Oromo
martyrs day of 2013 was commemorated in Oslo on 13 April at veitvet. It is an
annual event where Oromos all over the world honor their fallen heroes; express
their solidarity with those suffering at the hands of Ethiopian regime and show
support to those who are struggling to the cause.
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| de syv søstre(the seven systers) from the see. |
The journey- To travel from Sandnessjøen to Oslo is making
a long journey. It is possible to do this by air, train and bus combination, or
only busses or it is also possible by the sea, though it might take a week. The
mode of travel usually depends on the purpose of travel, cost and time
required. But I prefer bus-train combination. The bus journey from sandnessjøen
to Mosjøen is interesting. It starts by crossing to main land using the helgeland
bridge a long cable stayed bridge, a type that most people see only on movies.
Then we travel inland for some time. Later on, the journey will be along the
side of the sea fjord, one side is a high rocky or forest covered mountain and
the other side is the sea. The tunnels through which the bus passes makes it
more interesting. From mosjøen to Oslo is a very long train journey that takes
almost 14 hours. It is done by two trains, the first is a diesel train that
goes from Bodø and to Trondheim. The second is an electric train from Trondhiem
to Oslo. To make this long journey comfortable, there are services available on
the train. There is a coffee-Bar service where one can have coffee some snack
or even a cold beer. For those who have
their laptops or tablets or smart phones with them, there is an internet
service that makes one almost always connected with the world. Well, people do
that usually when it is dark or when they get tired of seeing the beautiful
scene outside through the window. Small beautiful hills covered by forests or
ice and a plain land below them where houses are built far apart, big rivers
flowing between mountains covered by forests and small waterfalls are some of
the interesting things one can view. Trondhiem is a big city and it is a place
where one takes the train to Oslo. Oslo, the capital of Norway is a beautiful
city. It is a tourist destination from across the world. But it is an expensive
city. Hotels, transport services, restaurants etc. are all expensive. Due to
this, most people (Oromos) who come to Oslo must stay with friends or families,
except tourists of course, who can afford to pay.
Stay in Oslo- All Oromos who travelled from across Norway
and even some who come from Scandinavian countries for the commemoration of
Oromo martyrs day stay with their friends and relatives. Some come from Sweden
and Denmark. Those who come from Norway comes from different parts of the
country. Those who come from northern Norway even travelled more distance. But
they all come for one purpose, to commemorate Oromo martyrs day and to remember
our heroes and heroines. Just like everybody after my long journey I arrived in
Oslo to stay with my friend. I guess I am the lucky one because where my friend
stay is just less than three hundred meters from the place of the meeting,
veitvet.
The Martyrs day- Oromo martyrs day is April 15, but it is
commemorated mostly around April 15 by Oromos all across the world. It is a day
when we Oromos take a day and remember our heroes and heroines who gave their
life for the true Oromo cause. The cause that, just like any people in the
world, we must also be recognized as a free people, as a free nation. They gave
their life to bring forward Oromos and Oromiyaa from the shadow of Abyssinian
colonization. Our Goal might not yet fully fulfilled but they made us travel a
thousand miles toward our goal, which the Liberation of Oromiyaa from Ethiopian
empire.
A
unique day- Oromo martyrs day is a unique day for us. It is a unifying day!
One might follow a different political program or may be a member of a
different political group, but on this day, we Oromos are united and believe in
the true achievements of our heroes and heroines. We also recognize the
struggle they are making today to free Oromiyaa from minority led murderous
TPLF government of Ethiopia.
The commemoration- It started in the afternoon with the elders
blessing (eebbaa) according to Oromo culture. Then a moment of silence was held
to remember and pray for the fallen. Afterwards an official from OLF gave a
clear account of the importance of Oromo martyrs day. Next Obbo Dhugoomsaa
Dhugaasa gave an interesting list of heroes and heroines with their
achievements and how and in which battle they passed away. This includes some
of the eye witness accounts of Obbo Dhugoomsaa himself and it was a thrilling
story of our heroes and heroines. Dr.Dagafaa Abdiisaa’s short and brief speech
about the day and OLF activities was followed by early dinner. After Dinner, a
video of the speech by OLF leader Obbo Daud Ibsaa of January1, 2013 was aired
for those who are interested.
The evening- As usual such a day ends colorfully, with the
evening entertainment of Oromo artists. What is special about the evening was
the artists themselves. To see the legendary artist Elfenesh qanno’s daughters
on stage while Elfenesh herself watching is very special. Hawi and Daanga with
Totoba as a backer made the evening colorful. Of course the other legendary
artist Hailu kitaba appears on the stage sometimes with his beautiful music. It
is so interesting to see people of all age and gender dance in a unified
spirit, carrying and waving OLF flag and chanting ‘ Oromia shall be free’. From
back, the support groups of the day were active in providing refreshments. Overall,
It was such a beautiful day and it is also an honor to be part of it. It was an
opportunity to reunite with friends from my previous stays in other parts of
Norway over the last 10 years. Now I am back to sandnessøen, the place I like
much and reflect on the occasion. The day is a commemoration of the fallen
heroes and it reminds me why they sacrificed and why I am in Norway in the
first place.
By Adugna Dinka, email (re_appear1@yahoo.co.uk)
