International Oromo Youth Association – Press Release IOYA_Logo April 14, 2014 The first International Oromo Youth Leadership Conference was organized in 2006. It resulted in the creation of the International Oromo Youth Association. Every summer since 2006, OYLC has brought together youth across the diaspora to discuss issues pertaining to Oromo communities and build leadership skills. The eighth annual conference was held on June 29th, 2013 at Augsburg College. The theme for last year’s conference was Re-Visiting the Past; Re-Imagining the Future. The gathering created space for dialogue about the organization’s main objective, its past accomplishments, and future goals. The conference resulted in the creation of a task force, whose main goal is to ensure the sustainability of the organization. After multiple deliberations, a consensus was reached to re-orient IOYA’s objective by focusing on Leadership and Networking. The decision to re-focus on such a platform will result in the organization’s ability to more effectively empower Oromo youth both at home and in the diaspora. A six-member board has been selected to lead the way. The Executive members are President Amane Badhasso, Vice President Sinqee Wesho, Public Relations Chair Lokho Jarso, Co-Public Relations Chair Barite Bedasso, Secretary Muna Osman, and Treasurer Kadiro Nurie. We are also pleased to announce the launch of our organization’s new website on April 18th, 2014. The site will contain a video of the new executive board and information on the history of Oromia, along with other materials. All who are interested in becoming members and sponsors of IOYA may also send their information through the website. On the launch date, the URL for the new website will be posted on Facebook and Twitter at 5:00pm central time. You may contact IOYA with questions and concerns at ioyanetwork@gmail.com. To stay informed on future updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The following individuals will serve on the Advisory committee for IOYA: Birhanemeskel Segni, Ayantu Tibeso, Obsa Hassan and Kulani Jalata. We are looking forward to a successful year. Sincerely,

International Oromo Youth Association – Press Release

April 14, 2014

The first International Oromo Youth Leadership Conference was organized in 2006. It resulted in the creation of the International Oromo Youth Association. Every summer since 2006, OYLC has brought together youth across the diaspora to discuss issues pertaining to Oromo communities and build leadership skills. The eighth annual conference was held on June 29th, 2013 at Augsburg College.

The theme for last year’s conference was Re-Visiting the Past; Re-Imagining the Future. The gathering created space for dialogue about the organization’s main objective, its past accomplishments, and future goals. The conference resulted in the creation of a task force, whose main goal is to ensure the sustainability of the organization. After multiple deliberations, a consensus was reached to re-orient IOYA’s objective by focusing on Leadership and Networking. The decision to re-focus on such a platform will result in the organization’s ability to more effectively empower Oromo youth both at home and in the diaspora. A six-member board has been selected to lead the way. The Executive members are President Amane Badhasso, Vice President Sinqee Wesho, Public Relations Chair Lokho Jarso, Co-Public Relations Chair Barite Bedasso, Secretary Muna Osman, and Treasurer Kadiro Nurie.

We are also pleased to announce the launch of our organization’s new website on April 18th, 2014. The site will contain a video of the new executive board and information on the history of Oromia, along with other materials. All who are interested in becoming members and sponsors of IOYA may also send their information through the website. On the launch date, the URL for the new website will be posted on Facebook and Twitter at 5:00pm central time. You may contact IOYA with questions and concerns at ioyanetwork@gmail.com. To stay informed on future updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The following individuals will serve on the Advisory committee for IOYA: Birhanemeskel Segni, Ayantu Tibeso, Obsa Hassan and Kulani Jalata.

We are looking forward to a successful year.

Sincerely,

April 14, 2014

The first International Oromo Youth Leadership Conference was organized in 2006. It resulted in the creation of the International Oromo Youth Association. Every summer since 2006, OYLC has brought together youth across the diaspora to discuss issues pertaining to Oromo communities and build leadership skills. The eighth annual conference was held on June 29th, 2013 at Augsburg College.

The theme for last year’s conference was Re-Visiting the Past; Re-Imagining the Future. The gathering created space for dialogue about the organization’s main objective, its past accomplishments, and future goals. The conference resulted in the creation of a task force, whose main goal is to ensure the sustainability of the organization. After multiple deliberations, a consensus was reached to re-orient IOYA’s objective by focusing on Leadership and Networking. The decision to re-focus on such a platform will result in the organization’s ability to more effectively empower Oromo youth both at home and in the diaspora. A six-member board has been selected to lead the way. The Executive members are President Amane Badhasso, Vice President Sinqee Wesho, Public Relations Chair Lokho Jarso, Co-Public Relations Chair Barite Bedasso, Secretary Muna Osman, and Treasurer Kadiro Nurie.

We are also pleased to announce the launch of our organization’s new website on April 18th, 2014. The site will contain a video of the new executive board and information on the history of Oromia, along with other materials. All who are interested in becoming members and sponsors of IOYA may also send their information through the website. On the launch date, the URL for the new website will be posted on Facebook and Twitter at 5:00pm central time. You may contact IOYA with questions and concerns at ioyanetwork@gmail.com. To stay informed on future updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The following individuals will serve on the Advisory committee for IOYA: Birhanemeskel Segni, Ayantu Tibeso, Obsa Hassan and Kulani Jalata.

We are looking forward to a successful year.

Sincerely,

Oromiyaa biyya koo biyya saba guddaa, Madda qaroominaa angafa waa hundaa, Kallattii afraniinuu mee dhaqeen dubbisaa, xiqqoo na dhaga’aa gurra naaf ergisaa.

Oromiyaa biyya gootaa

Ebla 14, 2014

Oromiyaa biyya gootaa
Lixaa gara bahaa kibbaa gara kaabaa,
Yoo dhaqnee ilaalle seenaa gaggabaabaa,
Oromoon bakkayyuu goota hedduu qaba.

Bara teknooloojii fi oduun qaroominaa,
waa takkallee hin turin dukkanaawaa sana,
waan addunyaan ittiin yaada waliif hiru ,
interneetaa fi tv’n silaa bara sana maqaan isaayyuu hin jiru.
bilbilaa fi raadiyoonis harkasaanii hin turre,
garuu hariiroo isaanii diinni addaan hin murre,
hayyummaa qabaniin nuuf taraaran xurree.

Oromiyaa biyya koo biyya saba guddaa,
Madda qaroominaa angafa waa hundaa,
Kallattii afraniinuu mee dhaqeen dubbisaa,
xiqqoo na dhaga’aa gurra naaf ergisaa.

Hayyoota jalqabaa madda qaroominaa,
Mee dhaqnee dubbifna dhaqnee irraa baranna,
Biyya angafa keenyaa gujii fi booranaa,
Bulee horaa fi adoolaa nageellee fi yaa’a bal’oo,
Eenyutu irraanfata Gadayyoo Galgaloo,
Cirrattii fi shaakkisoo argadab mooyyaalee,
Beektota hedduu qabna kan akka Yaayyaa Gullallee,
Hayyuu demokraasii seera gadaa tumee addunyaa garsiise,
Feesbuukii fi interneeta miti kan isaan barsiise.
Demokraasii addunyaan har’a odeessitu,
Waan ofii uumte gootee haaraa fakkeessitu,
Faranjiirraa hin dhufne maddisaa nubira,
Waggaa kumaa ol nu wajjiniin jira.

Gootummaas yoo ta’e Oromoon kaleessuma bare,
Malee kompiitera miti kan Oromoo qare.

Mee dhaqnee ilaalla,
Walumaanuu xiqqooshee xiinxalla,
Duguuginsa sanyii fi weerara jalqabaa,
Kanneen dhandhaman lammii koo jajjabaa,
Qaama koo alagaan har’a narraa murte Oromiyaa kaabaa,
Achirraan eegala achirraan jalqaba.

Goota diina haamee eeboodhaan cagadu,
Saalasaa irraa muree shubbisee ragaduu,
Dasee fi kombolcha kamisee fi baatee,
Waldayaa fi mukaxurii arbuu fi sanbatee,
Warra dur diina haamee guggubee qaammate,
Hin habashoominaa jedhee ilmaansaatti dhaammate.

Warra Oromummaa ofii ifatti beeksisee,
Yohaannisii fi Teedroosiin ofirraa deebise,
Uumamumaan goota eenyutu isaan leenjise.

Mee isin yaadachiisuu isinuu ni beektu,
Dubartii ogeettii maqaanshee Warqituu,
Waraana warqituu dubartii akka dhiiraa,
Mormasaa irraa hin murree mootii habashaarraa,
Isa habashaan Atsetewodroos ofiin of ajjeese jettee soba odeessitu,
Kan mormasaa irraa mure dubartii Oromoo ti maqaanshee warqituu.

Goota warra raayyaa qobboo fi haxaayee,
Warra tewodroosirraa morma lafa kaa’e.
Goota warra emanuu warra iluu fi jaarsoo,
Weerara habashaa jalqaba tokkeessoo,
Dura isaantu shide guca ibidda qabsoo.

Jagni warra baabboo warra qaalluu fi jiillee,
Xiyya lafa hin buusu adda gubbaa malee.

Akka isa har’a firri wal wallaalee,
habashaarraa dhaga’ee habashummaa wal faalee,
sana nutti hin fakkaatin dubbiin akkas mitii,
qaamni keenya biroon gara kaabaa jirtii.
cittee achitti hin haftu boruu ni deebitii.

Goojjaam matakkal hanga waanbaraa,
Hin dagatinaa iyyaafadhaa wal baraa.
Bara Goobanaatti jiruun itti tolee,
Diinaa wajjin bulee diinaa wajjin oole,
Diina cinaa goree lammiisaatiin lole,
Ni yaadattuu laata calanqoo fi aanolee?
Bara harmee keenya harma irraa muranii,
Bara abbootii keenya harka irraa muranii,
Oromoota heddu jimilaan boollatti guuran,
Waan goonu wallaallee qonnee isaan awwaalle,
Hanga har’aattillee aha jenna keessa keenyaa hin baane.

Lammii meeqa dhabne bara hamaa sana,
Kunoo hanga har’aattuu seenaasaa dubbannaa,
Wayyoo aanolee jennee madaasaan gubanna.

Haa ta’uyyuu malee yoom tole jedhe ree,
Gootichi asallaa, boqqojjii fi siree,
Irraa gate malee morma diinaa ciree yoom harka kenne ree,
Utuu bara sana Oromoon tole jedhee minilikiin fudhatee,
Har’a waa dubbachuu hin dandeenyu silaa nuu dhumate.

Roobee dhaa fi diinshoo dheeraa fi kofalee,
Gootota meeqatu lubbuusaa kafalee,
Lammiisaa baraaree diinotasaa qale.

Itayyaa fi hurutaa diksiisii fi eexoosaa,
Tokkummaan qabatee gaachanaa fi eeboosaa,
Maal kalee qofa ree har’ayyuu nu boonsaa.

Akkuma hayyichi Oromoo dubbate,
Biyya Oromtichi jalqaba qubate,
Madda walaabuu gobbaa fi asaasaa,
Biyya hayyuu qaraa goota akka rasaasaa,
Goota ta’uusaanii seenaatu gabaasaa,
Ragaa ba’eeraaf alagaan mataasaa,
Oromoon achiitti baallii wal jijjiira,
Kabajaa fi jaalalaan aangoo waliif hira.

Gaasaraa fi gololcha dalloo fi agaarfaa,
Gootota hedduu qabna kan qabsoof angafaa.
Mee dhaqnee ilaalla iluu abbaa booraa,
Mattuu fi beddellee dambiidhaa fi cooraa,
Hurrumuu fi gachii buree dhaa fi yaayyuu,
Biyya abbaa gammachiis madda gootaa fi hayyuu.
Noophaa dhaa fi diimtuu deeggaa dhaa fi goree,
Biyya lammiif dhadhaa alagaatti qoree.

Mee xiqqoon dubbisa takkan maqaa dhaha,
Biyya gootowwanii oromiyaa bahaa,
Awwadaayi, calanqoo, ciroo fi baddeessaa,
Fadisii fi kombolcha qobboo fi ammarreessa,
Biyya gootowwanii qabsoof gadameessaa,
Har’as hoofaa jiru akkuma kaleessaa.

Machaaraa fi mi’eessoo dirredhawaa fi harar,
Galamsoo fi baddannoo gursumii fi carcar,
Guraawaa fi asaboot ta gaara mul’ataa,
Goota ta’uu isaanii seenaatu dubbata.

Haramaayyaa fi qarsaa qullubbii fi baabbilee,
Gumaachi isin gootan hin du’u yoomillee,
Gootota kumaatama keessaa qabna har’allee.

Bara Abbaan Jifaar yakka guddaa godhee ,
Shanan gibee waraanee habashaa harma hodhe,
Biyya minilikii fi Abbaa Jifaariin jibbee,
Ogeessa jalqaba tolchee xiyyaa dhaa fi aalbee,
Ni yaadattuu laata biyya shanan gibee?

Jimmaa fi aggaaroo omonaaddaa fi dedoo,
Goota cal hin jenne cunqursaa fi gadadoo,
Limmuu dhaa fi geeraa guumaa fi sandaaboo,
Maannayii fi saaqqaa sokorruu fi sarboo,
Diina ofiraa dhorkuutti hin kadhatan daboo,
Gaatiraa fi toobbaa sigimoo fi bashaashaa,
Hayyamanii hin beekan ol’aantummaa habashaa.
Mee dhaqnee haa laallu Oromiyaa giddu galeessaa,
Biyya gootowwanii qabsoof gadameessaa,
Amboo gindabarat baakkoo fi incinnii,
Goota guyyuu haaraa hin qabne sinsinnii,
Bushooftuu fi waliisoo fiichee fi adaamaa,
Mirgasaa falmachuutti natu dura du’aa wal saama,
Goota warra kaabaatti harka kennee hin ciifne
Kunoo hanga har’aattuu amantiisaa hin dhiifnee,
Irreecha hin gadhiifne.

Geedoo fi sabbata tulluboolloo fi mugar,
Gincii fi hoolota walqixxee fi gudar,
Shaashamannee fi baatuu dukamii fi karrayyuu,
Gootota kumaatama keessaa qabna har’ayyuu..
Warra diina qalee akka qircaa murmuru,
Oromiyaa lixaa gara horroo guduruu,
Shaambuu fi finca’aa jaartee fi amuru.

Biyya gootowwanii goota oromoon dhalchee,
Warra habashaa ari’ee goondaritti galche.
Naqamtee fi gatamaa giddaa fi galiilaa,
Noolee kaabbaa fi arjoo mana sibu fi biilaa,
Najjoo fi dambidoolloo gimbii fi laaloo qilee,
Loltuu akka kanniisaa adamsituu biflee,
Gootota meeqatu si keessaa biqile.

Innaangoo fi yuubdoo aayiraa gullisoo,
Qaaqee fi gidaamii begii fi baabboo jaarsoo,
Biyya gootowwanii gadameessa qabsoo.

Goota hedduu qabda hayyoota buuleessa,
Oromiyaa biyya koo kanaafan si faarsa.

Waa’ee oromoo dhaa kitaaba seenaarraas egaa yeroon laalu,
Goota qaba oromoon eenyuyyuu isa hin caalu.
Oromoon bakkayyuu goota eega ta’ee,
Ihii maal hir’inni keenya maaltu rakkoo ta’e?
Gabrummaan bar dheeraa maaliif nurra taa’ee ?
Abaarsa qabna moo maaluma yaa ijoollee?
Jettanii gaafachuun keessan waan hin oolle.

Akkuma isin beektan dhugaa dha hayyootas ni qabna goototas yoom dhabne,
Qabsoo durii sanatu faffaca’aa ture walitti hin qabamne.
Qabsoo kopha kophaatu bu’aa buusuu didee,
Gabrummaa bar dheeraa kana nutti fide.

Kanaaf Maccaa fi Tuulamni ooyruusaa tolchanii,
Qabsoo faffacaate walitti itichanii,
Adda bilisummaa Oromoo keessaa biqilchani.

ABO’nis dhufee hunda walii galchee,
Gootota tokkummaa miliyoonaan dhalche.
Kan dur bakka bakkatti addaan faffacaane,
ABO’n dhalannaan kunoo tokko taane.

Firri baroota dheeraadhaaf wal harkaa babbade,
Bahaa lixaa kaabaa kibbaa ka’ee wal barbaade,
Kan diinni amantii fi kutaan nu qoqqoode,
Har’a wal argatee rifaasuun adoode,
Akka sa’aa fi jabbii walitti mar’atee walitti gadoode.

Hunduu ofirra roobse imimmaan gammachuu,
Irbuu waliif seenan biyya ofii falmachuu.
Hunduu gad taa’anii waliin dubbatanii,
Tooftaa gabroomfataa sirriitti hubatanii,
Dirqama lammummaa ABO irraa fudhatanii.

Kaan seenaa qorachuuf dirqama fudhate,
Kaan waraana ta’ee bosona qubate,
Qabsoon bakka bakkatti duraan faffacaate,
Har’a tokko jettee gamtaan lafaa kaate.

Xiqqaa dhaa fi guddaan ka’ee wal kakaase,
Rasaasa jalqabaa Elemoon dhukaase,
Wal harkaa fuudhanii qabsoo itti fufanii,
Tafarii makonniniin afaansaa cufanii.

Tafarii makonninis baay’ee tattaafatee,
Warra kaan ni hidhee kaan ni galaafate.
Hidhaa fi ajjeechaanis isaan hin naasifne,
Ibidda gootummaa isaan harkaa hin dhaamsine.
Afaan isaan qabuuf diinni gad hin teenye,
Isaan callisiisuu garuu hin dandeenye.

Akkamiin callisu dhugaatoo jal’atee,
Dharatu furdatee haqatoo qal’atee,
Fayyaatu okkolee naafatoo dhaabbatee,
Sobatu ol ka’ee barcuma yaabbatee.

Mee akkamiin dhiisu ree kabjaatoo kufee,
Nama nama nyaatutoo biyyasaanii dhufee.
Saba isaaniitoo mirgasaa molqamee,
Galtuutu muudamee abbaan biyyaa dhorkamee.
Kanaaf tokkummaadhaan qabsoo finiinsanii,
Gumaasaanii baasuu nurratti dhiisani.

Hayilesillaaseenis kufee mangistuutu dhufee,
Cunqursaan oromoos bifa jijjiirratee hanga har’aattuu itti fufe.
Mootummoonni habashaa warri aangoo qaban,
Gootota oromoo adamsuu jalqaban.

Dhugaa dubbachuu fi falmachuu keessatti,
Diinonni gootota oromoo ilaaluu jalqaban akka bineensaatti.

Kaan hidhaatti guuruu,
Kaan morma irraa muruu,
Reebichaa fi dararaa,
Bifa gara garaa,
Lafee fi foonsaanii,
Irratti roobsani,
Ibidda elektrikiin qaamasaa ciranii,
Summii nama ajjeesu lilmeedhaan diranii,
Kan qaamni laamsha’e hedduutu jirani.

Qaama saalaasaatti dhagaa fannisanii,
Qullaa akka dhalate qoreerra harkisanii,
Otoma reebamuu wiirtuun duddaa cabee,
Meeqatu maseene meeqatu ilmoo dhabe,
Meeqatu ajjeefame meeqatu lubbuu dhabe.

Mana itti marsanii halkaniin dhufanii,
Akka gad hin baanetti ulaa itti cufanii,
Maatii hedduu bakkatti ibiddaan gubani.

Deebinee hin argannuu sanyii duguuganii,
Lafee nu cabsanii dhiiga nu dhugani.

Harkisaa fi miilli isaa cancalaan hidhamee,
Meeqatu maraate sammuunsaa miidhamee,
Koloniin nurratti hundee jabeeffate,
Oromoota qaqqaalii nurraa galaafate.

Akka Magarsaa Barii fi akka Bakar Waaree,
Warra lafeesaaniin xurree tattaraare,
Ofii wareegamee qabsoo kana jaare,
Goota akka Taaddasaa fi akka Elemoo Qilxuu,
Yeroo alagaan dhufee uummatasaa fixu,
Taa’ee hin hamuummatu ciisee idhi hin xuuxuu,
Lafeen koos haa cabduu lubbuun koos haa badduu,
Anatu deebisa gaaffii qabsoon qabdu,
Dhugaarra dhaabadheen lammii koo leellisa,
Gaaffii qabsoon qabdus anatu deebisa,
Jedhanii murannoon qabsootti hurrisani,
Jaalala saba ofii hojiin mul’isani.

Aadam Jiloo fi Booji’aa Baaroo fi Kabbadaa,
Ejjetaa fi Mokonnin H/M Gammadaa,
Taaddasaa fi Elemoo Waaqoo fi Mul’is Gadaa,
Isin dhabuusaatti Oromoon ni gadda.

Falmataa fi Morkataa Alamuu Qixxeessaa,
Bakar Waaree fi Guutuu Guddinaa Atoomsaa,
Gumaachi isin gootan lammii hunda boonsa.

Jaagamaa Badhaanee Abdullaahii fi Maammoo,
Bobbaasii fi Guutamaa Nuuraddinii fi Galmoo,
Sabboontoota dhugaa leellistoota qomoo,
Isin mararfata yoomuu sabni oromoo.

Badhaasoo fi Waltaasis Suleemaanii fi Ibsaa,
Sibiroo fi Nadhii Alii fi Siisaayi Ibsaa,
Wareegamuun keessan qabsoo daran cimsa.

Generaal Daawud Abdii fi Alamaayyoo,
Muusxafaa fi Eebbisaa Yoseefii fi Usmaayyoo,
Of biraa isin dhabne anaa nyaatu wayyoo,
Ofii dhabamtanii asiin geessan kaayyoo.

Hasanii fi Diimee Daraaraa fi Tasfuu,
Goonni haqa falmatu gooni biyyaaf kufu,
Egaa addaan baaneerra deebi’ee nuu hin dhufu,
Garuu kaayyoon isaa gonkumaa hin kufu.

Yaadannoo yeroo dhihoo gara aanaa begii,
Goota wareegame akka Laggasaa Wagii,
Keenyumaan dahatee alagaan nu nyaatee,
Ni baati gumaan kee dachaa dhibba taatee.

Dubartiin Oromoos deessuun hundaaf harmee,
Gadameessi isaanii qaruuraan ciramee,
Meeqatu foonsaanii allaattiif hirame,
Seenaan haa yaadatu lammii koo isa dhume.

Namnuu ni yaadanna dubree xiqqoo Aayshaa,
Sabboontittii nyaate warabeessi habashaa,
Morma isheetii olii fi rifeensa mataashee,
Kan alaa argatan haatii fi abbanshee.

Aayshaan egaa kuttee nutti asi hin deebituu,
Gumaacha isheen gooteef seenaan haa yaadatu.

Shamarran qaqqaalii baay’eesaanii dhabne,
Leensaa fi Waarituu Jamiilaa fi Aannanee,
Dirribee Jifaar Aayshaa fi Lalisee,
Wareegamuun keessan madaa nutti hambise.

Raggaatuu fi Argannee Saartuu fi Ayyaantuu,
Qabsoof isin dhabne wayyoo anaa nyaatuu,
Barabaraan seenaan isin haa yaadatu.

Saba isaaniif falmuuf qabsootti duulanii,
Kan akka Daraartuu Iftuu fi Kuulanii,
Kanneen wareegaman dura of buusanii,
Bilisummaatu baasa guma lubbuu isaanii.

Qotee bulaa fi daldalaa barsiisaa fi barataa,
Nurraa cabsuuf jecha waanjoo gabroomfataa,
Mirga hiree ofii ofiin murteeffachuu,
Dhiibbaa tokko malee mirga ofiin of bulchuu,
Otoo falmitanii saba oromoof jecha,
Kanneen fudhattan hidhaa fi ajjeechaa,
Lubbuu gumaachitan uummata keessanii,
Walabummaatu baasa gumaa hunda keessanii.

Faajjii keessan kaafna yoomuu lafa hin keenyu,
Hanga galmaan geenyutti dadhabnee hin teenyu,
Onnee keenya keessaa isin haquu hin dandeenyu.
Humna tikaa wayyaaneen warri hidhamtanii,
Himannaa sobaatiin kan himatamtanii,
Kan isinitti murtaa’e hidhaan umurii guutuu,
Ni qal’atti malee dhugaan yoomuu hin duutuu,
Mana hidhaa alagaa bakkeen garagara,
Keessa warri jirtan oromiyaa mararraa,
Kan dhandhamaa jirtan toorcharii fi dararaa,
Isin cinaa jirraa jabaadhaa sabaraa.

Jaallawwan Oromoo gootowwan kaleessaa,
Warri lubbuu isaanii biyyaaf godhan aarsaa,
Waan isaan dubbatan dhaamsa isaanii keessaa,
Waa hedduullee hin beekuu mee xiqqoo isheen kaasa.

Lammii koo amaanaa waan isinii dhaamnuu,
Walii keenya malee fira biraa hin qabnuu,
Barnoota dhabuutu wal nu wallaalchisee,
Diinis qaawwa kanaan numaan walnyaachisee,
Hundee seenaa dhugaa dubbisaa qoradhaa,
Kallattii afraniin deemaa walbaradhaa,
Otoo haqa falmannuu nuti wareegamnee,
Manni nuti jaarre egaa akka hin diigamne.

Natu sii beekaa diinaa isinirraa mancaafnee,
Summii keessa keenyaas isinitti facaafnee,
Egaa wal jabeessaa wal akka hin harcaafne.

Du’uu fi ajjeesuun akka jiru beeknee,
Of duuba hin deebinu jennee irbuu seennee,
Hundee biqilootaa fi baala mukaa nyaannee,
Qabsoo sabaaf jecha kanaaf manaa baanee,
Manatti hin deebinee nyaata allaattii taanee.

Dhiigni keenya har’a qabsoof dhangala’e,
Guyyaa tokko garuu akka galaanaa ta’ee,
Biyya abbaa keenyaa oromiyaa keessaa,
Diinota oromoo haqee isaan balleessaa,
Galaanichi isinii tokkummaa jabeessaa.

Bilisummaa arguuf ture hawwiin keenya,
Garuu otoo achi hin ga’in baate lubbuun keenya,
Natu sii beekaa alagaa isinis fincilaa,
Awwaala keenyarraa mul’adhaa biqilaa.

Haqa falmachuurratti lubbuuf hin sodaannee,
Otoo ijaan hin argin dachiirraa godaannee,
Dantaa mataa keenyaaf jennees hin gufannee,
Hanga waliin turretti walitti hin mufannee,
Lubbuu keenya laanne nuti of hin qusannee,
Ulaan nuti banne egaa akka hin cufamne.

Loltuu gabroomfataa kumaan lafa naqnee,
Nuti tattaafannee egaa nutti hin hafne,
Lubbuu keenya garuu oolfachuu hin dandeenyee,
Amaanaa gumaa keenya isinirra keenyee.

Otoo arguu hawwinuu bilisummaa fi nagaa,
Biyyee jala seennee uffifamnee dhagaa,
Nuti isin jaallannee caalchifnee ofirraa,
Yoo isin tokko taatan nuti hin duune jirra.

Bilisummaaf jecha lubbuun keenya kuftee,
Dabareen keessanii isin geesse dhuftee,
Wareegamaan malee bilisni hin dhuftuu,
Lafeenis haa cabduu lubbuunis haa kuftuu,
Hoodhaa nurkaa fuudhaa qabsoon itti haa fuftuu.

Xurree keenya irraa qoree bubuqqisaa,
Yoo ofii dadhabdan ilmoo itti guddisaa,
Of duuba hin laalinaa furga’aa bubbisaa,
Waan jalqabnee dhiifne ifatti mul’isaa.

Nurra tarkaanfadhaa nu godhaa riqichaa,
Gumaa keenya baasaa qabsoorratti cichaa.

Egaa qawwee keenyas kan nuti irraa duune,
Diina kumaatama ittiin lafa buufnee,
Qulqulleessaa qabaa hin dibinaa xurii,
Diinatti hin kenninaa qawwee keenya durii.

Kana nutti dhaammatan gootonni nu duraa,
Yeroo keessaa baate hafuurri xumuraa.

Maarree nutoo maal hojjechaa jirra ofis ni gaafannaa,
Yoo hojjechuu baanne booda ofii itti qaanfannaa.

Akka warra kalee lafee fi foonsaaniin Oromiyaa jaaree,
Irree tokkummaatiin xurree tattaraaree,
Waan jiru hin fakkaatu nu keessa jiraa ree?
Lakkii akkanas mitii akkanas hin jennuu,
Ofis hin tuffannuu abdiis hin kutannuu,
Maal atis hoo dhiiraa maal anis hoo dhiiraa,
Onneen gootowwanii si keessas ni jiraa na keessas ni jiraa,
Dhaamsa isaan nuuf dhaaman hojiitti jijjiirraa,
Bakka hin gadhiisinaa daandicharra jirraa.

Wareegamuu isaaniitiin nuti lafaa kaanee,
Lafee isaani caphe sana keessaa baanee,
Argamuu dha qabna nutis isaan taanee.

Diinonni keenya warri kaleessa harka nurraa ciru,
Hin dagatinaa har’as fagoo hin deemnee numaa wajjin jiruu,
Nurratti gamnoomanii tooftaa jijijjiiruu,
Alaala taa’anii numaan walitti diru.

Itoophiyaa andinet dirqiin nutti fe’u,
Killee addaan tarsaate ni fayyifna se’u.
Firiin muka odaa agamsa ni taatii ?
Ilmoon leencaa hoo jaldeessatti of waamtii ?
Oromoon toophiyoomuun gaafas dhugaa taati.

የቀለም አብዮት

የቀለም አብዮት

ኢቲቪ የሰራውን “የቀለም አብዮት” ዘጋቢ ፊልም በወፍ በረር አይቼዋለሁ። አዲስ አይደለም። ካለፉት ሁለት ወራት ጀምሮ በአይጋ ፎረም ላይ ሲወጡ የነበሩ ጽፎች በምስል ተቀነባብረው ነው የቀረቡት።

የፊልሙ ቀዳሚ አላማ ፍርሃትን በመልቀቅ ህዝቡ ለመብቱ እንዳይታገል ማኮላሸት ነው ። ፈረንጆቹ fear mongering ( scaremongering) የሚሉት ነው። “መንግስትን እንገለብጣለን ብላችሁ ብታምጹ የዩክሬን እጣ ይደርሳችሁዋል” የሚል ፍርሃት ነው ሲለቀቅ ያየነው ። እንዲያውም በቅርቡ አንዱ የህወሃት/ኢህአዴግ ጸሃፊ “አመጽ ከተነሳ ክልሎች ይገነጠላሉ፣ ስልጣን የሚይዘው ሃይልም ከአዲስ አበባ ውጭ ስልጣን አይኖረውም፣ ” በማለት የጻፈውን አንብቤአለሁ። መለስ በ1997 ዓም በጻፈው አንድ ጽሁፍ ላይ ተመሳሳይ ነገር ተናግሮ ነበር፤ ጁኔዲን ሳዶም “ ነፍጠኛው ተመልሶ ስልጣን የሚይዝ ከሆነ ኦሮምያን እንገነጥላለን” ብሎ ነበር። ነፍጠኛ የተባለው ቅንጅት ነው። አምባገነኖች ሁሌም “እኛ ከሌለን ጸሃይ ትጠልቃለች” ይላሉ። አንድም ቀን ግን አምባገነኖች ወድቀው ጸሃይ ስትጠልቅ አላየንም። በኢትዮጵያም አትጠልቅም። ኢህአዴግ ቢወድቅ ኢትዮጵያ አትበታተንም! ምክንያቶቼን በሌላ ጊዜ አቀርባለሁ።

ፊልሙ ሌሎች መለስተኛ ግቦችን ለማግኘት ተብሎም የተዘጋጀ ነው። አንደኛው አሜሪካን “ማስጠንቀቅ” ነው፤ “ አሜሪካ አመጽ ለማስነሳት ስታሴሪ ደርሰንብሻል” ሊሏት ይፈልጋሉ።አይጋ ላይ የወጣ አንድ ጽሁፍ “የአሜሪካ ስቴት ዲፓርትመንት መንግስታዊ ካለሆኑ የውጭ ድርጅቶች ጀርባ ሆኖ አመጽ ለማስነሳት እየሰራ ነው” ሲል ገልጾ ነበር። የሰማያዊ ፓርቲ መሪ የአፍሪካ ወጣት መሪ ተብሎ መመረጡ፣ የስቴት ዲፓርትመንት ጠንካራ ሪፖርት፣ በቅርቡ በኮንግረስ የጸደቀው ህግ ፣ አሜሪካ ኢሳትን ለማስቆም ፍላጎት አለማሳየቷና መንግስትን በሃይል ለመጣል የሚታገሉ ፖለቲከኞችንና አክቲቪስቶች አቅፋ መያዙዋ ኢህአዴግን አናዶታል። ባለኝ መረጃ አሜሪካ እና ኢህአዴግ፣ ይፋ ባያወጡትም ሆድና ጀርባ ሆነዋል። ህወሃቶች አሜሪካ ከጀርባችን ሆና በስለት እየወጋችን ነው ብለው ያምናሉ። የህወሃት አሜሪካን ማስጠንቀቅ ተንጋሎ እንደመትፋት ነው። አስቂኙ ነገር ተቃዋሚዎችንና ጋዜጠኞችን የአሜሪካ ተላላኪ አድርጎ ለመፈረጅ የተደረገው ሙከራ ነው። ኢህአዴግ በተቃዋዎች አይን ውስጥ ያለውን ብናኝ አቧራ ለማየት ከሚሞክር በራሱ አይን ውስጥ ያለውን ግንድ ቢመለከት ይበጀዋል።

ፊልሙ ተቃዋሚዎችንና ጋዜጠኞችንም ለማስደንገጥ ተብሎ የተሰራ ነው። በተለይ ሰማያዊ እና አንድነት ፓርቲዎች ጥርስ ውስጥ ገብተዋል። እንዲያውም ዛሬ የወጣ የህወሃት ጽሁፍ “ ግንቦት 7 እና ኢሳት ከሰማያዊ ፓርቲ ጀርባ አሉበት” ብሎአል። በባህርዳር፣ ደሴ፣ አዲስ አበባ የተካሄዱት ሰልፎች አልጋውን ማረጋጋት የተሳነውን ህወሃት አስደንግጠውታል። በጥቂት የሰማያዊ ፓርቲ መሪዎችና የነጻው ፕሬስ አባላት ላይ የተለመደው የአፈና እርምጃ ሊወሰድ ይችላል። ኢህአዴግ የትግል መሪዎችን በማሰር ትግል የሚቆም ይመስለዋል። የሰማያዊና አንድነት መሪዎች ተተኪዎቻቸውን በሚስጢር ሳያዘጋጁ እንዲህ አይነት ትግል ውስጥ አይገቡም። በስራ ጫና ወይም በቼልታ የተነሳ ተተኪዎቻቸውን መርጠው ካልሆነም ጊዜው አሁን ነው። ከቅንጅት ድክመት መማር ነው።

ፊልሙ የህዝቡን የትኩረት አቅጣጫ ለማስቀየስ ተብሎ መዘጋጀቱንም እናያለን። የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ በኑሮውና በፍትህ መጓደል እጅግ ተማሮ ይገኛል። የ5 አመቱ የትራንስፎርሜሽን እቅድ በወረቀት ላይ መቅረቱ ታይቷል፤ ለታይታ የተሰሩት ግንባታዎችም የህዝቡን መሰረታዊ ችግር የሚቀይሩ አልሆኑም። ህዝቡ በህወሃት አመራር አዲስ ነገር ይመጣል ብሎ ተስፋ ማድረጉን አቁሟል። ከገጠር እስከ ከተማ የለውጥ ድምጽ ያስተጋባል። ኢህአዴግም በህዝቡ የዝምታ-ጩኸት ስጋት ውስጥ ወድቋል። ያንን ስጋቱን ዛሬ አደባባይ አውጥቶታል። “ኢህአዴግ ከሌለ ሰላምና ደህንነት አይኖርም፣ ስለዚህ ህዝቡ ኑሮ እያማረረውም ቢሆን ለሰላሙ ሲል ኢህአዴግን ታቅፎ ይቀመጥ” ሲል የህዝቡን የትኩረት አቅጣጫ ለማስቀየር ተፍጨርጭሯል።

ይህ ዘጋቢ ፊልም ህዝቡን የማስፈራራት ሃይሉ እጅግ አነስተኛ ነው። እንዲያውም በተቀራኒው ለለውጥ እንዲነሳ ያበረታታዋል ብየ አስባለሁ። ህዝቡ ኢህአዴግ በከፍተኛ ፍርሃት ውስጥ መሆኑን አይቷል። ይህ ደግሞ የወጣቱን ልብ ይበልጥ እንዲነሳሳ ያደርገዋል።

ፊልሙ የኢህአዴግን ካድሬዎችም የሚያስደነግጥ ነው። ድርጅታቸው በዚህ መጠን ከፈራ ከእንግዲህ ምን ተስፋ አላቸው? ካድሬ ያገኘውን እየዘረፈ መሸሹ አይቀሬ ነው፣ ጭሱን እንዳለ አረጋግጧልና።

ህወሃት በቀሩ እድሜው እንደ አበደ ውሻ ሁሉንም ለመላከፍ መሞከሩ አይቀርም፡፤መድሃኒቱ በአንድነት መነሳት ነው። አንዱ መስዋት ሲሆን ሌላውን እየተካ፣ መሪና ተመሪ እየሆኑ እስከ ድል መጓዝ ነው። አሁን የሚታየው ትግል ተጠናክሮ ከቀጠለ፣ ነጻይቱ አገር፣ ያለ ብዙ ምጥ፣ በቶሎ ትወለዳለች ።

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Guyyaa Goototaa Oromoo; Oromo Heroes and Heroines Day

April 15, 2014

By Ibsaa Guutama | April 12, 2014 (Gubirmans)

Gooti Oromoo nama kutannoo fi wareegama saatiin jireenya saba Oromoo keessatt jijjiirama argamsiisu yk argamsiisuuf dabarsee of kenne. Gooti Oromoo didhaa fi sossobbiin karaa irraa kan hin ceesifne, jagnummaa, gamnummaa fi arjummaan beekamu.

An Oromoo hero/heroine is one that effects change or dedicated one’s life to change Oromo life with his/her determination and sacrifice. An Oromo hero/heroine is known for bravery, generousity and wisdom and never flinches in the face challenges and temptations.

Gooti Oromoo, jaalbiyyaa dantaa dhuunfaa kaasaa sabawaaf wareegu. Oromiyaan gootota lakkoobsa hin qabne, Oromoon aarsaa isaan baasaniin mataa ol qabatee deemuu eegale qabdi. Ummati goota hin qabne yoo hubamellee miidhama saa hin aaduu. Ittuu natt hammeessa jedhee ciniinnata. Garuu goota masakuun yoo qabate soda fi laalaan isa dorsisan hin danda’an. Goototi Oromoo sana godhani. Akka dammaqina malbulcha argatanii eenyummaa saanii fi mirga sana waliin deemu hubatan gargaaran.Kanaaf diinni reebaani. Lakkofsi gootota Oromoo hin beekamin, irbaata allaattii kan ta’an, qabaa diinaa jalatt gidiraa argaa kan jiranii fi badanii barbaacha kan dhabantu kan beekaman caalaa. Hundi saanii ida nurraa qabu. Guyyaa gootota kan yaadannu gumaacha saaniif galata galchuu fi dhalooti haaraan jaalbiyyumaa saanii irra akka waa baratu gargaaruufi.Jaatamoota keessaa kaasanii dargaggoon Oromo waa’ee bilisumma biyya saanii mari’achuu eegalanii torbaatamoota keessa kallacha sochii bilisummaa ABOn gadi bahani. Sabi guddaan kun hacuuccaa jaarraa tokkoo olii jala bahee dhaaba ijaarratee qabsoo walabummaaf bobba’uun diinota Oromo bakka jiranii sochoose. Ziad Barree fi Dargiin yeroo tumsa addunyaa kara karaan dabalatanii lola walitt banan, wal caalaa sochii bilisummaa jibbus sodaatus turan. Gara lamaan itt duulanii ni butuchan malee balleessu hin dandeenye. Goototi Oromoo balaa hamajaajii lamanuu hin yaadne irraan gahaa turan. Bututi garlaman itt dhufuu fi nagaan keessaa dhibuun hedduu waan dadhabsiiseef gadi bahani marii fi gargaarsa soquuf miseensoti hoggansaa kudhan gara somaleett bobba’ani. Garuu karaatt balaa rifachiisaan Ebla 15, 1980 irra gahe. Bara sanaa ka’ee gootota Oromoo kan darban kan hardhaa fi kan egeree dhufaniif Ebli 15 akka Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo ta’e yaadatamu murteeffame.Gaaffin itt haanu goototaa akkamitt yaadanna kan jedhu ta’a. Tokko akkuma beekamu wagga waggan walgeenyee, karaa karaan faaruu, walaloo, weeduu, barruu dubbifamu fi oginaa ulfina saaniin walgitu qopheessina, waliin weedddisna ni sirbinas. Gaafas qabsoo isaan jalqaban hamma dhumaatt itt fufuuf kakuu keenya waliin haaromsuun waan eegamu. Sana gochuun ayyaana gootota keenyaa fi akaakilee keenyaa araarfanna. Isa qofa miti, qabsoon kun akka jabaatee itt fufu waan dandeenyu hundaan karaa itt bira dhaabbanu mari’achuu dha. Kan kana goonu gabaasa jabduu garaa nu laffisuu dhihataniif utuu hin ta’in karoora fulduraaf qophawe irratt hundoofnee yoo ta’e dansa. Guyyaan kun eessaa kaanee eessa akka geenyee, haala ummati keenya hardha keessa jiruu fi tarkaanfiin itt haanu maal ta’uu akka qabu xiinxaluuf carraa nuuf kenna. Waa’ee gototaas caalaatt ni dhageenya ta’a. Gootota darban qofaa utuu hin ta’in kan lubbuun jiraatanii hardhas ummata kaleessa kakaasan waliin dhaabbatanii qabsoo finiinsuu itt fufanis ni kabajna ni dinqisiifanna. Gootota Ugaadeenitt kufan qawwen adda saaniitt aggamamullee sana sodaatanii tokkummaa fi sabboonummaa saanii lubbuun hin jijjiirre. Jannummaa fi kutannoon waliin dhaabbatanii saba saaniif aarsaa isa dhumaa baasani. Amantee fi gosaan utuu gargar hin qoodamin kaayyoo saba saanii isa ganamaatt cichuun bolla tokott nam’an. Biyya Abbaatii jedhanii qananii ofii fi fedha warraa duubatt dhiibuun arjummaa, dudhama fi kutannoon maal akka tahe nu barsiisani. Gootota keenya dabaankufootaa fi kanneen harka diinaatt guraaramaa jiran yoo yaadannu isaanis akka keenya kanneen silaa gargaaran, haadhaa fi abbaa dadhaboo, daa’imman gargaarsa hin qabne, hiriyaa jaallatan qabaachuu saanii irranfachuu hin qabnu. Ulfinaa fi surraan gootota kufaniif; walabummaa, walqixxummaa fi bilisummaan kan hafaniif; nagaa fi araarri Ayyaana abboolii fi ayyoliif haa tahu! Ibsaa Guutama Ibsaa Guutama miseensa dhaloota saganta ABO isa jalqabaa baasan keessaa tokkoo.

Oromo hero/heroine is a patriot for whom national cause and love of the people stands first rather than personal interest. Oromiyaa has produced numberless heroes and heroines for whose sake Oromo started walking with heads raised. A people without a hero do not express its feelings even when it is hurt. It is afraid of aggravating the already worst situation. But if it has a hero to guide it, fear and pain will no further intimidate it. That is what Oromo heroes did. They helped their people to attain political consciousness and recognize their identity and rights pertaining to it. That is why the enemy pursues them. The number of unknown Oromo heroes, those that became meals for birds of prey, those that are suffering under enemy captivity and those that disappeared and not looked for is greater than the known ones. For all we owe a lot. We remember Oromo Heroes’/Heroines’ Day to show our gratitude for their contribution and also to help the new generation learns from their patriotism.Oromo youth started discussion about liberation of their country in the 60’s; in the seventies they came out with the vanguard of Oromo liberation movement the OLF. Hearing that this grand people after a century of oppression is coming out organized to fight for its liberation there were commotions in all enemy camps. When Zaid Barree and Darg with their allies went to war they hated and feared the Oromoo movement more than each other. They attacked it from both sides and fatigued it but were unable to wipe it out. The brave Oromo raised havoc both enemies never expected. Because war has weakened them it was decided that ten members of the leadership go to Somalia and look for help and consultation. But an unexpected catastrophe betook them on April 15, 1980. From then on it was decided that April 15 be remembered as Oromo Heroes’/Heroines’ Day for past, present and future.How do we remember our heroes and heroines? One is meeting each year as usual, preparing songs, dances, poems, reading materials, arts that reflects the occasion and sing and dance together in their honor. On that day we renew our vows to continue the struggle they started to the finish. By doing so, we appease the spirit of our heroes and our ancestors. Not only that we will also discuss how we can strengthen the struggle based on future plan of action not on emotion scratching handout seeking annual presentations. This day will give us the opportunity to reflect where we started and where we have reached now and to assess conditions in which our people find themselves at present and what to do next. We may also hear more about our heroes and heroines. We appreciate and honor not only heroes that passed away but also those that survived and are still heating up the struggle with people they initially agitated to rise. Heroes fallen in Ogden did not budge for the gun pointed at their forehead and give up their unity and national pride for life in return. They stood together with courage and determination to the end and paid the ultimate sacrificed for their nation. They were entered into the same grave holding to their nation’s dawn kaayyoo without religion and tribe dividing them. Pushing back personal comfort and family interest for the sake of the fatherland they taught us what firmness on objective, generosity, commitment and determination means. When we remember our martyred heroes, heroines and those that are still languishing in enemy’s captivity we should also not forget that they like us have old parents, children without support and someone they love to care for. Honor and glory for the fallen heroines and heroes; liberty equality and freedom for the living and nagaa and araaraa for the Ayyaanaa of our fore parents! Ibsaa Guutama Ibsaa Guutama is a member of the generation that drew the first Political program of the OLF.

The following document lists some of the Oromo farmers who have been evicted from their ancestral land in Kilinto, Oromia.

Oromo Farmers, Including 80-Year Old Farmer, Evicted from Ancestral Land – Document Shows Oromo Farmers Evicted from Land in Kilinto, Oromia (Near Akaki)
Posted: Ebla/April 11, 2014 · Finfinne Tribune | Gadaa.com

The TPLF-led Ethiopian Habesha Government controlling Oromia militarily is stepping up its abuse of the Oromo people. About six months ago (in November 2013 – see the date, though in Geez Calendar, in the document attached below), the TPLF army evicted Oromo farmers from their ancestral land in Kilinto, Oromia, under the disguise of making way for the so-called “Kilinto Industrial Zone” – land to be distributed to Habesha “INVESTORS,” aka Neo-Neftegna’s, after being snatched from the Oromo farmers. Kilinto is near Akaki in the Surrounding of Finfinnee (Addis Ababa). What’s more, according to documents acquired by Gadaa.com, the TPLF-led Ethiopian Habesha Government is planning to evict all Oromos in the Surrounding Region of Finfinnee under similar “Industrial Zone” schemes.

The following document lists some of the Oromo farmers who have been evicted from their ancestral land in Kilinto, Oromia. Included in the list of TPLF-sponsored eviction are women farmers as well as an 80-year-old farmer.

http://gadaa.com/oduu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/KilintoCase2014_2.jpg

(The names of the farmers in this copy of the document shown below have been whitened out for privacy.) Note that the date in the document is in Geez Calendar; it’s Nov. 7, 2013 in G.C.

Some of the Oromo men and women farmers evicted from Kilinto are shown below. Dispossessed of their land, the soon will be forced to work as day-laborers on their own Land – sweating day and night to make Habesha “INVESTORS”/Neo-Neftegna’s money – for many, this is a return to the old order (pre-1974) of feudalism and serfdom (or the Gebbar System).

Ethiopia: Where conscience is constantly on trial

Ayyaantuu News Online : Ethiopia: Where conscience is constantly on trial - By Awol K Allo
In Ethiopia, Muslim leaders are facing an unjust trial for crimes they did not commit
Currently 29 Muslim leaders are on trial in Ethiopia charged under its anti-terrorism law [AFP]
April 10, 2014 (Aljazeera) — A high profile trial against protest leaders – intellectuals, activists and elected members of “The Ethiopian Muslim Arbitration Committee” – is shaking the Ethiopian political landscape. The government argues that the accused harbour “extreme” Islamic ideologies. It accuses them of conspiracy with terrorist groups to overthrow the government and establish an Islamic state in Ethiopia.
The accused have professed their innocence and denied the charges. In the courtroom, they present the prosecution’s case as the continuation of repression by legal means, which resembles the totalitarian perversion of truth and justice of Stalinist and Apartheid regimes.
While letting the legal process take its course, the accused are exposing the agonising and ultimately insoluble contradiction between the government and its laws. They protest the complicity of the court in the ultimate travesty, daring to speak truth to power, a la Daniel Berrigan: “You cannot set up a court in the kingdom of the blind, to condemn those who see, a court presided over by those who would pluck out the eyes of men and call it rehabilitation.”
The indictment
People & Power – Land for Sale
In December 2011, Muslim activists began a peaceful protest against what they saw as a coerciveimposition of a little known sect of Islam called al-Ahbash and its teachings on Ethiopian Muslims and their leaders. In the following months, protesters elected a 17-member “Arbitration Committee” to lead the protest. This protest was unique in many ways: It was innovative and playful. It was a renegade movement that refused to be threatened by prosecution or persecution and appealed to ideals and values more profound than “crime and punishment”.
After months of intrigues, negotiations, and all manners of malicious turns and twists, the government brought its fight against the community into the courtroom. By picking one of the most explosive charges available, the government transformed the political act of protest into a criminal act of terrorism. By criminalising people’s cries for dignity and justice, by twisting their dissent and moral objection into a shocking security threat, the indictment transforms the proclamation of dissent into an act of terror.
The trial
A criminal trial ”is an indictment of individual behaviour”. The trial expresses and represents the normative idea of “calling to account”. It marks a moment at which a body-politic calls one or more of its members to account for a violation of its norms. In “calling to account” the body politic names the accused as a party to a dispute. This act of naming signifies something central to the legitimacy of the trial: It gives the accused a “speaking position”. The accused should be entitled to give an account of themselves and the dispute in which they are named; the right to contest the allegation.
The notion of “calling to account” imposes a great responsibility. It means that the government must treat the suspects as responsible moral agents, and must allowed them “a voice in the interpretation of those norms“. The accusers must submit themselves to the same rules they apply to the accused – even more so when the accused is a public adversary. In a proper trial, “those who conduct the trial are also on trial themselves”.
This trial, however, is the complete negation of these principles. In fact, it is the most outrageous fraud imaginable. It is a fraud that best represents the vile baseness and moral bankruptcy of those in power who use the authority of the law and the devices of justice to mute peoples’ cries for truth and dignity. In the course of this trial, the government trampled on every facet of their fair trial rights, including their right topresumption of innocence, the right to open and public trial, the right to examine witnesses and contest evidence. It produced and broadcasted a fictitious thriller movie - Jihadawi Harekat - complete with tortured confessions, hearsays, and a nest of vile gossips – all in the name of fighting terrorism.
For the accused, this is a trial of conscience – the purely moral act of dissent against the regime’s outrageous attempt to convert the entire community into a new religious sect.

This, then, is not a trial aimed at revealing truth and determining guilt or innocence. It is a hostile act, an individualised act of war designed to extend the state’s power of prosecution and punishment beyond legal limit. To be sure, it is an authentic show trial designed to squash dignity and crush collective resistance to this revolting crime.
Courting conscience
For the accused, this is a trial of conscience – the purely moral act of dissent against the regime’s outrageous attempt to convert the entire communityinto a new religious sect. As defendants in a show trial, they know that they could not be found innocent without the government being guilty and they insist on using the moment of the trial to proclaim, defend, and espouse those notions and ideas that compelled them to act in the face of jail and torture; to expose the indelible filth that sullied the Ethiopian justice system.
They want to assume the role of prosecutor and judge, and communicate this sorry state of affairs to the public gallery – a strategy reminiscent of black liberationist movements of the last century. They insisted that their trial be held in the Millennium Hall, the largest hall in Addis Ababa, so that they would turn the event into a “repertoire of resistance”.
While they expect neither mercy nor decency from the court, they know that the spectre of its violence will continue to unsettle it from within and precipitate its normative renewal. As two of the prisoners, Abubaker Ahmed and Ahmedin Jebel, told the court, “We stand before the court not because we expect justice but because we wanted to bear witness to history.”
They know that law produces a determinate effect but its meaning and content cannot be exhausted in one single determination. They may be found guilty and condemned but they know that the conscientious subject is not totally exhausted or absorbed in this single condemnation. They know that some of the most revered individuals in the history of enlightened thought, whether historical figures such as Jesus of Nazareth and Socrates, or those who changed history in our own time such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela, have been accused and condemned under the law.
For subjects that are torn between obeying unjust laws and following their conscience, for those who encounter dehumanising and death-dealing legislations and institutions, dissent is an absolute calling that comes from the inner most sanctum of the spirit. When the state mobilises unjust laws to condemn the innocent, disobedience becomes an absolute responsibility that transcend all manners of private calculations.
Finally, if we look beyond the surreptitious violence of adjudication; if we attend to that which escapes the innocence of courts and their symbolic personification of power; we will discern the promise of a transformative renewal made possible by these renegade claims.
Awol K Allo is a Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Source: Aljazeera

Why are Ethiopians starving Again?

Ayyaantuu News Online : - Why are Ethiopians starving Again? The answer rests on its successive autocratic rulers and tribalist leaders. Ethiopia today forced hundereds of thousands of Indigenous Peoples off their fertile lands to make way for foreign investors that came in to grow foodstuffs and bio-fuels for export. Having lost their land and their ability to produce their own food, the indigenous Peoples are being forced to become dependent on aid handouts.
April 10, 2014 (Tesfa News citing Addis Fortune – pro-government website) ETHIOPIA finds itself in critical need of food aid in order to feed 2.7 million people. This announcement comes not long after its leaders were upbeat, reporting a bumper harvest of231 million quintals of grain for the current fiscal year.
When donors and Ethiopian authorities met on January 24, 2014, to agree on the projection of the volume of humanitarian aid needed for 2014, the resultant crucial document – the joint Government and Humanitarian partners’ Document – showed that 2.7 million of the 91 million people in the nation, according to the latest estimate by the World Bank, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
The total food requirement is estimated at 388,635 metric tonnes (MT). This is broken down to 314,684 MT of cereals, 31,468 MT of pulses, 9,441 MT of oil and 33,042 MT of blended or supplementary food.
Ethiopia synonymous to hunger. A map showing areas that are critically affected by hunger
This comes against the government’s recent announcement that agricultural productivity in the nation is projected to grow in leaps and bounds.
Despite the normal and above normal 2013 ‘meher’ rains, which further improved the food security situation in the country, humanitarian challenges will continue in 2014 in north eastern Amhara, Afar and the southern Tigray regions. These are all areas that receive inadequate seasonal rainfall. There is also a focus on other areas that could be affected by various hazards, like – floods, conflicts, crop pests and diseases, stated the report.
Water shortages persist in the drought-prone areas in northeastern Afar, South Region, southeastern Tigray and the lowlands of the southern pastoralist areas.
The nation’s 12.27 million hectares of land was covered with cereals during the year 2012/13. This was a 1.52 pc increment compared to that of the previous year. The government planned to produce 22,907,055 tons of cereal, but exceeded it by 310,555 tons. However, the amount was not able to feed the nation. In the 2013/14 fiscal year, Ethiopia is planning to exceed last year’s cereal production by 2,300,000 tons.
The alarm for the Ethiopian government is clear despite the number of beneficiaries decreasing compared to that of the previous year.
Crop production, according to the document, will most likely be affected in the major producing areas of Amhara and Tigray for the third consecutive year. This will worsen the food security situation in these areas.
But the number of beneficiaries is particularly high in Oromia and the Somali regions, which account for 27 and 25 pc, respectively. Tigray and Amhara follow close behind with 19pc and 16pc, respectively.
Oromia has 766,336 people out of its population of 31 million (according to the CSA’s estimate of 2012) in need of humanitarian assistance. In the Somali region, on the other hand, 691,978 people are projected to be in need of food assistance out of a population of five million (according to the CSA’s estimate of 2012).
The alarm for the government is going to remain intact if weather conditions do not improve, says Rahel Asfaw, a senior Resource Mobilization Expert at the Disaster Prevention Preparedness & Food Security Sectoral Office.
“It all depends on whether or not there is timely rain,” she said.
In the remote Somali Region where the meher season was rain-deficit, the number might even grow, she says.
The total food requirement for 2014 amounts to 388 million dollars. This includes 314,684 tonnes of pulses, 9,441 tonnes of oil and 33,042 tonnes of blended food.
The problem for the government is that it only has 51.6 million dollars. This total represents just 12.8pc of what is required.
While the remainder is expected from the international community, previous contribution trends show that a portion of the required amount is left to be filled by the government itself.
Last year the donors contributed only 68 pc of what was required.
“The contribution from donors may not be any different from the previous year,” says Rahel.
For another food security expert, the international community’s contribution might not even amount to 68pc. He cites priorities elsewhere in the continent and the world.
“This will worsen the situation,” he fears.
Source: Tesfa News citing Addis Fortune