The Gazira Press

By Jilcha Hamid With roughly 15000 troops commanded by Colonel Zeleke Beyene converging on the area of Kharro in Haromaya county, the small group of OLF fighters had now been surrounded and outnumbered. In late 1978, following the end of the Ethio-Somali border war, the attention of the Derg regime and its governor in Harar was now focused on defeating the Oromo rebels which had established themselves in the eastern highland regions. The rebels had been active throughout the Ethio-Somali conflict, attacking both the Somali and Ethiopian armies while steadily building up their strength. The Derg on its part was eager to end the rebellion once and for all and eliminate the shadowy rebel leader, known as “Jarra”. This was their opportunity. Jarra was among the roughly 300 rebels surrounded at Kharro. But inside the rebel camp Jarra's calm demeanor gave away his experience in similar situations. He knew that the Ethiopian army would only fight during the day, so he organized a ...

"Wa’eela too takka Haati maatii waatii Naaf osoo fiigduu tii Dhabde lubbuu siitii Rabbi araaramiif Isii naa rahmatii Haadha abbaa gootee Yatiima kan kootiif Galanni khee hin badin yaa Mootii Hunda fedhiin teetii Galanni khee hin badin yaa Mootii Hunda murtiin teetii"

Jiilchaa Haamidiin Wadaay: Aboo dubbii teedroos afro dhageeysanii? Araarso: Ee dhageenye jirraa mi. Anilleen sossooha boycottbaddelle keeysatti hirmaachaa hin turre? Wadaay: Magan.. Araarso: Maali hoo? Wadaay: Aboo shariyaan keenya farshoo hin dhoorkine? Araarso: Duuba niin dhuge wahiin je'e? Wadaay: Waan hin dhuyne akkamitti boycott goota? Araarso: Sossooha kana deeggaruun khiyya, dhuguu fi dhuguu dhabuu khiyarraa osoo hin taane, iyyinee iyya dabarsinee, warra farshoo khana dhugu dhageeysifne, dubbii hubachiifne akka hin dhuyne godhuu dha. Nafxanyaa qabrii kheenya gubbaan dhiichisu spoonsara isaa irraa muruu dha. Sani wanni nuti itti hojjachaa turre. Wadaay: Duuba milkooytanii? Araarso: Eee molkooyne..Dheengadda khunoo labsa Heineken irraa arkanne, teddy afro maallaqa irraa muruu isaanii.. dubbisi mee Wadaay: Haaya bada boo...*blup blup blup blup* (shiisha) Araarso: Akkam jettan? Wadaay: Lakki nuti dubbii farshoo kheeysa hin seennu...isinummaan irraa fixadhaa. *Jamal seene* Jamal:...

By Jilcha Hamid "Qaraa billawni koo gamni lachuu  khaniin adawwiidhaan halaalchu Maalayyaa isaaniin wal fakkaachuu Nu hin feenu isaan wajjiin jiraachuu Lakii, bu'i narraa, y aa Injiree mataa Hin bu'u yoo jette summiiniin si gataa Yoom ta mataa qofaa, ta huccuu nu' jiraa Ta dhiiga nu xuuxee nurraa fixxe coraa Arraa Boru jechuun, anaatu fi' laafee Tanaafiin si jalatti ukkaamamee hafee" These are lines from the poem written and performed by Abdi Habib, one of the classical Oromo artists hailing from Dirre Dhawa. He originally performed it at the Dirre Dhawa city hall in the late 1970's in fron t of a jubilant audience which errupted after hearing those lines. Abdi Habib was not well known before that performance (a perfmormance which got him arrested as soon as he left the stage) but after this performance his name rose to prominence. Everybody in Dirre Dhawa was singing "Qaraa billawni koo.." . According to witnesses one of the Derg sold...