Nelson Mandela Received Training From Israeli Agents, Secret Documents Say

Mossad Tried To Encourage Sympathy for Zionism

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Icon and Israel: Nelson Mandela meets with Ehud Barak during visit to Israel in 1999.

By Ofer Aderet and David Fachler

(Haaretz) — Nelson Mandela, the former South African leader who died earlier this month, was trained in weaponry and sabotage by Mossad operatives in 1962, a few months before he was arrested in South Africa. During his training, Mandela expressed interest in the methods of the Haganah pre-state underground and was viewed by the Mossad as leaning toward communism.

These revelations are from a document in the Israel State Archives labeled “Top Secret.” The existence of the document is revealed here for the first time.

It also emerges that the Mossad operatives attempted to encourage Zionist sympathies in Mandela.

Mandela, the father of the new South Africa and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, led the struggle against apartheid in his country from the 1950s. He was arrested, tried and released a number of times before going underground in the early 1960s. In January 1962, he secretly and illegally fled South Africa and visited various African countries, including Ethiopia, Algeria, Egypt and Ghana. His goal was to meet with the leaders of African countries and garner financial and military support for the armed wing of the underground African National Congress.

A letter sent from the Mossad to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem reveals that Mandela underwent military training by Mossad operatives in Ethiopia during this period. These operatives were unaware of Mandela’s true identity. The letter, classified top secret, was dated October 11, 1962 – about two months after Mandela was arrested in South Africa, shortly after his return to the country.

The Mossad sent the letter three recipients: the head of the Africa Desk in the Foreign Ministry, Netanel Lorch, who went on to become the third Knesset secretary; Maj. Gen. Aharon Remez, head of the ministry’s department of international cooperation and the first Israel Air Force Commander-in-Chief; and Shmuel Dibon, Israel’s ambassador to Addis Ababa between 1962 and 1966 and former head of the Middle East desk at the ministry.

The subject line of the letter was “the Black Pimpernel,” in English, the term the South African media was already using for Mandela. It was based on the Scarlet Pimpernel, the nom de guerre of the hero of Baroness Emma Orczy’s early 20th century novel, who saved French noblemen from the guillotine during the French Revolution.

“As you may recall, three months ago we discussed the case of a trainee who arrived at the [Israeli] embassy in Ethiopia by the name of David Mobsari who came from Rhodesia,” the letter said. “The aforementioned received training from the Ethiopians [Israeli embassy staff, almost certainly Mossad agents] in judo, sabotage and weaponry.” The phrase “the Ethiopians” was apparently a code name for Mossad operatives working in Ethiopia.

The letter also noted that the subject in question “showed an interest in the methods of the Haganah and other Israeli underground movements. “It added that “he greeted our men with ‘Shalom’, was familiar with the problems of Jewry and of Israel, and gave the impression of being an intellectual. The staff tried to make him into a Zionist,” the Mossad operative wrote.

“In conversations with him, he expressed socialist worldviews and at times created the impression that he leaned toward communism,” the letter continued, noting that the man who called himself David Mobsari was the same man who had recently been arrested in South Africa.

“It now emerges from photographs that have been published in the press about the arrest in South Africa of the ‘Black Pimpernel’ that the trainee from Rhodesia used an alias, and the two men are one and the same.”

A handwritten annotation on the letter refers to another letter sent about two weeks later, on October 24, 1962. The annotation noted that the “Black Pimpernel” was Nelson Mandela, followed by a short review that quoted from an article about Mandela in Haaretz.

This letter was kept for decades in the Israel State Archives and was never revealed to the public. It was discovered there a few years ago by David Fachler, 43, a resident of Alon Shvut, who was researching documents about South Africa for a Masters thesis on relations between South Africa and Israel at the Hebrew University’s Institute for Contemporary Jewry.

Born in Israel, Fachler grew up and received his Masters of Law degree in South Africa. “If the fact that Israel helped Mandela had been discovered in South Africa, it could have endangered the Jewish community there,” Fachler told Haaretz.

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MINILIK WARRA HABASHAA – HITLER AFRIKAA-TI

Taammanaa Bitimaa iraa

DURAANDURSA

Dubbiftoota mandhee tanaa jaalatamoo fi kabajamoo, mee kunoo hardha immoo waayee dubbii mataduree kanaa irrattin waa isiinii dhiyeessa. Akkan kana irratti waa jedhu kan na kakaase, waggaa dhibbaffaa du’aatii Minilik faashistichaa sababeeffachuun: duula ginni-bittee, iliitoonni fi jalaa-jaleewwan warra Habashaa keessumaa kan warra Amaaraa uummata Oromoo irratti adeemsisaa jirani. Hubaddhaa barri amma keessa jurru kun bardhibbee 21-ffaa dhaa! Dirreen duula warreen kanaa inni hangafni kan irratti tahaa jiru Oromiyaa dhaa! Jarri duula hamaa fi fokkisaa kana uummata, sabaa fi biyya Oromoo irratti oofaa jiran kun: “tokko taanetoo Toopphiyaa warra Wayyaanee harkaa baafnee ijaarranna” nuun jedhuu!

Yaa Oromoo, yaa uummatoota Kibbaa, yaa addunyaa dubbii akkanaa kana maal jenneetoo himna? Maal jenneetoo barreessina? Waan hundaafuu, dursinee seenaa faashisticha warra Amaaraa, seenaa Hitler Afrikaa kana keessaa hamma tokko wajjumaan mee haa ilaallu!

SEENAA OLLUMMAA OROMOO FI WARRA HABASHAA

Iliitonnii fi barreessitoonni gita-bittee Habashaa seenaa ofii akka fedhanitti dhiyeeffachuu dandayu. Garuu, seenaan isaanii garri irra caalu kan sobaa fi dharaan laaqame. Isaan sobuufis, seenaa ofii sobaan lallaaqufis “mirga qabu“. Garuu, seenaa sobaan lallaaqame kana nutti fe’uuf mirga wayiituu hin qabani. Seenaa Habashaa isa ifumatti sobaan lallaaqamee keessaa inni tokko, Minilik Lammaffaan isaanii kun “Toopphiyaa tokkoomse” kan jedhu. Minilik Biyya Habashaa tokkoomsun, kunis isa Teediroosi fi Yohaannis faa jalqaban fiixaan-baasuun isaa dhugaa dha. “Toopphiyaa tokkoomsuun” isa soba. Ammoo, impaayera Toopphiyaa jedhamtu saba Oromoo fi uummatoota Kibbaa: Afaar, Kafichoo, Kuulloo-Kontaa, Walaayitaa, Hadiyyaa, Sidaama, Gedewoo, Koonsoo, Moochaa, Gimiraa fi warreen hafan hedduu humna meeshaa waraanatiin qabatee koloneeffachuun empaayera Toopphiyaa jedhamtu ijaaruuun isaa mirkana.

Sana dura guruu, uummanni Habashaa (Amaaraa-Tigree) fi uummanni Oromoo akka uummatoota ollaalee tahaniitti bardhibbee hedduu wal-cinaa jiraatanii jiru. Wal-cinaa jiraachuun kunillee kan lolaa fi nagaan walmake ture. Bardhibbee fi jaarraawwan hedduu uummanni Oromoo Habashoota daangaa isaa cabsanii itti-dhufan ofirraa ittisaa ture. Ofirraa ittisuu kanaaf garuu, inni ollaalee isaa irraayyis tahee, baargama cewuun meeshaa waraanaa fi loltuu alagaa barbaacha hin dhamaane. Isaan garuu, baargama cewuun kan biraa hafee, bardhibbee 17-ffaa faa keessallee loltuuwwan Porchugaal dhibba danuu of-cinaa hiriirsaa turani. Haatahu malee, uummata Oromoo jilbeeffachiisuu fi dachee Oromiyaa taakkuu takkallee qabachuu hin dandeenye. Garuu, walakkeessa jaarraa 19-ffaa irraa kaasee maqaa Kiristaanummaa isaanitiin humnoota Oroppaa oggaa sanii: Biritaaniyaa Guddoo, Faransaa, Ixaaliyaa fi Rusiyaa irraa meeshaa waraanaa fi loltuuwwan argachuun waraana waggaalee 31 (1868 – 1899) fudhate booda Oromiyaa dagabaafachuu (koloneeffachuu) dandayanii jiru.

LAFARRAA DUGUUGGII MINILIK UUMMATA OROMOO IRRATTI ADEEMSISE

Barreessitoonni Habashaa sobaa fi dharaan waayee Minilik “Toopphiyaa Tokkoomsuu” faa nutti odeessuu dandayu. Garuu, dhugaa fi dhugoon lafa jiru inni hojii fi gocha Hitler naazichaa Oromoo irratti adeemsisuu isaati. Mee duguuggii warraanni isaa, abbootiin duulbantiiwwan (“Raasonni“) isaa Oromoota: Walloo, Darraa, Salaalee, Gullallee, Aabbuu, Galaan, Gimbichuu, Ada’aa, Bachoo, Sooddoo, Walisoo, Ammayyaa, Kuttaayee, Caboo, Noonnoo, Caliyaa, Daannoo, Iluu Galaan, Gaamoo Jibaat, Jimma Raaree, Iluubbaa Booraa faa irratti oofan maqaa dhoofnetuma, gara waraana inni mataan isaa bantii waraanaa tahuun gaggeesseetti haa ceenu. Kanas lamaan tokko callaa: isa kan Oromoo Arsii fi Oromoo Barentuu gabaabinaan haa ilaallu!

Waggaalee torba guutuu waraanni Minilik kan gariin isaa isuma Minilikiin durfame, Oromoota Arsii irratti oofe. Ammoo, gichilloonni Oromoo Arsii akka nama tokkootti hiriiruun ofirraa faccisuun ofirraa deebisaa turani. Waraana kana garii isaa irratti Minilik mataan isaa yeroo xiqqoof boojiyamuu jalaa baye. Ammoo, duula isa bara 1886 irratti waraanni Minilikii fi wasiila isaa Raas Dargeen durfame, meeshaa waraanaa isa ammayyaa Oroppaa irraa argateen itti-dhufe. Oromoon Arsii “Amaarris Amaaara duraanii miti! Meeshaan waraana isaaniis isa duranii miti!” kan jedhe: Minilik meeshaa waraanaa kan Oroppaa rifeensa mataa isaa irraa hamma qeensa miila isaatti hidhate, kaarta-qartuu fi riqicha-tolchituu Oroppaa, leenjiftuu fi gorsituu waraanaa isaan Faranjii, phaaphasii Habashaa taabota bachisee fannoo rarraafatee Minilik cinaa gaangee irra taa’etoo dhumaatii Oromoo kana eebbisu duraa-dubaan of-cinaa qaba ture. Oromoon Arsii garuu, meeshaa waraanaa isa kan Oromoo fi kutannoo biyya ofiiti fi bilisummaa ofiitii du’uu san malee, wanni inni qabu hin turre.

Waraana fokkisaa fi jibbisiisaa kana irratti Oromoonni Arsii, leenconni sanyii leencaa akka okaatti haamamani. Isaan waraana irratti dhumuu irraa hafanii boojiyaman, Raas Dargeen tarree galchisiisee guyyaa tokko duwwaa namoota 12 000 harka isaanii irraa cirsiisuun morma isaaniitti rarraasise. Kana kan barreessee nutti dabarse Oromoos miti; Faranjiis miti. Seena-tarreessituu Minilik kan Gabra-Sillaasee jedhamu, isa Minilik duukaa-deemee waa barreessu san ture. Hubaddhaa harka-muraan kun isa booda bowwaa Aannoleetti tahee mitii! Gara boodaa immoo Oromoota “silaa duulli raawwatee“, “silaa biyyi keenya qabamee” jedhanii erga gara qeyee ofiitti deebiyuun bubbulanii, warri Minilik ganda gandaan waamsisanii, afaan qawwee itti-qabuun gayyaasanii Aannoleetti dubartoota kuma sadii ol (3 000) tahan irraa harma, akkanuma dhiirota kuma hedduun lakkaawaman irraa harka-mumursiisani. Kun mee isa Hitler naazichi uummata Yuudaa irratti adeemsise sanaa gadii mitii! Isa akkanaa kana Waaqatti, uummatoota Afrikaa fi addunyaatti iyyachuu malee, akka kun deebiyee nutti hin dhufneef, tokkummaa keenyaaa fi qabsoo bilisummaa keenyaa sonaan jabeeffachuu malee maal goona?

Waraanni Habashaa kan Minilikii fi phaapphasii Habashaatiin durfame, inni meeshaa waraanaa ammayyaa hidhatee loltuu 20 000 hidhachiise, Oromoo Barentuu kan Carcar irraa hanga gooroo Meettaa Calanqootti deemu haleelaa ture san ofirraa ittisaa Calanqoo dhaqqabe. Oromoonni Afran Qalloo akka nama tokkootti hiriiruun Calanqootti biyya isaanitiif, lubbuu isaanii takkittii san kennuuf yaa’ani. Kana biraa kuteeyyuu obbolummaa fi walmararfannoof jecha, uummata Adaree kan amiira isaanitiin durafamee fi obbolaa Oromoo Sumaalota keessaa garii of-cinaa hiriirsanii gayyaa’ani. Hubadhaa waraanni Oromoo kun meeshaa Oromoo kan duudhaa: eeboo, shootala, furrisa, gaachana, hablee fi mancaa faa malee homaa hin qabu turee! Tahus qeerransoonni Afran Qalloo, qeerransoonni sanyii qeerransaa biyya abbaa gadaa fi biyya haadha siiqqeef jecha, guyyaa guutuu waraana Minilik isa meeshaa Oroppaa hidhate san dura dhaabatanii kan dhume dhumee, kan hafe boojiyame. Gooroon Calanqoo sun dhiiga Oromootiin lafa goggogaa mitii haroo fi hara fakkaate. Minilik naazichi Afrikaa asittis akkuma Arsiitti godhe san harka bojiyamtoota Oromoo mumursiise. Itti-dabaluun funyaani fi gurra namoota irraa cirsiise. Phaaphasiin Habashaa sunis: “maqaa abbaatiin, maqaa ilmaatiin, maqaa hafuura qulqulluutiin!”, jechaa akkuma isa bowwaa Aannolee eebbisee sana isa gooroo Calanqoo kanas eebbise.

Sana booda Oromoon Barentuu, Arsii, Tuulamaa, Walloo, Gujii, Maccaa fi kaan lafni lafee isaa tahe irraa fudhatamee gabbaarii tahe. Kaan qabamee gabaa biyya keessaa fi biyyoota alaatti gurgurame. Kana hojii fi gochi Minilik warra Amaaraa, kana gochi naazicha Afrikaa kan Minilik jedhamuu! Namicha akkanaa kana, bineessicha garaan bineessaa kana, naazicha sammuu fi hojiin naazii kana kunoo amma iliitonni Amaaraa: “inni goota keessanii fudhaddhaa” nuun jedhu. Raajii dha; akkamitti dhaloonni fi barri gara duubaatti deema?

LAFARRAA DUGUUGGII MINILIK UUMMATOOTA KIBBAA IRRATTI ADEEMSISE

Uummanni Oromoo duris kophaa isaa dagabaafattoota Habashaatiin hin gabroomfamne. Hardhas kophaa isaa mitii manneen hidhaa impaayerittii keessatti kan argamu. Saboota, sablammiiwwanii fi uummatoota Kibbaa kanneen lakkoofsaan baay’ee tahan wajjin dirree waraanatti cabe. Ammallee isaan wajjin Karchalleewwan impaayerittii keessa jira. Lafarraa duguuggiin suukkaneessaan Minilik bineensichi garaan bineensaa Oromoo irratti adeemsise uummatoota obbolaa Oromoo isaan Kibbaa hedduu isaanii irrattis adeemsifamee jira. Waraana Minilikii fi dhibee namaa-sa’aa kan isaan wajjin Oromiyaa seeneen uummanni Oromoo kumaa-kitilaan dhumee, lakkoofsa uummatichaa kitila kudhan irraa gara kitila shaniitti gadi-bu’ullee, humna heddummina lakkoofsa isaatitiin kunoo ammallee numa jira. Garuu, uummatoonni Kibbaa gariin isaanii dhumaatii sana irraa hafuu hin dandeenye. Kan waa hafanillee hardha lakkoofsi isaanii daran xiqqaa dha. Mee amma dubbii keenya gabaabsachuuf jecha, waayee uummatoota obbolaa Oromoo keessaa kan sadan isaanii callaa akka fakkeenyaatti waa haa mildhannu!

Akkuma Minilik mataan isaa phaaphasii Habashaa of-dukaa buusuun Oromoo Arsii fi Oromoo Barentuutti duule san, inni waraana Habashaa gaggeessuun uummata Walaayitaatti duule. Uummanni Walaayitaa keenyaa inni boonaa fi seenaa boonsisaa qabu kun, biyya isaa guutuu irratti waltahuun waraana warra Habashaa isa ibidda tufaa namaa-sa’aa, lafaa-marga gubaa deemuu san dura gore. Torban sadii guutuu waraana faashistootaa kana ofirraa ittise. Gandeen Walaayitaa barbadaawanii, uummanni Walaayitaa biyya isaa guutuu irratti akka dullacha masqalaatti gorra’ame. Mootiin Walaayitaa seena-qabeessichi sun, Xoonaan: “silaa nu fixanii, mee sanyumaafillee namni kiyya waa haa-hafu” jechuun harka kennate. Minilik, phaaphasiin Habashaa fi jeneraalonni Habashaa: sabbata, shaashii fi uffata baaqqee faa funyaan ofiitti marachuun hamma daangaa Walaayitaa dabranitti adeemaa turani. Foolii reeffa uummata obbolaa keenyaa isa akka hoolotaatti qalamuun torban lamaa faa ture sanitu Habashoota dabarsuu dide. Yaa uummata Afrikaa, yaa uummata Afro-Ameerikaa kanaan maal jetta? Kan hunda caala nama dhibu, waraanni Minilikiin durfame sun inni bowwaa Aannoleetti Oromoota irratti harma-muraa fi harka-muraa adeemsise sun, inni gooroo Calanqootti dhiiga Oromootiin dacheen haroo akka taatu godhe sun, uummata Walaayitaa isa ajjeese fi isa madayee lafa ciisu san gadi-jedheetoo dhiiga isaa xuuxxachuu sani! Mee yaa Waaq, Minilik faa uumaa ilmoo namaa irraayyi gara bineessa daggalaatti of-geeddaran moo? Kun hojii fi gocha Hitler naazichaa kan hin taane, maaltu taharee?

Waraana warra Minilik bara dheeraa ofirraa-ittisaa uummatoota turan keessaa inni tokko uummata Kafichoo ti. Ofirraa-ittisa kana irraa kan ka’een uummanni obbolaa Oromoo kun, Kaficho sonaan lafarraa duguugame. Warri Minilik uummata Kafichoo dhibbayyaa 65 (“65%”) akka fixan nu Oromootanii mitii, obbolaa keenya Kafichootanii mitii, barreessitoota Biyya Faranjii-tiin (Oroppaatiin) galmeeffameeti jira. Akkanuma uummanni Diimee dhibbayyaan 70 lafarraa duguugameeti jira. Kana irraa kan ka’een hardha lakkoofsi uummata Kafichoo keenyaa 400 000 callaa yoo tahu, kan Diimee immoo 800 (dhibba saddeet) callaa dha. Kana irratti lafa uummatoota Kibbaa fi Oromoo dhibbayyaa 70 irraa fudhachuun uummatoota bilisaa fi birmada turan kana gabbaarii fi gabra taasifatani. Lafa uummatoota Kibbaa fi kan Oromoo isa fudhatame kana keessaa dhibbayyaan 30 bataskaana isaanii, kan Ortodoksiitiif kenname. Kanaaf, bataskaanni Habashaa akkuma Raas Daargee fi Raas Masfiin faa abbaa-lafaa isa olaanaa ture.

Kana bira dabree uummatoonni kun akka bineeyyii dagalaatti adamsamuun qabamanii gabaa biyya keessaa fi biyyoota alaatti heddumminaan gurguramaa turani. Minilik mataan isaa abbaa-gabraa fi daldaltuu gabraa isa olaanaa ture. Ennaa uummata Walaayitaa gabroomfatee qeyee isaatti deebiyu, Walaayitoota akka gabraatti qabate 3 000 ooffatee gale. Kan biraa hafee loltuun warra Habashaa inni dassiibnillee (“common soldier“) Walaayitoota lamaa-sadii gabra godhachuun fudhatee biyya ofiitti deebiye.Uggum yaa Waaq! Minilik abbaa-gabraa fi daldaltuu gabraa kanatu, Minilik harma-mursiisaa fi harka-muriisaa kanatu, Minilik dhiiga ilmoo namaa dhugsiisaa kanatu, Minilik lafarraa duguugaa fi duguugsisaa uummata Diimee fi Kafichoo fayitu “jagnaa fi goota” nuuf tahuun, ayyaanni waggaa dhibba isaa kabajamuuf deema jechaa dha. Abadan ammas warri Habashaa lafarraayyi nu duguugu malee, otoo nuti jirruu kun dachee Oromoo irratti hin tahu!

XUMURA DUBBII

Yaa Oromoota alaa-manaa jaalatamoo fi kabajamoo, kunoo ergan kanaa olitti hamma tokko waa isiniif dhiyeessee mee ammammoo kanaa gadittan waan nu Oromoota, ee nu Oromoota harmi akaakileewwan teenyaa fi harki abaabileewwan keenyaa mummuramee, maal-maal faa gochuun akka nu irraa eegamu waa lafa-kaayuuf yaala. Raajii Waaqaa, safuu namaa akkamitti namni mataan isaa fayyaalessa tahe, namni sammuun isaa waa yaadu, nama harma harmee teetii fi harka abbilee keetii mummure san: “inni jagna keetii fudhaddhu” siin jedha? Akka amma dhagayaa jirruutti iliitonni Amaaraa waayee kanaa irratti, jechuun waayee du’iisa Minilik kan waggaa dhibbaa ayyaaneffchuu irratti alaayyis, biyyaayyis dibbee rukuchaa jiru. Kunoo jara kanatti erga waggaa sadiyiitii asii, oddokabreen isaanii sun itti-ka’uun lafaan isaan dhaddhayaa jira. Keessa kutaniituu nuti oddokabree isaanii kana hoo’isuun, akka isaan waliin finfina (“xabala“) dhaqnu fedhu. Nuti harkatu nu hanqate malee, silaa akka amantii Waaqeffannaatti “dhalli namaa marti” obboleessa ofiitii, jarreen maraatan kana finfina Finfinnee faa mitii gara hospitaala Qarree Kolfee (“Amaanu’eel“) sana isaan geessinaayyu!

Jibbi hamaan daangaa hin qabnee fi maqa-xureessiin hamaan isaan amman tana uummata Oromoo fi saba Oromoo irratti oofaa jiran, isaantu hin beekne malee, Oromoota alaa-manaa tokko taasisaa, Oromummaa fi adeemsa walabummaa Oromiyaa kana caala akka cimsatan gochaa jira. Xurree qalloo hamma qaajjisa rifeensaa geessu, kan isaan wajjin walqixxummaan bulluuf waa jirtu wayiillee amma kunoo akkuma jirutti jirma sibiilatiin cufaa jiru. Kanaaf, nuti Oromoonni waltaanee Oromummaa keenya daran cimsachaa, karaa bilisummaa keenyaa daran qulqulleeffachaa Oromiyaa boruu ishii walaboomte san, hardhuma gadameessa impaayerittii isaanii keessatti akka daran jabeeffannu nu taasisaa jiru. Kana irratti “hayyee itti-cimaatii itti-fufaa” jechuu malee, wanni biraa kan isaaniin jennu hin jiru. Otoo hin beekin bilisummaa fi walabummaa keenyaaf nu kakaasaa akka jiran ganamumaan beekuu qabuuyyu. Waan hundaafuu, mee armaan gadittan dubbii cimtuu tana jala harriquuf wanneen tokko tokko isiniif tarreessa:

1. Dhalawwan Oromoo dhiiraa-dubartiin, jaarsaa-jaartiin, gayeessaa-gayeettiin, shamaraa-dargaggeessi hundi alaa-manaa waltahuun tokkummaa ofii isa ammaa caala cimsatanii tarkaanfachuu qabu! Walmararfachuu fi walii-nahuun, waldhagawuu fi walgargaaruun, walii-iyyuu fi walii-birmachuun, waljajjabeessuu fi gamtaan hojjachuun amma yeroon isaa! Hardhuma waamichi isaa!
2. Hayyoonni Oromoo alaa-manaa dhugaa fi dhugoo seenaa keessaa gaggaragalchuun, wanneen Minilik naazichi Afrikaa uummata Oromoo fi uummatoota Kibbaa irratti adeemsise Afrikaa teenyaa fi addunyaaf dhiyeessuu qabu! Isaanis, Oromoonni biroos mammaaksa Oromoo isa: “abbaan iyyu malee, ollaan namaa hin birmatu“, jedhu san sa’aa takkoofillee dagachuu hin qabani!
3. Dureewwan Oromoo tokkoomanii uummata Oromiyaa galaana Abbayyaa kana karaa hundumaan: kakaasuu, ijaaruu, gurmeessuu, walitti-qindeessuu fi karaa maraan hindachiisuu qabu! Kana immoo seenaa keenya keessaa dureewwan Oromoo warra Waladaa Maccaa-Tuulamaa isaan bara Hayila-Sillaasee san irraa akka fakkeenyyaatti fudhachuutu mishaa taha.
4. Otoo lubbuun teenya jirtuu ayyaanni Minilik faashistichaa kun dachee teenya irratti hin kabajamu! Warri gocha Minilik isa kaleessaa faarsuu fi kabajuuf kurfaawu kun boru gocha Minilik bowwaa Aannolee, gooroo Calanqoo, baddaa Gullallee, Biyya Walaayitaa fi Biyya Kafichoo faa irratti adeemsise san deebisee gochuuf waan irraa deebiyuu mitii, uummanni Oromoo kana fashalsuuf karaa maraan of-qoppheessuutu kan nama baasu taha!
5. Siidaan Minilik naazichaa fi kanneen biroo kan Teediroosi fi kan weerartoota kaanii magaalaawwan Oromiyaa keessaa bubuqqifamuu dha qabu! Akkanuma manneen barumsaa, hospitaalonnii fi daandiiwwan maqaalee yakkamtoota Habashaa kanaan waamaman jijjiiramuu qabu! Dursee Minilik sangaa fardaa Oromoo irraa boojiyate san yaabbatee wiirtuu Shaggarii fi wiirtuu Oromiyaa kan tahe, Birbirsa keessa (“Piyaassaa“) dhaabatu sun hatattamaan buqqifamuu qaba! Kun waamicha dubartoota Oromoo Aannoleetti harmi irraa cicciramee fi waamicha dhiirota Oromoo Aannolee fi Calanqootti harki irraa mummuramee ti!
6. Walii-tumsuu fi walirratti du’uun sun: ee onneen Ilaansoo Halloo fi Abbishee Garbaa, kan Firrisaa Abbaa-Foggii fi Leenjisaa Diigaa faa, kan Biiftuu Amoosaa fi Tufaa Munaa faa kan deebitee nu keessatti cimtu kunoo amma! Yaa Oromoo koo nuti onnee fi seexaa: Elemoo Qilxuu fi Jaarraa Abbaa-Gadaa, Waaqoo Guutuu fi Magarsaa Barii, Nadhii Gammadaa fi Guutamaa Awaas, Hayila-Maaram Gammadaa fi Taaddoo Birruu, Alamuu Qixxeessaa fi Maammoo Mazammir, Jaatanii Alii fi Baaroo Tumsaa faa, kan Saartuu Yusuufi fi Raggaatuu Roobaa, Leelliftuu Leellisaa fi Lalisee Nadhii faa qabnawoo, ekeraalee isaanitu nu bira ijaajjuun nu jajjabeessaa jirawoo wanni duubatti deebinuuf tokkollee hin jiru. Yaa Oromoo amma gayeen gayee-dhaa karaa hundaan cimnee walchimsuun garuma fuulduraatti haa tarkaanfannu! Ilaa, lafarraayyi duguugamnee dhumna malee, bilisummaa fi walabummaa Oromiyaa irraa kakuu-dhaa, laguu-dhaa duubatti hin deebinu!

=>ayyaantuu

The Strange Twist in Amhara Politics: Rehabilitating Past Tyrants

The latest fanfare surrounding the celebration of Menelik’s centennial marks an interesting strategic shift in Amhara politics. This memorialization function which, both by design and default, turns every futile, petty, even downright brutal acts of ancient kings into a dazzling action, began a decade ago with a successful resurrection of Haile Selassie I. Now it’s Menelik’s turn.  With the publishing of his memoirs and multiple interviews, Mengistu is just around the corner.  I argue that the resurrection and rehabilitation of the memory of past rulers is not just an obsession of  the fringe in the right and some populist artists, but  a calculated and systematic undertaking by intellectuals supported by the broader political community suggestive of a deeper and seismic shift  in the Amhara politics.

In 1990s most  people, regardless of their ethnic background, remembered Hailesilassie for the despotic ruler that he was, as a king who oppressed millions, starved Wallo and held the country in perpetual darkness. That began to change in less than a decade. All of a sudden, newspapers, magazines and songs began transforming him into a glorious king whose deeds, big and small, must be inscribed in stone and made present for posterity. His remains were exhumed and given a public burial; his crimes were erased from public discourse. With  vocalist Teddy Afro as a leading of revivalist voice  of the Solomonic dynasty, Hailesialassie’s sanctification reached its climax. He was accorded a status of not just a caring Emperor of Ethiopia, but also a unifying father of Africa.With his revival in public culture, those who suffered under his authoritarian rule rendered even more invisible and inaudible.

With successful completion of Haileselassie’s remaking, the next project is the difficult task of portraying Menelik’s legacy as the most shining not only in Ethiopia but also in Africa. The Adwa victory has always been celebrated but now all of a sudden it began receiving a heightened emphasis in media, academia and the arts. The historical significance of the war in the black-white racial divide is now given special attention and Menelik is refashioned as a hero of all black people around the world (despite the fact he himself denied being black, telling the black rights activist Benito Sylvain “I am not a Negro at all; I am a Caucasian”).

To further advance this tactic of cleansing Menelik, small slices of credits were thrown for his commanders such as Habtagiorgis (Qusee) Dinagdee and Balcha Safo. This credit sharing was meant to spread the blame around so that the massacres committed during the war of conquest in the South would be reframed as a war of unification waged by the unified leadership of all nationalities, not just the Amhara onslaught on the rest. The aim is to turn the bloody massacre of millions  into a blessed holy war, as declared recently.

Now we are observing the beginning of an attempt to sanitize the not so distant dark memory of Mengistu Hailemariam’s rule. A two volume  biography by a talented writer and autobiography are followed by choreographed interviews on noble issues such as the future of Ethiopia and Mandela’s legacy! It’s a matter of time before we start seeing picture of him on t-shirts and banners.

The question then is this: why are Amhara elites laboring so hard to rehabilitate the image of past tyrants at the cost of antagonizing the rest of the nationalities? The answer is that they are undertaking a fundamental shift in their political strategy from the Pan-Ethiopianist narrative to a plain Amhara ethno-nationalism. Masking the Amhara partisan interest under the garb of pan-Ethiopian rhetoric required deemphasizing the past. However, as a result of the robust transformation in the national consciousness of other groups over the last few decades, neither hiding the past nor masking partisan interest in the name of unity is selling well. In fact, the past has been dug out and being used as a roadblock to the ambition of restoring the Amhara hegemony. Moreover, the effort to bury the past in order to keep the increasingly less profitable pan-Ethiopian narrative floating has split and weakened the Amhara base. The division is between those who want to openly advocate for Amhara interest and those who want to stick to the masking. Now it seems a consensus is emerging in favor of the modified version of the former.

As mentioned above, the indignation and violence committed by the Amhara elites in the past have  been used to delegitimize the ambitions of the current generation of Amharas.  Hence, they feel that their effort to distance themselves from the legacy of these rulers has not worked. Thus, in rehabilitating past tyrants, Amhara elites are trying to turn historical legacy of those men from political liability to asset.  They aim to do this in two ways. One is by denying, minimizing or rationalizing the heinous crimes committed by their past rulers; thereby developing a narrative that provides post facto justification for it. If that past is successfully reframed as unfortunate but justifiable and largely positive undertaking, men like Menelik would no longer be liabilities but assets whose credit in ‘unifying the country’ could be cashed out by the current generation. Once the war of conquest is turned into a civilizing mission, it  then  would enable Amhara elites transform the discourse from defensive to offensive, attacking their adversaries as ‘ungrateful savages’.  Note the common utterance that goes ‘had it not been for Menelik, you would have remained naked and enslaved by European colonialists’!

The second tactic is to embrace the legacy of the past rulers as a way of turning them into unifying and motivating historical figures for the Amhara base. This is particularly important at a time when the Amhara political community lacks any contemporary unifying figure due to being scattered into countless rival factions. While Menelik can be rebranded as a unifying figure, the rehabilitation of both Hailesialssie and Mengistu would also help to heal the wound caused by the split of the Amhara base in the 1970s in support of or  opposition to the monarchy and the revolution.

As effective as this strategy of rehabilitating past rulers to advance contemporary politics may be, it carries serious risks for the Amhara political agenda. By promoting these past rulers, Amharas will obviously face two problems. Morally, it becomes hard to justify their criticism of Tigrean domination or point out crimes committed by leaders like Meles Zenawi  while glorifying their own. Second, by rehabilitating these rulers, Amhara elites might be benefiting from a unified and energized base, yet  at the same time they further antagonize the rest of the nationalities—consequently facilitating  recreation of a unified opposition to themselves, the type that brought down their past hegemony.

Finally the shift in Amhara politics from the pretension of speaking for others and hiding behind the Ethiopianist mask towards openly advocating their partisan self-interest is an encouraging development.  But they have to seriously think how best to articulate this transformation. No doubt that these past  rulers  could be considered  heroes  in the Amhara community. After all they brought about and sustained  their  socio-economic domination that lasted almost a century and still persists. But they were  also a brutal war criminals who devastated other nations; turning them into a socio economic underclass. Hence using these rulers as  central  heroes of the emerging Amhara nationalism would be scratching old wound and putting the Amhara political community in  perpetual tension with the rest of the peoples in the region.

=>gulelepost

Future Unsure for Repatriated Female Ethiopians

Marthe van der Wolf

ADDIS ABABA — More than 135,000 Ethiopians have been deported from Saudi Arabia as illegal and undocumented workers. The returnees include many women who are unsure about what future awaits them in Ethiopia.

Of the 135,000 deported Ethiopians, 44,000 are women. Most of them worked in Saudi Arabia as domestic workers, earning up to $400 a month. A lot of that money was sent back to their family in Ethiopia. But they will not make half that amount working as domestic workers in Ethiopia.

The massive humanitarian airlift is challenging the Ethiopian government and humanitarian organizations, not only with providing post-arrival humanitarian assistance, but also with future opportunities.

“Now that I returned I can only go back to my family and help them with farming because I only have a little bit of money,” said Genet Said, a returning Ethiopian woman.

“My husband is in prison, so I can't say anything about my future,” said Seada Ayele, another returning Ethiopian woman.

Assisting returnees

After landing in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the returnees are registered, given $47 and sent back to their home region by bus. While some return with luggage and savings, the International Organization of Migration [IOM] says others return empty handed.

“IOM provides also shoes for those who came barefoot. IOM also provides a meal for those who stay at the transit centers. Water and energy biscuits would also be provided,” said Alemaya Seifeselassie with IOM.

Those who arrive in the evening or can’t find their luggage stay overnight in one of the many transit centers set up around the city. Here they are fed and are assisted by the International Rescue Committee, which provides basic necessities, such as dignity kits that include sanitary pads, clean underwear and soap.

“For other needs that women might have, for example, if there are pregnant women, we refer them to the health center. And if there are women who need counseling support, we refer them to the counselors,” said Kidist Mekonnen of the International Rescue Committee.

But after the initial assistance, it is unclear where these women can find support or well-paying jobs.

“When I was abroad, I was the one who was helping my family. But now there is no one to help us,” said Workeh Laila, a returning Ethiopian woman.

Ethiopia’s government is expecting another 30,000 Ethiopians to return from Saudi Arabia within the coming weeks.

voa

IOM facing funds gap in support for Ethiopian returnees from Saudi

December 18, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ethiopia has renewed its appeal to the international community for help in supporting over 100,000 Ethiopian migrants expelled from Saudi Arabia.

Although it has received $ 2.5 million in donations since it made first made the appeal earlier this month, the IOM says it is facing a financial gap of $ 11.2 million to assist the unexpectedly large influx of Ethiopian returnees.

Officials at the ministry of foreign affairs on Wednesday told Sudan Tribune that the number of Ethiopian returnees has reached about 140,000 – nearly a fivefold increase on initial estimates.

IOM is in need of further funds so as to continue provisions of immediate post-arrival humanitarian assistance, including medical and psychological support at airports and sheltering centres.

Arrivals are also provided with food, water, accommodation and a transportation allowance.

“This emergency operation is greatly challenged by the recurrent uncertainties of the number of returning migrants”, IOM representative in Ethiopia Sharon Dimanche said.

“Apart from transportation from the airport to the transit centres, the migrants need medical attention, psychological support, feeding and WASH, onward transport and reintegration back into their communities”, she added.

The IOM official said the funding gap, as well as increased uncertainties over the total number of migrants yet to arrive, to arranging an appropriate assistance mechanism has become a significant challenge.

The Ethiopian Red Cross society (ERCS) has similarly appealed to the Ethiopian diaspora to raise help raise funds to assist the repatriation operation.

The labour crackdown in Saudi Arabia has led to the expulsion of more than one million foreign workers, the majority from African and Asian countries.

The forced deportation against undocumented workers aims to create job opportunities for Saudi citizens as part of the efforts to cut high the unemployment rate among its nationals.

=>sudantribune

Tuttuqqaan Wayyaanee Uumata Itti Heddummaachuun Qabsoo Oromoo Cimsa Malee Hin Laaffisu Jedhu Qeerroon Qellaam Anfilloo

Gabaasa Qeerroo Anifilloo Muddee 18,2013

Sirna bittaa isaa kan gita hin qabne fedha isaa guutachuuf jecha saboota biyyattii jiran irratti humna fayadamee baroota 22 gargaaramee jiraachuun isaa ifa-gala kan tahe,yeroo hedduu irra deddeebiidhaan kan gabaafamu uummanni Oromoo ABOf deggersa jabaa fi hundee qabeessa qaba,Qeerroo ABOtiin hoogganama kan jedhuun Wayyaaneen TPLF yoomiyyuu jala deemtota isaan dhaamsa gahuun hordoffii cimaa jiraachuu isaa yeroodhaa yerootti kan dhaammata jiruudha. Kallattii garagaraatin of jalatti dhuunfachuu yaaluun uummatatti dhiyaachaa jira.

Gama tokkoon miidhaa gama tokkoon waadaa gargaarsaa uummata gowomsuu irratti kan argamu akka madda gabaasaa godina Qeellam Anfilloo irraa irra deddeebiidhaan nu gaha jiruutti kan isaf bitamanii hojjetaa jiranillee gocha isaa balaaleffachuu irratti argamaa jiru jedhu,akka ibsa gabaasichaatti sirna bittaa isaaf kan tolu namoota raayyaadhaan ijaaraa,ganda ganda irratti namoota gurmuu gurmuudhaan walitti hidhaa toohataa jira. Yeroo ammaa mormiin adeemsifama jiru yeroon yeroo itti uummanni aanichaa qabeenyaa bunaa qeetti galfatuudha. Qabeenya galfachuun dura mootummaa ofii gabbaruun dirqiidha kan jedhu maqaadhaaf uummata oromoof kan dhaabbanne ofiin jedhan jaleen mootummaa wayyaanee OPDO uummata irratti labsii kana labsaa akka jirtutu dhagayama,haatau malee uummata aanichaa irratti qabeenya keessan badus baduu baatus dursinee qajeelfamaa fi dirqama mootummaa keenyaa galmaan geenya kan jedhan uummata irratti dirqamaan guyyuudhaan walgayii jedhanii qabeenyaan uummataa gama biraan sarbamaa kanneen miliyoona hedduutti tilmaamu ciramee badaa qabeenyaa isaanii kan falmataniif ammoo hidhaa waggoota 5nii olii itti murteeffamaa osoo jiruu kanuma irratti ammoo uummataan qabeenyaa keessan galfachuun fedhaa fi dirqama mootummaa keenyaa erga raawwannee booda jedhuun labsii yoo labsanillee Muddee 02 irraa kaasee yoo jiraannee fi qabeenyaan keenya yoo sirnaan eegametu mootummaa gabbarra kan jedhan yeroo hedduu Aanaa Anfilloo irratti bakka buanii kanisaaf hojjetanillee gara uummataa tahuudhaan ajajamuu diduu irratti argamanii jiru,godina irraa gara federaalatti gabaasaa gochuun uummanni Aanaa Anfilloo mootummaa ajajamuu diduu fi caasaan qabnullee dirqama kenname galmaaan gahuu dhabuu irraan miseensummaa keessan nutti haa hafu yeroof jiraachuuf jennee jilbeenfachaa turre jedhanii yaada dhiyeessaa jiru, uummata nurratti kan ijaaraa jiru caasama keenya kan kanaan dura nuuf hojjetaa turaniidha jedhuun hanga federaala irraa gara sanatti ergamanii toohannoo fi hordofii akkasuma qorannoon gaggeeffamutti deemaa akka jiran gabaasaan Qeerroo magaalaa Dambi Doollo irraa addeessaa jira.

Dabalata barattoota mana barumsaa gadii irrattis kan xiyyeeffate akkuma manneen barnootaa sadarkaa olaanaa fi yuuniversiti irratti ajandaan miseensummaa dhaabaa guutuu fi guuchisuu irratti xiyyeefatanii jiran miseensa dhaaba keenyaa guutuun dirqama hanga kana hin guunnetti barataa keenyaa fi mana barumsaa mootummaa keessatti barachuuf mirga hin qabu jechuun dorsiisaa jiru,kan miseensa keenya hin taane ifatti miseensa dhaaba ABO ti jedhuun,miseensa ABO tahuun ammo hidhaa waggaa hedduu fi manneen barumsaa irraa ariyuun biyya keessatti mirga jiraachuu dhabuu fi mana barumsaa itti baratu dhabuu dandaa,qabeenyaan isaa illee mootummaaf taa jedhanii hanga kanaatti doorsisaa akka jiran Qeerroon gabaasa. Akka walootti uummanni aanichaa akkasuma caasaan mootummaa wayyaanee uummata oromoof naatoo qaban ,kan gocha mootummaa wayyanee mormaa jiran ilma namaa tuttuqaatu bade,nu tuttuquun keessan umurii keessan gabaabsaa jira,ilmaan oromoo rakkoon isa mudatu yoo baayate dua hin darbu eenyummaa keenyaa fi mirga qabnuuf yoo duunes boruu galata qabna kan jedhutti amananii ija jabinaan doorsisa jiruuf gurra hin ergisinaa jedhanii dhaamsa waliif dabarsaa fi gama diddaa jiru hundaattu wal akeekaa akka jiran maddi gabaasaa kanaa addeessa. Dhimma kanaaf Qeerroon aanaa kana irratti wal arguun ibsa baafatu gabaasaa waliin walitti deebina.

=>qeerroo

Ethiopian migrants return empty handed from Saudi Arabia

A returnee shortly after arriving at the airport in Addis Ababa

 ADDIS ABABA, 18 December 2013 (IRIN) - When Mohamed Yusuf left his home town in Ethiopia for Saudi Arabia a year ago at the age of 17, he thought life would change for the better. Instead, a difficult and unprofitable stay in Saudi Arabia ended when he was among the nearly 137,000 undocumented Ethiopian migrants deported by the Saudi authorities to date. 

 
"At first, I thought I was going to change my life and those of my father and mother, who paid for the whole trip out of their meagre income," said Yusuf, whose father is a farmer in northern Ethiopia. However, the gruelling journey to Saudi Arabia and his stay there had been harrowing experiences, he told IRIN.
 
During the long trek through Ethiopia’s northeastern Afar Desert to Djibouti on the Red Sea, he endured hunger and thirst and had to bury some of his friends, who perished along the way. On reaching Djibouti, he paid smugglers 5,000 Ethiopian Birr (US$261) to take him from Obock, on Djibouti’s northern coast, across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. From there he made his way to Saudi Arabia.
 
The majority of male migrants from Ethiopia follow similar routes when crossing into Saudi and mostly depart from Obock, although many also leave from Somaliland. Female migrants usually enter as domestic workers under Saudi Arabia’s ‘kafala’ (sponsorship) system. 
 
Human rights groups say the system creates conditions for abuse, including rules requiring workers to obtain permission from their employer to change jobs. Those who do so without permission are considered undocumented and were among those rounded up during the government’s crackdown on foreign workers, which started in early November 2013. 
 
Initially, Yusuf found work as a shepherd in a rural area of Saudi Arabia but decided to leave after two months because his employers refused to pay him the 800 Saudi Arabian riyals ($213) they owed him. "One day I decided to quit my job and fled to the city [of Jeddah]. And that was when I got captured by the police and put into prison for five months before coming here like this with many Ethiopians," he told IRIN. 
 
There was no opportunity to earn back the cost of getting there, let alone fulfil his dream of a better life. “I’m confused and do not have any idea what I’m going to do next,” he told IRIN. "One thing is for sure, I will never go back to that country after seeing and hearing what is happening to Ethiopians there."
 
Number of returnees still rising

According to Human Rights Watch and testimony from returnees, during the crackdown, Ethiopian migrant workers were subjected to beatings by Saudi police and citizens that resulted in at least three deaths. 

Another returnee, Kidane Gebre, told IRIN: "After hearing this, my mother will be terrified and waiting for me anxiously. Many people from my home town were victims of this violence."
 
Many of those rounded up were held in makeshift detention centres without adequate food or shelter while they awaited repatriation. 
 
The Ethiopian government initially estimated that some 30,000 undocumented citizens were being detained and would need to be repatriated, but as of 16 December the number of returnees had reached 136,946. Of these, 84,721 were men, 45,157 women and 7,068 children.
 
Up until last week, over 7,000 were arriving every day, but according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number has now slowed to about 1,000 a day. A further 35,000 migrants are still expected, according to IOM.
 

Photo: Anteneh Aklilu/IRIN

Until recently, over 7,000 migrant workers were arriving at the airport daily

Six transit centres have been set up in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to receive the returnees and, with the support of government, IOM has been providing temporary accommodation, meals, medical services and a $50 transportation allowance to help the migrants complete their journey home. The organization launched an appeal on 6 December for $13.1 million to continue addressing their needs, but to date had only raised $1.9 million.

“As the number of returnees increases, the financial gap has further widened,” notes a press briefing from IOM released on 17 December.
 
IOM's Chief of Mission in Ethiopia, Josiah Ogina said the migrants included vulnerable people, such as the victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, and disabled persons. "Many of those detained and returned to Ethiopia arrived in need of medical support," Ogina told international donors in Addis Ababa.
 
'A blessing in disguise'
 
Ethiopian government officials say they are viewing the situation as an opportunity to educate the public about the risks of irregular migration. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dina Mufti, said most of returnees had told interviewers they would not have left the country if they had known more about the treatment of migrant workers in Saudi, and what they would have to endure to get there.
 
"We know that there are people who went there by selling their houses and [those of] their families as well. Despite a lot of sad stories, we consider this as a blessing in disguise, as it could be a lesson for those who want to go there illegally and without proper preparation,” said Mufti. “These migrants have stories to tell on how they moved out, which could help the government to track down traffickers and improve the situation in the future."
 
The number of returning migrants who will need more than just immediate assistance is high, but apart from organizing repatriation flights, the Ethiopian government has no plans to help them in the longer term. Mufti said the government's current focus is on "bringing them to their country and providing them with necessary services such as transportation to their home town".
 
Like other young people, the returnees could benefit from the government’s five-year Growth and Transformation Plan, which aims to stimulate economic growth and create jobs. 
 
"We are creating a lot of job opportunities through Small and Medium Enterprises,” he said. “If we can do more on this, we can definitely absorb those who want to go out [of the country] and help change their lives and [those of] their families as well."
 

=>irinnews