Who Burn Oromian forests?

By Adugna Dinka

In a brief short news, the website called ‘ayyaantuu.com’ posted the burning of UNESCO registered Yayu Forest of Iluu Abbaa Boor, Oromia on its facebook account. According to the information, the forest fire was raging for the last two weeks without getting any attention from Government or public officials. It is said that the government has blocked all media outlets from reporting about the forest fire while it was supposed to try to extinguish the fire. Effort (the business wing of the ruling party) is also reported as a culprit of deforestation as part of its coal mining activity in the area. This reminds me about how the government of Ethiopia burn down the forest of Boorana and Gujii zones back in 2000.

In the year 2000, a forest fire happened in the then Boorana zone of Oromia (Gujii and Boorana zone of today). In addition to the forest fire of Boorana, there was also a huge forest fire in Bale zone. In Boorana zone the forest fire occurred in Areero and Manqubsa (Nagelle) forests. While in Gujii zone the forest fire happened in Shakiso, Adoola, wadera and Bore forests. The fire was intense in Areeroo, Nagelle and shakkisoo. It almost completely burnt out the forest of manqubsa(nagelle), and devastated the Areeroo  and shakkisoo forests.

There are multiple reasons for the burning of the forest that time.  The government of Ethiopia claims that OLF guerilla fighters reside in the forest. The other reasons were the mining process of shakkisoo and the then investment activity. It is true that OLF fighters take shelter in the forest but this can’t be the reason to burn it. And this was the main reason that Areeroo and manqubsa forests were dealt with.

The mining activity of shakkisoo was the other reason. Mineral exploitation, especially Gold mining and exploration needs to clear the forest. In addition to these, the company needed a place to ditch toxic waste.

Extinguishing this fire took more than three months and it was the arrival of the rainy season that helped to extinguish the fire completely. But at the early stage of the fire, there was no attention from the government or officials, only agricultural department was making an effort to extinguish the fire. Just like yayu forest fire of today, there was no media coverage during the early stage of the fire. Luckily there were many NGOs in the zone and they get the word out to international media.

It was after it gets international media coverage that the government organized a team from Federal agricultural office and the military and dispatched them. But the issue was no more a regional or national issue; it became a global issue as main international media outlets started giving analysis of the effect of the forest fire. They put it clearly that it affects not only east Africa, but also global. Some estimated the forest fire can affect 50 million people directly in the sub-continent.

It was after this that professional fire fighters arrive from South Africa. The South African started to monitor the fire from air. They monitored the whole southern Ethiopia from Bale to Arba minchi, while the fire fighters were stationed in Shakkisoo.

Nationally, it gets momentum and media outlets started covering about the forest fire. University students started arriving from different universities and colleges. Regionally, the people and government workers put a great effort to put out the fire.

But what is very interesting was what the farmers (local people) say. They say it is Impossible to extinguish this fire. What they say was, while people put out the fire day time, there is somebody or group who put on the fire during the night. When people extinguish the fire day time at one place, the next morning they find an intense fire at the same location.

The TPLF led Ethiopian government doesn't totally care about the natural resources in Oromia. The UNESCO registered Yayu forest is facing the same fate of the Boorana-Gujii forests. The land or the soil underneath the forest might be needed for some purpose. It may be used to fulfill investment interest of TPLF.

It is said that the deforestation and burning of Yayu forest of Oromia is to build Tigray. The huge coal deposit beneath the forest is the main reason to burn down the forest. It was also said that the big tigrean companies like EFFORT has already moved to the area to make as much money as they can.

 The UNESCO registered Yayu forest

If there is no media coverage at local or national level, and if there is no government effort to extinguish the fire at local, regional or national level, for sure there will be a conspiracy to deal with the forest, so that the land can be available for some other purposes. The soil under the forest is favorable for any mechanized agriculture. This fits the government policy of leasing land for foreign investors or Tigrean based national investors.

 yayu forest

It is not late for the Oromos to save their forest of Yayu. Oromos in diaspora must make an effort to put the news in the hand of international media. We have to get the news to concerned international bodies, which of course UNESCO itself is the main. Other international conservation based organizations must also get the information. It is only these organizations and the international media who can influence the Ethiopian government to make an effort to extinguish the UNESCO registered Yayu forest fire of Oromia.

Some countries and international organizations blindly help the Ethiopian government without analysis of what the Ethiopian government is doing to its natural resources. It is not fair to provide support before ensuring whether the government is doing its job in the interest of the people, which in this case is protecting the natural forest of the country. One good example is the participation of Norway and United Kingdom in the project of climate resilient green economy (CRGE) in Ethiopia in which they agreed to provide multi-layer support. To the contrary, the Ethiopian government is not in a position to protect and conserve the existing natural forest.  It is difficult to recovery from climatic change or adapt to the change in any means through CRGE unless the existing natural forests are protected. 

By Adugna Dinka (re_appear1@yahoo.co.uk)

Oromo online discussion forums of Paltalk messenger.

By Adugna Dinka

In recent years online discussion forums become effective way of communicating with audience from across the world in a short time. It is also effective in getting the feedback immediately just like a normal meeting. The anonymity of the audience makes online discussion forums more open minded than a normal meeting, though sometimes people don’t use their right appropriately. Some people use anonymity in a wrong sense and use it for insulting or defaming purposes.

One of these online discussion forums is the paltalk messenger in which people can create their own room and conduct discussion for the purpose they want. The participants can participate in the room by airing their view in which all people can hear him/her or by text pasting in the room. But if one wants to send out his message clearly, he has to speak, because text messages might not be read by all audience or sometimes it might be misunderstood or sometimes the texts are meant for individuals. Other than that, when hundreds of people are texting, it is difficult to hear the one speaking and follow the texting at the same time.

People use paltalk messenger across the world for different purposes. These include political activism, religious purposes, language teachings, music, arts and entertainment, family issue, love and dating, sports, science and even pornography. People from across the world participate in discussion and text messaging for the purpose they want.

 Music, language teaching, love and dating, arts and entertainment, sport and science have an audience from across the world, though it appears that western world have more participants in these aspects. But political activism is different. People participate in political activism of pal talk messenger from areas of where there is unsolved business. These include Africa (especially east Africa), Asia and pacific, central and south America. From religion, Christianity and Islam have more audience than others, though it is difficult to know from which part of the world they have more participants.

East Africa is a volatile area politically and religiously.  It is an area where there is so much unsolved issues from semi stateless Somalia, colonial and dictatorial Christianity based Ethiopia, a dictatorial Eritrea and a recently liberated southern Sudan with a resource based conflict with northern Sudan lies. The unstable Somalia with unrecognized governments of puntland and Somalilands and the UN supported government of Somalia and again the unsolved issue of Ethiopian Ogadenia region of Somalia makes this area at high level of political activism.

The case of Ethiopian empire is also similar. The Abyssinian based long dominancy of the government has led to nations and nationalities based political activism for the liberation of nations and nationalities hold together by force in that empire. The pseudo federal system of Tigrean based politico economic domination of today is a big reason for the political activism and it manifest itself in online discussion forums which actually pal talk is the main. 

The online politically oriented paltalk discussion forums of Ethiopian empires are based on two lines; one is the Union based discussion forums which again can be seen in two ways. The first is the one that supports the present day dictatorial government that advocate the existence of true federated democracy in the country. This group shows clearly the support and connection it has with the EPDRF government of Ethiopia and even has the ability to call government officials at any time for discussion. The second union based discussion forums are those who actually based on diaspora participants and political organizations. It seems that these group stuck to king Minilik’s era, a group that believe in everything one (one country, one language, one culture etc.). It seems as if they can’t analyze the dynamism of the current Ethiopian empire situation.  

The other group is the freedom based discussion forums. These are the group that believes in the freedom of nations and nationalities from the Ethiopian empire. In today’s context The Oromos, Ogadenians, the Sidamas clearly advocate the freedom of nations and nationalities. They believe that even if a union of the federation of Ethiopia happens, it should be based on the agreed and consensus of all nations and nationalities.

There are online discussion forums that clearly show the interest of the second group, among which the Oromo online discussion forum is based. The Oromo online discussion forum of paltalk messenger has achieved much. It is known that there are different Oromo groups that struggle almost for similar purposes and goals but use a different strategy. Almost all Oromo organizations believe in the self determination of Oromo people. They all advocate that let the Oromo people decide about their future, Let they decide where they belong democratically in a modern and acceptable way. But the way the political organizations explain this can vary or the strategy they are using, but overall it appears that all are going for the same goal.

My point here is that, the online paltalk discussion forums are not recognizing this. Due to this it appears that, the followers of different Oromo political groups forget their common enemy which is the dictatorial EPDRF government and spend their time on criticizing one another.  The followers of different Oromo political groups must understand that every group has a right to choose its strategy and the end goal they want, but still must recognize the say of the Oromo people. It is not Oromo political groups that decide the future of the Oromos, but the Oromos themselves. The job of political groups must be to take Oromos to the destination where they can decide about their future in a clear and democratic way. It is only the Oromos, not the political groups that decide where Oromos want to belong in the future, whether to stay in a democratized Ethiopia or become a free Oromian nation.

So, it has no use to waste a precious time on criticizing each other rather than targeting an enemy. It is better for an Oromo organization to negotiate with each other and work hand in hand, though there is a different in strategy and tactics to achieve an Oromo cause than fight each other and waste a scarce resource and time on each other. 

Paltalk discussion forum is a good media. It is a media that can be used for many purposes if used effectively and properly.  If focused on, it can bring Oromo unity than create a difference.

 By Adugna Dinka, email (re_appear1@yahoo.co.uk)

The Oromo community in Stavanger, Norway conducted a very effective demonstration against the planned fundraising

Source freedomfororomo

Kabajja Guyyaa Goototaaf Ibsa Ejjennoo – Munshin, Jarmani

April 21, 2013 at 11:01 pm · Gadaa.com

Tokkummaa Baratoota Oromo Biyyaa Jarmani dame Munshin /TBOM/ saganta kabajjaa Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo geggefachuuf miseensoota isaaf Oromoota nannoo magalaa Munshin afeera godhee akka saganteefateetti sagantaa isaa milkii gariidhaaan xumuratte jira.

Akkumma beekamu sagantan irra jaalan walsimana hirmatoota,eeba mangudoota, sirna ibsa /shamma/ yaadannoo gootota QBOfi waregamani, jaalewwan dargagoo ta qabsoo Oromoo keessatti qoda gudda qabanin, Ibsa seena qabeesumma guyyaa gootota Oromoo Obbo Kasim Alitiin; Gahe gootowwaan Oromo QBO keessatti Obbo Getachew Chamadattin; Walaloo mata dureen isaa “Oromiyyaa kiyaa” kan jedhamuu dhagefachuun; gahee gootowan Oromo QBO keessatti argamisisaniif haala QBO yeroo amma irra jiruuf gara fuula duratti kan jedhu obbo abba Milkitin ibsa kenname sirna caaaqafameera.

Kana irratti hirmatootin kabajjaa guyyaa Gootota Oromo irratti argamani yaada fi marii balinnan geggesaniruu.

Tokkummaan Baratoota Oromoo biyya Jarmanii dame Munshin TBOM, yeroo bu’ureeffamee eegalee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo (QBO) tiif yaalii godhaman hundaaf degarsa barbaachisaa gochaa ture ammas itti jira. Kanatti dabalees yeroo garaa garaatti miseensota isaa tiif wal ga’ii fi seminaara gochuudhaan, guyyaa yaadannoo WBO fi gootota Oromoos kabajuudhaan, waggaa wagaattis kora gegeefachuudhaan, adaa gudisuuf yaali godhamuu keessatti galgala bashannanaa Oromoo qopheesuudhaan hojii dansa hojechaa ture; ammas itti jira itti fufas. Guyyaa haadha kanas TBOM magaalaa Münchenitti kabajjaa guyyaa Gootota Oromoo sirna ho’aadhaan kabajeera. Guyaa kana gootowwan baroota dheeraa fuulduraa eegalee qabsaawota yookaan gootota Oromoo ummata Oromo hacuuccaa fi bittaa mootumoota Habashaa jalaa bilisaa baasuuf jecha yeroo fi haala garaa garaa keessatti kan jijjiirraa hin qabne lubbuu isaanii dabarsanii kennan yaadachuun kabajan gegeefameera.

Akkuma beekamu guyaan gootota Oromoo kan kabajamuu maluu Ebla 15 yoo ta’ee iyyuu haala jiruu fi jireenya namoota biyyaa ambaa kana irraa kan ka’e guyaa, yeroo fi haala namootaaf mijachuu danda’u filaachuun guyaa hadha kana akka kabajamu ta’eera. Xumura guyaa yaadannoo kana irratti miseensonni TBOM fi Oromootni nannoo kanarra argaman ibsa ejjennoo akka armaan gadiitti baafataniiru.

1. Dhiibbaa mootumaan wayaanee uumata Oromoo irraan ga’eef irran gaha jiru, kan akka hidhaa, ajeechaa, miraga dhabsiisuu, amantii keessa galee dhimma siyaasa isaa gegeefachuu dura nii dhaabanna.

2. Walitti bu’iinsa uumata giduutti adeemsifamee lubbuun namoota hedduu yerootii gara yerootti darbu, kana mootumaan abba hirree biyicha bitaa jiru furmaata itti kennuu dhiisuu isaa nii mormina.

3. Kabaja guyaa goototaa kana irratti hundaa’uudhaan, dhaabilee fi qaamoleen siyaasa Oromoo tooftaa siyaasaa kamiin iyyuu waa’ee uumata Oromootiif sochii godhan martinuu garaagarumaa ilaalcha siyaasaa qaban waliif kabajaa wanta tokko isaan godhu dantaa umata Oromoo dursuudhaan isa boodeetti hafumaa ta’e wal irratti qabsaa’uu caalaa farra uumata Oromoo kan ta’e hunda irratti akka qabsaa’uutti wal tumsan maqaa fi seenaa gootota wareegamaniitiin nii gaafanna.

4. Walumagalattii Tokkumman Baratoota Oromo Biyyaa Jarmanii /TBOJ / haala fi adeemsa QBO yeroo gara garaa jiruuf ture hubannoo guddadha ilaale furmaata in fudhate walaba taanee Jaarmmiyyoota Siyyaassa Oromoo bilisa ta´an kammiinuu otoo addaan hin baassiin QBO irratii kabajaaf wal hubanootiin akka hojjenuu fi deggersa barbaachisaa ta’an goonu labsuu keenya dabalatan guyyaa hadha kana isin yaadachiifna.

5. Akka TBOM ti tataafii gochaa jirruun garee siyaasaa tokko jala taa’aanii isa tokko arrabsuun, abaaruun fi maqaa wal-balleessuun seenaa ilmaan Oromoo keessaa raawatee dhaabachuu akka qabu irratti hojechaa jirra; kanneen gocha aadaa fi seenaa umataa xureesu kana irratti bobba’anii jiran maaras akka of qusatan nii hubachiifna.

6. Kaayoon keenya dhaabbolee Siyaasa Oromoo gidduutti rakkina ka’u itti tuqannee baballisuu otoo hin taane qaama furmaataa ta´uudhaan dalaga keenya gara fuunduraati itti fufinu gaafatina.

Injifannoon Umata Oromoof!
Qabsaawaan nii Kufa Qabsoon itti fufa!
KHG TBOM
20 Ebla 2013
München, Jarmanii

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Source gadaa

Protesters in Norway disrupt TPLF’s fundraising event

Published on April 20, 2013.

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Editor’s Note: Following in footstep of Houston and Jiddah , protesters in Norway prevented  TPLF ambassadors  from collecting money in the name of bond sell for Renaissance Dam.Below is a report by  a  Norwegian language website that  witnessed the situation unfold.

—————————-

By Toril Risholm|Aftenbladet.no

(Translation from the Norgian by Google)

The police came out with three cars and six policemen and stopped a meeting of Tasta bydelshus where the atmosphere was becoming so very testy among the more than 300 attendees.

The approximately 300 attendees were Ethiopian asylum seekers or people with Ethiopian background. The police feared that it would get completely out of control when people in the audience went to the hard verbal confrontation against two representatives from the Ethiopian Embassy in Stockholm who had called for and chaired the meeting.

The police gave the first message that all protesters to leave the meeting while the two embassy people and their potential supporters can be seated. This denied the attendees protesters, and several feared it would come to an open confrontation between police and people in the audience. Then, specific efforts manager Øyvind Sveinsvoll of Rogaland police to stop the meeting and clear the room.

It was a wise decision, said several of those present protesters. They did not want the two embassy people should be left as “victors” while they were evicted.

- “Our goal was to stop the meeting. We managed, says one of them to Eve magazine.”

The atmosphere was tense that the police chose to isolate the two embassy people from the rest of the participants. They escorted them out to a private car that carried them away from the area. The 300 attendees were then drop out of the courtroom.

There was general consul at the Ethiopian Embassy, ​​Abay Mebrat Beyene, who would chair the meeting with embassy secretary. The main theme was collecting money in the Ethiopian exile to a very controversial oppdemningsprosjekt – a prestige project for the regime in Ethiopia.

Mass demonstrations abroad
The Ethiopian authorities have tried to keep similar “recovery meetings” both in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Germany, and each time meetings have ended in massive demonstrations against human rights violations in Ethiopia. People imprisoned without trial, free elections are abolished, freedom of speech likewise, newspapers are state controlled and many journalists imprisoned.

Not voluntary payment
Several took the floor during the meeting the key bydelshus and said this was not a voluntary fundraising. Those who did not pay the money, you could expect problems when they contacted the embassy to obtain a passport or ID papers.

Gearing up for the Oslo-riot
Saturday’s meeting was the first of its kind in Norway. And exiled Ethiopians came in separate buses from Oslo, others came from Steinkjær, Otta, Stord and Bergen to demonstrate in Tasta bydelshus against the regime in Ethiopia.

28th April, the Ethiopian Embassy in Stockholm hold a similar meeting in Oslo.

- We are going to fill the buses with protesters, said several of those present to Eve magazine.

source: gulelepost.

Oromo: OSA Appeals To UN Secretary General

The Oromo Studies Association has written an appeal to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on land grabbing in Oromia.

Below is an artyicle published by Gadaa:

His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General

Your Excellency Ki-moon:

I am writing on behalf of the Oromo Studies Association (OSA), a scholarly organization established by Oromo and non-Oromo scholars to promote studies on and relevant to the Oromo people. We are gravely concerned that the Tigrayan-led minority Ethiopian government continues forcefully evicting Oromo farmers and other indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands and leasing them to national and transnational investors without their consent and with little or no compensation. Hundreds of thousands of Oromo farmers and other indigenous communities continue losing their farming and grazing lands they have owned for centuries and thrown out on the streets exposing their families and extended families to humiliation, starvation and death. In many instances family heads are given a 30 day notice to evacuate from their land. Those who refused to comply with the short notice faced intimidation, beatings, arrests, and in some cases death.

The Oromo people are the single largest ethno/national group in the Ethiopian empire and in the Horn of Africa constituting more than 40% of the Ethiopian population. Oromia, homeland of the Oromos in Ethiopia, covers a large geographical area. By all accounts, Oromia is the single richest region in the Empire with abundant fertile land, livestock products, coffee, oil seeds, mineral resources, and a diverse wild life. Compared with other regions of the empire, Oromia gets relatively high rainfall and a relatively large proportion of its surface is covered with forest. The current government in Ethiopia is controlled by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a group originating from the Tigrai regional state in the north. Contrary to Oromia, the Tigrai regional state is characterized by barren land with meagre natural resources and the Tigrayan population constitute only about 6% of the Ethiopian population. The Tigrayan-led minority government is therefore practicing a discriminatory and destructive land-grab policy as a way of exploiting the abundant wealth and natural resources of the Oromo and other communities by forcefully evicting families from their lands and signing land-lease contracts with Tigrayan and foreign investors.

Despite the fact that Tigrai is the poorest region in the empire, many Tigrayan business men and women have turned themselves into rich investors building their personal business empire over the last 21 years of the TPLF rule. The current destructive land-grab policy of the regime is a continuation of the amassing of personal wealth of the members of the ruling elite at the cost of destroying the livelihood of the families of indigenous communities such as the Oromo. It has nothing to do with investment or development as the government tries to mislead the international community. This land-grab policy is harmful and wrong in many ways including that:

a. It displaces, marginalizes and exposes vulnerable peasants to inescapable suffering and death;

b. It exacerbates food insecurity, ethnic conflict and mass starvation;

c. It is discriminatory as it applies only to the Southern regions of Ethiopia, such as Oromia, Gambella, and Benishangul;

d. The Ethiopian government that makes and implements such policy decisions and signs land lease contracts on behalf of the peoples of the Southern Ethiopia comes entirely from the Tigrayan ethnic group of the North.

OSA members and the millions of Oromo farmers and others are deeply concerned by this reckless policy because of its obvious discriminatory implications that fuel conflict among various ethno-national groups. I am writing to request that the UN involve in stopping the illegal seizure of lands of indigenous peoples by implementing the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The historical impacts of land-grab in Ethiopia were characterized by brutal conflicts, cultural extinction, and even genocide through mass killings. The war of occupation and land-grab in the last decades of the nineteenth century resulted in the death of about five million (50%) people in Southern Ethiopia. The current problems associated with land-grab are especially complex in Southern Ethiopia; the local people are not represented in the government of Ethiopia that is dominated and led by Tigrayans. Mistrust between Tigreans who come from the north and the Southern peoples of Ethiopia is rampant, shaped by a bitter history of war, occupation, cultural domination, and inherited hostility. The non-Tigrayan population of Ethiopia see the decision of the Tigrayan government of Ethiopia as a deliberate and conniving move to dismantle the cultural fiber of the South and expand Tigrayan cultural and economic domination. Land-grab is indeed perceived among the Southern Ethiopian population as a hostile trap targeting their most sacred property, their land.

Since 1996, the total area of agricultural land transferred to the investors is 4 million hectares. A total land transferred to investors will be 7 million hectares of agricultural land by the end of 2015. Over 94% of the land assigned to Tigrayan and foreign investors is located in Southern Ethiopia i.e., the non-Tigrayan and non-Amhara regions. To seal the deal, the Ethiopia regime offers protection to investors by being a member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agencies that the agreements guarantee investors’ right without providing opportunities for those affected by activities of investment projects to challenge the agreements and to call for adequate compensation. For example the agreement signed with the Netherlands on the encouragement and reciprocal protection of investment offers considerable incentives to the private corporations wishing to invest in Ethiopia: i.e., it guarantees transfers of profits, interests, or dividends in freely convertible currency of payments related to investments, that a Dutch company investing in Ethiopia would not have to pay tax and that profits can flow back to the Netherlands without any restrictions.

Your Excellency:

We know of no government policy in the world, where the majority of the citizens are subjected to different set of rules based on ethnic identity; this government imposes these preferential rules firmly to protect the interests of Tigrayan and foreign investors more than the people of the country it allegedly represents. Consequently, the Tigrayan-dominated regime of Ethiopia has forfeited its representation of the Oromo people; the agreements it enters on behalf of the Oromo people shall not be binding. In the meantime, we kindly and respectfully appeal to the United Nations and the international communities to:

1. Demand that the Ethiopian government stop its land-grab and distribution policies with no delay;

2. Impose their good offices on the Ethiopian government so that the government compensates all the victims of the land-grab;

3. Demand that the Ethiopian government recognizes the indigenous people’s ownership of their ancestral land;

4. Discourage foreign investors from continuing to lease lands from the Ethiopian government because the lands that are leased are given to them by displacing the native people;

5. Actively engage in the establishment of independent commissions of justice both at regional and global levels to investigate these criminal acts of forceful land-grabs that threaten the existence of indigenous peoples in Ethiopia in order to enable victims of land-grabbing to be able to access fair justice.

Respectfully,

Mosisa Aga, Ph.D.

OSA President

Oromo martyrs day Oslo april 13/2013.

By Adugna Dinka

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.

 The seven Sisters- I travelled 1000 km with a night train from Sandnessjøen to participate in this event. The journey in this spring night was amazing. Before I go further let, me just briefly introduce my home town for the past five years.  After living in 3 other asylum seeker camps, I am assigned to this beautiful place in Northern Norway. Sandnessjøen is a small town on the Alsten Island with de syv søstre (the seven sisters) at the back yard. Mountain climbers yarn to climb de syv søstre to have a clear view of the area to see    "The kingdom of the thousand isles" as it is called by the local populace. They say during a clear days you can see many islands, fjords and endless ships roaming the sea as far as the horizon is stretched. On the other hand for those who pass by the ‘de sye søstre’ from the sea, it is possible to see the mountains chain sometimes covered by clouds. The Norwegian cruise line ‘Hurtigruten’ that makes a long journey along the coast of western Norway passes nearby ‘de syv søstre’ and the tourists can have a clear view of the interesting mountains chain from the deck of the ship.

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)