Jara Abba Gadaa: a hero and legend in his own time
by Dr. Mohammed Hassen*
(OPride) — Abdulkarim Ibrahim Hamid, who is popularly known as Jarra Abba Gadaa, was a long-standing Oromo nationalist. His death a few days ago was a great loss for his family, for all those who knew him, for our people and for all freedom loving people everywhere. He was an exceptional person, who was driven with passion for freedom and human dignity of his people.
Jara Abba Gadaa, Oromo freedom icon, dies at 77
(OPride) — Abdulkarim Ibrahim Hamid, better known with his nom de guerre as Jara Abba Gadaa, a relentless Oromo freedom fighter and one of the founding members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), died yesterday of kidney failure at a hospital in Yemen. He was 77.
The untold story of Oromo freedom fighter
(OPride) — Ibro Shaxa was killed at the battle of Ciracha during Egyptian invasion of Harar led by Rauf Pasha in 1876. He left behind a teenage son, Hamid. Unlike his father, Hamid was poisoned by Menelik after the battle of Calanqo (1887) in which the Abyssinian army defeated Oromo fighters. Hamid too, left his young son, Ibrahim, behind.
How Soccer Explains Ethiopia
(OPride) — Ethiopia has a rich and complicated history, one that is best described as “a contested terrain.” If this landlocked Horn of Africa country is known for anything though, soccer surely isn’t one of them. But if you ask about an African country known for recurrent famine, long distance runners, beautiful women, and ‘cute’ and adoptable babies at your Friday night trivia game, you may actually get the right answer.
Oromo rights champion, Virginia Luling, dies at 73
by Mohammed Ademo
Social anthropologist, human rights activist, and a much-loved friend of Oromo and other Horn of Africa immigrants, Virginia Rose Luling, died of lung cancer at her home in London on Jan. 7, 2013. She was 73.
Oromo activists rally for justice in homeland
(OPride) — On Friday Jan. 25, several hundred Oromo immigrants staged concurrent demonstrations in Washington, D.C. and London calling for the release of political prisoners, respect of the constitution, and the establishment of rule of law in Ethiopia.
Rally on behalf of Oromo political prisoners
by Mohammed Ademo
Ababa Itana’s phone rings nonstop. Activists call to inquire about plans for making placards for upcoming rally at the U.S. State Department to protest against Ethiopia’s handling of Oromo political prisoners. He takes another call to touch base with a local radio host about a scheduled interview later today before settling down to explain the objective of the event.
OPride Person(s) of the Year 2012: Oromo Political Prisoners
Since Ethiopia’s ruling party (EPRDF) came to power in 1991, countless Oromo activists, students, professionals, academics, farmers, and businessmen have disappeared, been imprisoned, tortured, or unjustly executed. While the State’s tight control of information has not allowed for reliable statistics, the number of Oromo political prisoners currently languishing in prisons across Ethiopia is estimated to be more than 20,000.