What went wrong between Welega and and the 7th king ? I notice 3 generations hate him very, very deeply.
This is unwinnable war, it is already deeply engrained in the spirit of the land and the psyche of the people, I advise the 7th king to pull out of Oromia as soon as possible.
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Sadacha Macca
- Senior Member
- Posts: 12786
- Joined: 22 Feb 2014, 16:46
Re: What went wrong between Welega and and the 7th king ? I notice 3 generations hate him very, very deeply.
for those who don't know who jaal marro is:
''KUMSA DIRIBA
Kumsa Diriba (Jaal Maro) is the current commander of the Oromo Liberation Army’s western front. His government name is Miliyon Diriba but his friends and family refer to him as Kumsa which he later changed to Maro after joining the OLA.
Ethiopian Human Rights Council report on the January 18th arrest
In 2003/1996, Kumsa Diriba was a freshman studying Management at Addis Ababa University. On January 18th, 2003/1996, he was one of the students arrested and released for protesting in front of the University Dean’s office. He was repeatedly arrested for his activism throughout his time at the University.
In 2005/1998, Oromo student activists on various university campus’ across the country launched a movement called “The Struggle to Resist Oppression” (Fincilaa Diddaa Gabrumma-FDG) to which the Ethiopian government responded with a brutal crackdown. At this time, Kumsa, along with other student activists, were invited to recieve training from the Oromo Liberation Army that was operating in Borana zone of Oromia state.
After recieving training, Kumsa returned to Addis Ababa and joined an underground network of Oromo activists referred to as “Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromia” (Youth for the Freedom of Oromia). However, his return to Addis Ababa was shortlived as the network’s main leaders, Tesfahun Chemeda and Mesfin Abeba, were apprehended by Ethiopian security agents after having escaped to Nairobi. Since the network had been comprimised, Kumsa was called to return to Borana zone to officially join the Oromo Liberation Army.
In 2008/2001, the Oromo Liberation Front faced internal rifts that culminated in the break away of a faction called OLF-Change led by General Kamal Galchu. This rift eventually reached the Oromo Liberation Army-southern front that was operating in Borana. In the midst of this internal strife, the Ethiopian military began a mass offensive in order to root out the rebel force. As the southern front retreated, Kumsa escaped the country and eventually went to Uganda.
In Uganda, Ethiopian security agents working from the Ethiopian embassy were able to track Kumsa down and request his extradition. The Ugandan government agreed to prosecute Kumsa but refused to extradite him. The local community of Oromos living in Uganda were able to raise funds to provide Kumsa with a strong legal defense. Consequently, Kumsa was sentenced to only a year and a half of prison time without any extradition.
Legesse Wogi- previous OLA western front commander
Upon serving his sentence, Kumsa went to Eritrea, where the Oromo Liberation Front’s executive committee was based. During his time in prison, the Oromo Liberation Army- western front commander Jaal Legesse Wogi had been killed and his troops were in disarray. Kumsa decided to rebuild the western front and returned to Ethiopia in 2010.
Kumsa spent the next few years rebuilding the western front of the Oromo Liberation Army. After the Oromo Protests were sparked in 2012, an influx of recruits led to an increase in military action by the OLA-western front. In 2014, in response to the Irreechaa massacre, youth in Qellem Wallagga zone joined the front by the hundreds, disarming their village militias and taking the weapons with them.
According to previous administrators of various woredas in the four Wallagga zones, by 2016, the OLA-western front under Kumsa’s leadership began to capture and administer rural villages, it was also establishing its own civilian militia force and arresting the local government militia. By the time of Abiy Ahmed’s ascension to the position of Prime Minister and ODP’s rise to power, the OLA had filled the rural leadership vacuum in West Wallagga zone left in the wake of the Oromo Protests movement.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and Secretary-General Dawud Ibsa of the OLF
In 2018, the ODP-led government and the Oromo Liberation Front leadership in Eritrea signed a peace agreement in Asmara. The OLF leadership, including Secretary-General Dawud Ibsa, returned to the capital city to begin a new chapter as a registered political party. However, in the months that followed, it became increasingly clear that Kumsa did not necessarily accept the agreement.
The Ethiopian military is currently executing a mass offensive in order to capture Kumsa Diriba. Neither the government nor the OLF have so far addressed this issue.''
''KUMSA DIRIBA
Kumsa Diriba (Jaal Maro) is the current commander of the Oromo Liberation Army’s western front. His government name is Miliyon Diriba but his friends and family refer to him as Kumsa which he later changed to Maro after joining the OLA.
Ethiopian Human Rights Council report on the January 18th arrest
In 2003/1996, Kumsa Diriba was a freshman studying Management at Addis Ababa University. On January 18th, 2003/1996, he was one of the students arrested and released for protesting in front of the University Dean’s office. He was repeatedly arrested for his activism throughout his time at the University.
In 2005/1998, Oromo student activists on various university campus’ across the country launched a movement called “The Struggle to Resist Oppression” (Fincilaa Diddaa Gabrumma-FDG) to which the Ethiopian government responded with a brutal crackdown. At this time, Kumsa, along with other student activists, were invited to recieve training from the Oromo Liberation Army that was operating in Borana zone of Oromia state.
After recieving training, Kumsa returned to Addis Ababa and joined an underground network of Oromo activists referred to as “Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromia” (Youth for the Freedom of Oromia). However, his return to Addis Ababa was shortlived as the network’s main leaders, Tesfahun Chemeda and Mesfin Abeba, were apprehended by Ethiopian security agents after having escaped to Nairobi. Since the network had been comprimised, Kumsa was called to return to Borana zone to officially join the Oromo Liberation Army.
In 2008/2001, the Oromo Liberation Front faced internal rifts that culminated in the break away of a faction called OLF-Change led by General Kamal Galchu. This rift eventually reached the Oromo Liberation Army-southern front that was operating in Borana. In the midst of this internal strife, the Ethiopian military began a mass offensive in order to root out the rebel force. As the southern front retreated, Kumsa escaped the country and eventually went to Uganda.
In Uganda, Ethiopian security agents working from the Ethiopian embassy were able to track Kumsa down and request his extradition. The Ugandan government agreed to prosecute Kumsa but refused to extradite him. The local community of Oromos living in Uganda were able to raise funds to provide Kumsa with a strong legal defense. Consequently, Kumsa was sentenced to only a year and a half of prison time without any extradition.
Legesse Wogi- previous OLA western front commander
Upon serving his sentence, Kumsa went to Eritrea, where the Oromo Liberation Front’s executive committee was based. During his time in prison, the Oromo Liberation Army- western front commander Jaal Legesse Wogi had been killed and his troops were in disarray. Kumsa decided to rebuild the western front and returned to Ethiopia in 2010.
Kumsa spent the next few years rebuilding the western front of the Oromo Liberation Army. After the Oromo Protests were sparked in 2012, an influx of recruits led to an increase in military action by the OLA-western front. In 2014, in response to the Irreechaa massacre, youth in Qellem Wallagga zone joined the front by the hundreds, disarming their village militias and taking the weapons with them.
According to previous administrators of various woredas in the four Wallagga zones, by 2016, the OLA-western front under Kumsa’s leadership began to capture and administer rural villages, it was also establishing its own civilian militia force and arresting the local government militia. By the time of Abiy Ahmed’s ascension to the position of Prime Minister and ODP’s rise to power, the OLA had filled the rural leadership vacuum in West Wallagga zone left in the wake of the Oromo Protests movement.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and Secretary-General Dawud Ibsa of the OLF
In 2018, the ODP-led government and the Oromo Liberation Front leadership in Eritrea signed a peace agreement in Asmara. The OLF leadership, including Secretary-General Dawud Ibsa, returned to the capital city to begin a new chapter as a registered political party. However, in the months that followed, it became increasingly clear that Kumsa did not necessarily accept the agreement.
The Ethiopian military is currently executing a mass offensive in order to capture Kumsa Diriba. Neither the government nor the OLF have so far addressed this issue.''
Re: What went wrong between Welega and and the 7th king ? I notice 3 generations hate him very, very deeply.
Jal Marroo has very interesting history in OLF, I think no body in the 50-year-old organization can beat his role in keeping the survival of OLF in the last 20 year.
The 7th king really angered these nationalistic Oromo youngsters by erecting a statute of Minilik and Haileselasse in the palace.
Look how mad they are about it, the song is really moving, it incites Oromos from coast to coast to join the struggle.
Oromia is definitely on its wat to independence.
The 7th king really angered these nationalistic Oromo youngsters by erecting a statute of Minilik and Haileselasse in the palace.
Look how mad they are about it, the song is really moving, it incites Oromos from coast to coast to join the struggle.
Oromia is definitely on its wat to independence.
Re: What went wrong between Welega and and the 7th king ? I notice 3 generations hate him very, very deeply.
Dr. Abiy is making the same mistake to Colenel Mengistu, you cannot win people's movement through war. Understand the request of the Oromo people in Wellega and address them through negotiation. He is also trying to outsource war on Tigray people to President Isaias. War could seem to bring quick solution but has not worked anywhere except when the people's movement collapses from inside similar to what happened to LTTE in Srilanka.