A Leader’s Sacred Vow: Abbaa Gadaa Gujii Haloo Mokkonnaa Prepares for Qumbii-Liqimsaa Ritual

In the heart of Guji, a profound cultural transformation is underway. Abbaa Gadaa Haloo Mokkonnaa has begun the intricate sequence of sacred rituals that will culminate in the revered Qumbii-Liqimsaa ceremony at the historic Hasee Jila site.

This event represents a critical milestone in the Gadaa leadership cycle. Having already received the Baallii (the leadership baton) and entered the Gadaa system, the Abbaa Gadaa must now undertake this pivotal ritual under the guidance of the spiritual leader, the Qaalluu.

The ceremony centers on the Qumbii, a sacred herb that embodies purity, truth, and divine authority. By swallowing the Qumbii, the Abbaa Gadaa is believed to undergo a spiritual fortification. From this moment forward, tradition holds that he is bound to truth—his words carry immense power, his blessings can shape fortunes, and his curses are thought to bring grave misfortune.

In preparation for this solemn vow, Abbaa Gadaa Haloo Mokkonnaa is performing a series of foundational ceremonies, each rich with meaning:

• Korma Goobaa – The ritual offering of a black bull.
• Hoolaa/Hoolee Battalaa – The offering of a sheep.
• Buna Naqaa – A traditional coffee blessing.
• Jabbii Muudaa – A ceremonial anointment.
• Daraaraa – Contributions presented to the Qaalluu.

Together, these rituals mark the final, essential steps toward fulfilling his Gadaa obligations. The air at Hasee Jila is thick with significance as community members, elders, and cultural custodians gather to witness and honor this powerful event—a vibrant testament to the enduring strength and continuity of the Oromo Gadaa tradition.

As we gather to mourn the passing of the iconic Obbo Doti Tura, we also come together to celebrate a heroic life dedicated to the upliftment of the Arsi Oromo people and beyond.

Raised near Negele Arsi, Obbo Doti was recognized early as a brilliant child. Yet, after completing just the 5th grade, he made a profound choice. Witnessing his people being deliberately denied education and progress under the Haileselassie regime for their refusal to accept marginalization, he felt a call to action. He returned to rural Oromia with his colleagues from the Arsi Basic School, determined to teach.

This team, led by a profound sense of duty, sacrificed everything to bring the light of knowledge to the most remote areas, offering their services freely. They transformed the darkness of ignorance into a beacon of hope, investing their time, energy, and youth into the soil of their community.

The fruits of their sacrifice are the opportunities my generation enjoys today. The schools they built from nothing provided a roadmap for us—a charge to pay it forward by advancing education and health in our own time. From their initial, humble efforts, thousands of schools have since blossomed across the Arsi Oromo region, evolving into high schools and colleges that produce generations ready to build upon this foundation.

Obbo Doti’s own journey in learning never ceased. He advanced his education to become an exceptional pharmacist and founded one of Addis Ababa’s most successful businesses. He strategically used his resources and influence to fuel the Oromo national movement.

His commitment was boundless. He was a key figure in the Macca & Tulama movement, the OLF, and other pivotal struggles for the rights of our people. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other heroic figures like Baro Tumsa and Luba Gudina, collaborating in the pursuit of justice and humanitarian causes that have shaped our society.

Our nation is better today because giants like Obbo Doti paid a heavy price—enduring imprisonment and torture—to secure freedom and progress for those who followed. We owe him and his generation an eternal debt for leading us from the darkness of oppression toward the light of advancement.

Now, Obbo Doti, you can rest in power. You may look upon your work with a well-earned smile, knowing you fulfilled your duty magnificently and moved our cause forward immeasurably.

Our responsibility is clear: we must honor your sacrifice by protecting and expanding upon the progress you achieved. We must work tirelessly and plan wisely to complete this mission, ensuring the dark era of marginalization and ignorance never returns.

We will never forget your sacrifice, your dedication, or your struggle. Your legacy is not merely in the institutions you built, but in the enlightened hearts and minds of all who walk in the light you helped to shine.

Rest in Power, Obbo Doti Tura.

With deepest respect,

Gudata Hinika, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery
Chief of Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care
Los Angeles, California
President, Negele Arsi Hospital and Medical College

In a beautiful observance of Oromo tradition, a five-day ceremony known as Shanan was held at the home of Fayyinee Qaabatoo. This gathering, dedicated to honoring the mother and her newborn, brought together women from the community to offer their blessings and support.

During the event, the women gave thanks for Fayyinee’s safe delivery, expressing profound gratitude to the midwife for her crucial role. They shared prayers for the new mother’s swift and complete recovery from the trials of childbirth. In a key ritual of the Shanan custom, the women joined Fayyinee in partaking of the specially prepared marqaa, solidifying their communal bond.

Fayyinee was overjoyed by the gathering and expressed her profound respect and love for everyone who attended.

“Thank you for everything you did! Your kindness is beyond belief. I am so grateful for the amazing people you are, for all that you do, and for the difference you make in my life. You are all truly appreciated. I have no words to express how grateful I am to all my sisters. I love you all.”

Through their shared presence and prayers, they entrusted their collective joy to God, dedicating this sacred time as a beautiful and enduring memory for the family.

In Oromo culture, the shanan day (the fifth day after childbirth) is a deeply respected and cherished tradition. This day holds significant cultural, social, and emotional importance for the mother, the newborn, the family, and the community. It is a time of celebration, healing, and bonding, rooted in the values of care, support, and communal love.

The Shanan is an important and celebrated part of the midwife’s life. This is to the advantage of the family that a woman is safely released after carrying it in her womb for nine months. And the newborn is an addition to the family. Therefore, they do not leave a woman alone until she becomes stronger and self-reliant. Because it is said that the pit opens its mouth and waits for her. And when she goes to the bathroom, she carries an iron in her hand, and sucks it into her head.

This system plays an important role in helping the mother recover from labor pains. Family and friends who attend the Shanan will also encourage the midwife to look beautiful and earn the honor of midwifery. On this Shanan they made the midwife physically strong, socially beautiful, gracefully bright, and accustomed to the burdens of pregnancy and childbirth.

Why the Shanan Day?

In the Oromo worldview, the number five holds special importance. The Gadaa system is organized around cycles of fives and multiples of five (e.g., five Gadaa grades, eight-year terms consisting of 5+3 years). Waiting for five days is a way to honor this cultural structure and to properly prepare for the important act of naming.

Key Aspects of Shanan:

Community Support:

The core of the Shanan tradition is the communal nature of Oromo society, where the well-being of the mother and child is a shared responsibility.

Blessings and Encouragement:

Community members gather to provide emotional support, motivation, and blessings to the mother, helping her regain strength and feel connected.

Marqaa Food:

The traditional food served on this day is marqaa. The serving of marqaa, a traditional food, is a central part of the celebration, symbolizing the care, blessings, and communal solidarity being extended to the new family. The midwives washed their genitals and ate together. Traditional songs of praise to God and encouragement of the mother are sung in turn.

Cultural Identity:

The ritual reinforces Oromo cultural identity and continuity, serving as a way to preserve and pass down these traditions to younger generations. During the ceremony, mothers dressed in traditional clothes surrounded the mother and expressed their happiness; sitting around the midwife after eating the marqaa, they blessed the new mother, ‘give birth again; carry it on your shoulder and back; be strong in your knees.’

Strengthening Bonds:

Shanan strengthens social and emotional bonds within the community, as everyone participates in welcoming the new member.

The celebration of the Shanan (fifth day) after a birth is a deeply significant and cherished ritual in Oromo culture, rooted in the Gadaa system. This culture has been weakened for centuries by various religious factors and the influence of foreign regimes.

However, with the struggle of the Oromo people, the culture of encouraging childbirth is being revived and growing. Of course, many things may not be as perfect as they used to be. There is no doubt that the honor of Shanan as Sena Boka will contribute to the restoration of Shanan culture.

Baatuu, Oromia – In a significant act of cultural revitalization, the Jilaa Waayyuu ceremonial ground in Baatuu has been officially reopened and restored to its original purpose after being closed for 63 years. The site, once a central hub for Oromo cultural and spiritual life, has been revived through a government-led heritage restoration project.

Known locally as Qilxuun Qixxee Waayyuu, this historic arena traditionally served as a place for community assembly, conflict resolution, and spiritual prayers. It was where elders gathered to deliberate on matters of justice and communal welfare and was revered as a sacred site for connecting with Waaqa (God).

Government officials highlighted the restoration as a key achievement. Obbo Badhaasaa Reebaa, an official from the Baatuu Branch of the Prosperity Party Office, stated, “The Oromia Regional Government has shown a dedicated focus on reclaiming our cultural heritage. We are committed to ensuring the Oromo people can return to their ancestral traditions and practices.”

Echoing this sentiment, Obbo Kamaal Badhaasoo from the Baatuu Culture and Tourism Office emphasized the project’s importance for future generations. “Our culture was suppressed and inaccessible for 63 years,” he said. “But thanks to the government’s work on cultural restoration, it has now been brought back to life. It is our duty to strengthen this revival and preserve it for the generations to come.”

A Suppressed History

The grounds carry a hidden history of suppression. In 1955, Emperor Haile Selassie passed by the site and saw the Waayyuu elders assembled in their traditional Qixxee formation. When he inquired about the place, his attendants informed him it was a “Qixxee Biyyaa” (a traditional assembly for governing the land). The Emperor subsequently decreed the area a imperial domain, forcibly dispersing the community and banning their gatherings.

Now, 63 years later, the Baatuu City Administration has announced that the Jilaa Waayyuu grounds have been returned to the people, marking a symbolic and concrete step in the recovery of Oromo cultural sovereignty.

Introduction: Culture as the Soul of a People

A people’s identity is expressed through their culture. It is how they are seen and known by other communities and nations. The Oromo people possess a wealth of traditions that profoundly express their unique identity. The diverse geography of Oromia itself seems to have been created in harmony with the culture of its people.

Oromo culture is deeply intertwined with all aspects of social life. The people’s economy and faith are also expressed through this cultural lens. These traditions include marriage customs, culinary practices, dress, the Waaqeffannaa religion and its thanksgiving rituals, and the Gadaa system of power transfer, among many others. The systems that guide Oromo life are deeply spiritual, and a significant place is always given to Waaqa (God), the creator of the Earth.

However, the Oromo people have not been able to practice their way of life freely. From the era of Emperor Menelik to the fall of the Derg regime, they faced immense persecution for their identity and culture, enduring countless hardships. Yet, they held fast to their culture as the core of their identity until the fall of the imperial regime and the mass-exodus under the Derg in 1984.

With the establishment of a participatory government, Oromo culture, once marginalized and suppressed, is now being restored. The people are reclaiming their heritage. One of the most vibrant expressions of Oromummaa is the system of thanksgiving and prayer known as Irreechaa.

Irreecha: A Thanksgiving Ritual to the One God

The Oromo people, one of the major nations of Northeast Africa, are endowed with a rich culture and a fertile land. Historically, their way of life, faith, and cultural practices were guided by the Waaqeffannaa religion.

The Oromo are a monotheistic society, believing in one Creator God, who is formless and unparalleled. This God is the source of all existence. The Oromo do not worship creation itself—rivers, mountains, trees, or stones—but they see God’s power and artistry manifested within them. Therefore, Irreechaa is the form and process through which they give thanks to this one God. The name itself means “thankfulness to the one God.”

Irreecha and the Gadaa System

Irreechaa, as a practice of thanksgiving and prayer, holds a significant place within the Gadaa system. The Gadaa system is a holistic socio-political system that meticulously organizes all aspects of Oromo life: culture, social life, economy, governance, and faith. Among the institutions established by Gadaa, Irreechaa is a prominent and enduring cultural and religious manifestation. It demonstrates how the Oromo, before the introduction of other faiths, prayed to and thanked the one God, affirming their identity as Waaqeffataa (believers in God).

The Philosophy of Irreechaa

The Irreechaa festival is a thanksgiving ritual where the Oromo acknowledge the power of Waaqa in the universe and in their daily lives. They believe that the cycle of human life—death and rebirth—is a hidden manifestation of God’s power, revealed during the thanksgiving process. This belief also has an economic dimension; a farmer will wake at dawn and pray, “Oh God, bless the fruit of the crop and the offspring of my child!”

In agrarian life, a farmer plants a seed with hope. God, with rain, nourishes the land, and the seed sprouts into a plant. This plant, in its season, blossoms, bears fruit, and becomes food for people and livestock. This transition happens in Birra (spring), after the summer rains have passed, the land has dried, and the rivers have receded. The plant, which was green, dries up, and its fruit is ready for harvest. This is the time of Irreechaa. The Oromo say, “Baga Booqa Birraa geessan!” (Congratulations on reaching the season of Birra!). Birra is the time when the summer gloom has passed, and the landscape is lush.

The Celebration of Birra

Birra is a time of joy. The month of Birra (roughly September) marks a clear shift in the weather; the summer clouds and mist give way to the bright sun of spring. The land becomes adorned with lush, green vegetation. It is a time for community, shared meals, conversation, and mutual visits. The festival of Masqala, with its iconic daamara (torch), is part of this seasonal celebration, where communities gather, sing, and dance.

Where is Irreechaa Celebrated?

In Oromo philosophy, all of creation reflects the work and power of the God who created it. The divine is made manifest through nature. Therefore, Irreechaa is celebrated in two main types of locations that reflect God’s creative power: Irreecha Tulluu (Mountain Top Irreechaa) and Irreecha Malkaa (River Bank Irreechaa). These are the most common, but celebrations occur throughout Oromia.

• Irreecha Tulluu: This is held in mid-May (Bitootessa) to pray for the heavy Kiremt (summer) rains. Elders gather on mountain tops, raise their hands to the sky, and pray: “Protect us from the hot sun, let the seasons follow their course, send us the rainy wind, forgive us.” This ritual shares philosophical roots with ancient Cushitic traditions.
• Irreecha Malkaa (The Ayyaana Birraa): This is the main and most widely recognized Irreechaa, held in mid-October (Fulbaana). It celebrates the end of the rainy season and the beginning of Birra. It is known as the “Festival of Birra” and is a day of giving thanks to God. On this day, people dress in traditional attire, hold sacred grasses like jiidhaa and keelloo, and gather at river banks. Gadaa leaders, holding their symbols of authority, lead the procession. The attire is a form of respect to Waaqa.

The Epicenter: Hora Harsadii in Bishooftu

The most famous site for the Malkaa Irreechaa is Hora Harsadii (Lake Harsadii) in the city of Bishooftu. The city’s name is derived from its abundance of water (bishaan). The lake is named after Harsadii, a figure from the Liiban clan. Today, an estimated four million people gather here annually for Irreechaa, drawing attention from global media like BBC, Al Jazeera, and CNN.

The gathering is a profound spectacle of peace and devotion. People wade into the water, sprinkling it on their heads while praying for longevity and prosperity. After the ceremony, families return home to share a special meal, celebrating together and saying, “Baga ittiin si ga’e” (Congratulations on the occasion).

The city of Bishooftu, adorned with its beautiful lakes like Hora Kurruuftuu and Hora Baabboo Gaayyaa, opens its arms to visitors, showcasing its beauty and the magnificence of the Irreechaa celebration.

(November 9, 2025) – Gindhiir, Baalee – The annual Irreecha Malkaa Warangaboo festival was celebrated with great vibrancy and reverence at the Warangaboo River in the Gindhiir district of the Baalee Zone.

The ceremony was a powerful display of Oromo cultural unity, attended by Gadaa leaders, women proudly holding the Sinqee (a symbol of women’s rights), Qeerroo (Oromo youth), and community members adorned in traditional attire.

The gathering at this sacred site underscored the festival’s enduring role in giving thanks, fostering social cohesion, and affirming cultural identity for the Oromo people.