Excerpt from 'The Rock of Gachana' (A biography of Jarra Abba Gada)

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 plan to hold off the army until nightfall after which the OLF battalion would be able to break the encirclement and escape. The plan worked and Col. Beyene’s offensive ended in failure.¹ This was the legacy of Jarra according to his comrades. A determined, and bold strategist. His former comrade known as ‘Bokhe’ recalled “we never thought that anything could harm us when we were with Jarra and ‘Mullis’ [Adam Tukale]”. “He would smile in times of hardship” recalled another comrade. But in order to know who he was, and what motivated the middle aged commander to take up arms against the Ethiopian regime, we would have go a little further back in history.

In early 1936, as Abyssinian troops stationed in Harar province retreated from the encroaching Italian army, the fleeing Abyssinians converged on Waldaya Ramis district in the mountainous Gara Mullata region and took to looting and ravaging the local population. The relationship between the Abyssinian army and the local Oromo population had been hostile since the region was annexed by the Emperor Minelik following the Battle of Chelenko in January of 1887. Following annexation the locals were reduced to the status of feudal peasants in service of the "nobles" (Minelik's army). They were essentially condemned to a life of servitude because they chose to resist the Abyssinians rather than surrender. Their land was no longer their own, but belonged to the "nobles" as did all of the inhabitants of the land. This dark chapter of their history became known as “Sirna Malkanya” or the “Malkanya Era”. 

The “Malkanya” name originated from the tax Emperor Minelik's troops imposed on locals for using the water in the local river bank (Malka).² Malkanya ended after the Italian occupation of 1936. In their final throes the colonial Abyssinian army, frustrated by the defeat inflicted on them by the Italian army, took their revenge on the inhabitants of Ramis. It was during the time of this atrocity in Ramis and the celebrated end of the Malkanya era, that Abdulkarim Ibrahim [Jarra] was born. Abdulkarim grew up hearing stories such as the pillaging of his village by retreating Abyssinian troops, the crimes committed against his people, and the stories of his forefathers who fought against Emperor Minelik. His grandfather and great grandfather who were both killed while resisting against Abyssinian expansion into eastern Oromia, which at the time was governed under the administration known as “Raba Dori” led by an assembly of the Humbanna Oromo [Afran Qallo & Aniya]. The thoughts of redemption; Restoring the dignity of his people, all weighed heavily on the mind of Abdulkarim from a young age. When asked in an interview³ about his childhood and what he wanted to be when he grew up, his reply was “I wanted to struggle for my people”.

After WWII, following the Italian defeat and the return of Abyssinian troops to Waldaya Ramis, the army once again began harassing and abusing the locals. Abdulkarim's father and chief of the Metta clan, Ibrahim Hamid, was able to recover some abandoned Italian rifles and organize a local force to defend the locals against the Abyssinian army. The force was able to expel the army from Ramis. To keep the issue from escalating, Haile Selassie sent a delegation to the Metta clan to negotiate a settlement. An agreement was reached and the fighting was brought to a halt.³ After this agreement, Ibrahim Hamid maintained friendly relations with Emperor Haile Selassie. But for young Abdulkarim, the road to redemption was far from complete. 

References:

1. Oromo TV, Jarra Abba Gada Memorial Program, 2013
2. Jalil Abdella, Jarra Abba Gada Foundation Inaugural Ceremony, 2013
3. Jafar Ali, Interview with Jaarraa Abbaa Gadaa, 2008