Over the last several weeks, more than 100 people have been killed in the border crisis between Oromia and the Ethiopian Somali region in eastern Ethiopia; and more than 50,000 have been displaced from their homes, according to the latest news reports.
Oromo and Ethiopian-Somali human rights activists accuse the Ethiopian Federal Government, which is dominated by members of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), of instigating and fueling the border crisis using proxy regional leaders.
As in many other conflicts, victims of the atrocities in eastern Ethiopia are faceless – they are numbers in news reports – they are statistics the TPLF-dominated Ethiopian Federal Government and the opposition (and human rights activists) fight over; in short, the victims are completely devoid of their humanity – which is a greater atrocity on itself. Over the last few days, however, one face, one woman – one human – has become a representation of the victims who are being subjected to the despicable crimes against humanity in eastern Ethiopia.
When she was evicted from home in eastern Oromia (like the other more than 50,000 people) due to the crisis, she became separated from her four children, and she could only take her little child with her and run for survival – first riding on a car, which was attacked, then walking for hours to a safe location. Upon arrival, her youngest child died. She still does not know the whereabouts of her other children. In the photo below, she’s seen crying while holding her child. Since the release of the photo by Oromia Media Network (OMN) on September 18, 2017, the photo has become the face of the victims of the deplorable crimes, which are being committed against innocent citizens in eastern Ethiopia. She has become the face of the “UNITE & HELP” campaign that is seeking to unite Oromo and Ethio-Somali communities and help the victims. Artists have also drawn graphics and written poems to share and alleviate her pain — the pain she’s feeling as a displaced person – as a mother who’s lost her children – as an Oromo who’s lost her freedom in her homeland (some are shared below).
Graphic Art (the photos inside are those of the other victims):
Poems in Afaan Oromoo:
#1
AKKAS JETTE HARMEEN
Nama moo waaqumaa?
Nama moo waaqumaa
Inni na boochise?
Galgalaa ganama
Imimmaan lolaasee.
Kophaa kiyya hafee
Ilmaan koo harcaasee.
Kuun rasaasan dhume
Kaan biyyaa facaasee.
Booyi yaa garaa koo
Carraat si boochisee.
Ilmaan koo garaa koo
Kan du’aan wal ganne.
Jaannata keessatti
Akka wal hin dhabne.
Haqa keenyaf dhumtan
Waan shakkii hin qabne.
Nagaan naaf boqadhaa
Bakka aduu hin qabne .
Ilmaan koo firii too
Tan narraa dhabmte.
Osoo diina dheettu
Karaatti rakkattee.
Kan harka diinatiin
Narraa dararamtes.
Isinumaan onneen
tiyya na raafamtee.
isiniif rarraati
Kaan du’aan sabbartee.
yaa rabbii yaa mootii
Kan waa hin dadhabne.
Ijaan nu garsiisi
Warra jiraa dhabne.
Ilmaan koo tiruu koo
Warri lubbuun jirtan
Warri oromiyaa
keessatti argamtan.
Ilmaan koo faca’an
Akka naaf barbaaddan.
Warra diinni fixe
Akka gumaa baaftan.
Bu’aa qabsoo jaraas
akka galmaan geettan.
Isinitti dhaama
an harmee teessanii.
Rabbi haa dhaabbatu
Cinaacha keessanii.
Quba wal qabaadhaa
bakkuma jirtanii.
Alaafi keessalleen
Gaaritti jirtanii.
Waa na gammachiise
gumaachi keessanii.
Gaaf tokko nimootu
Akkatti hin haftanii.
Halagaan hin nyaatu
Lafa abbaa keessanii.
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#2
MIMMAAN KEE SIIF HAQA
Ani haa booyu aayyoo too
Haadha gootaa haadha dhiiraa
Dhallii kee siif hadoodee
Siif jira siif hiriiraa
Duras hiyyummaa mitii
Kan biyya ollaa si geesse
Diinatu si buqqisee
Miila kee si fageesse
Hin booyin yaa haadha koo
Naaf obsi ni bariitii
Madaa kee ni fayyisaa
Guduunfadhu mee icciitii
Garaan kan kee midhaan dhabee
Qaamni kee uffata daaree
Imimmaan kan kee ilaalee
Garaan koo gubatee naa aaree
Miilli kan kee kophee dhabee
Gufuuf qoreen dhiigsaa oolaa
Guyyaa gaddaa kunis darbee
Hin shakkinu nuufis tolaa
Ni tarti Barri dukkanaa
Ifuufii akkanatti dimimmisaa
Gadadoof rakkinna dhundhumee
Ijji kee imimmaan si dhimphisaa
Ijji kee imimmaan lolaaaftee
Fuulli kee aariin gubatee
Rakkinna kan kee kana argee
Eenyutu hadoodee siif hubatee
Ilma kee dhalte dhabduuyyuu
Oromoo miiliyoona qabdaa of duubaa
Dagalee keetiin jirraa haadhoo too
Maaliif yaadaan sammuu cabdaa?
Usmaan Waariyoo Haaban
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#3
Hin booyin ayyoo koo
Naaf daaki galaakoo
Booji’eetan galaa diina aayyoo tiyyaa
Hin boo’in iyyadhu iyyi iyyi iyyaa
Dinni si fonqolchee
Lammiin si tottolchee
Mana siif ijaaree galaa sii guduunfee
Diina si fo qolchee kinoo fuffunuunsee
Hin boo’iin kaa ayyoo
Qacaleen Oromoo sitti horte kaayyoo
Hin boo’iin aayyoo koo ka’ii galaa daaki
Akka qeerransoon kee diina kee hongeessee balleessu
Ilmaan kee faca’an funaanee deebisu
……………………………….
Hin boo’in deesse koo
Ka’i galaa daaki
B.J midnight Karra Qaalluu
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#4
IMIMMAAN NARRAA HAQAA…!
————————————————–
Anis akkuma namaa
Jiruu qabaa kaleessa
Ormatti hamtuu hin yaadnee
Diinni maaf nu ajjeesaa ?
Qabeenya nu saamanii
Keessaa nu baasan qullaa
Harka namaa hin ilaalluu
Hojjanneet’ dafqaan bullaa
Oromoo ta’uu kiyyaan
Kophatti na baasaanii
Ilmaan dayee guddise
Na harkaa facasani
Malli na harkaa badee
Daggalatti hafee kophaa
Bitaaf mirga ilaalee
Dhala koo dhabeen booyaa
Hirqiffadhee maraadhee
Ijji imimmaan toowaa
Qofaan taa’ee dhundhumaa
Waaqatti harka laadhee
Ati obsa naaf kenni
Yaa rabbi si kadhadhe !
Ilmaan koo jiruun dhabee
Badee eessuman dhaqaa ?
Lammii koo sittan dheeysee
Imimmaan narraa haqaa !
Fulb.19/2017
Osman Bayu tiin.
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