of community service.
Rest in perfect peace, Obbo Maammaa Argoo. Your work is done, but your light will forever guide our path.
#MaammaaArgoo #OromoHero #SeattleOromo #OSFNA #OromoDiaspora #RestInPower #Simannaa
Advocacy for Oromia 