Jeans and Martò: with love from Karrayyu
by Mohammed Ademo
“You have a nice pair of jeans,” I tell Roba in midtown Manhattan on a recent Sunday afternoon. “I brought my Martò too,” he responds with a grin. The Martò (Marxoo in Afan Oromo) is a traditional garment worn around the waist by Karrayyu Oromos.
State Department slams Ethiopia on human rights
(OPride) — The U.S. government on Friday commended activists, netizens, and journalists for their courage in advocating for universal human rights and expressed concern over the heightened crackdown on civil liberties, rebuking several countries for shrinking the space for journalists and activists.
On ESAT’s "media war" against Oromo struggle
by Leta T. Bayissa*
The birth of Oromo Democratic Front (ODF), a new Oromo political party, last month has stirred so much controversy among Oromo and Ethiopian blogosphere.
While the announcement received mixed reviews from Oromo nationalists, the reception from Ethiopianist groups has largely been positive. But there were also those who jumped on the opportunity to attack and delegitimize the Oromo struggle.
Wikileaks on Tadesse Birru and early days of the OLF
(OPride) — The whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has just published 1,707,500 U.S. diplomatic and intelligence documents from 1973 to 1976. While most of the latest documents have already been declassified and were available through the National Archives, WikiLeaks has created a searchable online database for quick access.
Several of the 1.7 million cables sent from U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia offer interesting insights into the gathering of rebellion against the Ethiopian rulers of the time, the Derg. The telegrams cover a wide range of topics including the formation of Oromo and Tigrean Liberation Fronts, and the execution of Tadesse Birru (pictured above with Nelson Mandela).
What’s Next for the Oromo People?
(OPride) – Every year the Minnesota-based Oromo American Citizens Council (OACC) brings together key Oromo political players for a daylong conference on the direction of the Oromo struggle. This year's conference, it's fifth – while not different – came at a crucial time when the Oromo struggle is at crossroads.
ODF's first meeting draws large crowd
(OPride) — Following a controversial declaration on March 28, 2013, the newly formed Oromo Democratic Front held its first public gathering in Saint Paul, Minnesota yesterday.
With a record attendance of more than 500 people, the meeting, intended to introduce the new organization to Oromos in Minnesota, was “the largest Oromo political gathering in years”, eyewitnesses told OPride. Minnesota, also known as ‘Little Oromia’, has the largest number of Oromo immigrants outside of Africa.
Two prominent leaders desert OLF faction
(OPride) -- Taha Tuko and Amin Jundi storm out of OLF's General Galchu faction citing differences with the group's leader. The faction's most senior and considered by many to be the backbone of the group, the duo not only resigned from their leadership posts but also rescinded their membership in the organization.
ODF, a democratic alternative for Ethiopia
(OPride) — After an intense week of discussions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the activist group Oromo Dialogue Forum on Thursday announced the formation of a new political party, the Oromo Democratic Front.
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.