Many individuals, journalists, politicians, historians, academicians and leaders from Ethiopia, neighboring countries and from different corners of the world have written about the Oromo nation. This includes its history, politics, ability, values and nature. The time, objectives, nature and fact differs accordingly. The objective of this brief note is not to give an analysis on the subject matter, but rather to summarize an hour presentation of one of the most famous and controversial writer on the issue of the Oromo – Tesfaye Gebreab.
Any ordinary Oromo from Ethiopia can, without difficulty, name two important non-Oromo authors from its neighbors – who have had positive contributions to the history and visibility of the Oromo nation: Professor Asmarom Legesse and Tesfaye Gebreab. Both are Eritreans by birth, but hardly know the effort of one another until recently. The work of Professor Asmarom started almost half a century ago in the Borana region of Oromiya while that of Tesfaye’s started after the fall of the Derg military junta. It is by chance that the professor started his most celebrated research on the Gadaa democracy of the Oromo people, but Tesfaye’s historical and artistic contributions have grown up in and with him in the beautiful city of Bishoftu.
July 30, 2009; Prof. Asmarom Legesse, Chairman and Research Director for the Citizens for Peace in Eritrea (CPE), while lecturing on Society, Culture and Development at the Eritro-German auditorium.
Asmarom Legesse is an anthropologist, Ph.D. Harvard, Emeritus Professor, formerly of Boston and Northwestern Universities and Swarthmore College. He has conducted many years of field research among the Oromo of Ethiopia and Kenya. He is the author of several books, including, Oromo Democracy: An Indigenous African Political System. He also wrote Gada: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society (1973). He is one of the few non-Oromo heroes to the Oromo people. We have dozens of articles, high-level speeches and even songs to honour his outstanding contribution.
Almost three decades later, a young enthusiastic writer Tesfaye Gebreab emerged with his “Yeburqa Zimita,” a semi-historical novel surrounding the reflection and reaction of the Oromo people on the century-old marginalization, discrimination and suppression – which date back to the annexation of the Oromo-land by King Minilik II in the late 1890’s with the advice and logistical support of the then European leaders. The book in general has resulted in at least three opinion groups as far as Ethiopian audiences are concerned. The majority believes he did what he had to do as a responsible author. The second group thinks the book is correct in all aspect, but fear the detailed revelation of the facts might hinder future and continued coexistence. There is also a minority third group that thinks he is a destabilizing agent, commissioned by these who do not like the unity of Ethiopia.
Tesfaye describes himself in almost all opportunities as “Ijollee Bishoftu,” literally to mean the Child of Bishoftu. An Eritrean by birth, but an Oromo by experience and attachment, Tesfaye has developed a strong sense of Oromo value. Bishoftu city, his birth place, is located 47km south of Addis Ababa (Finfinnee), the capital city of the country, in the Oromia National Regional State. Tesfaye has an answer for his critics. He clearly underlines he is not a man to compromise his profession through any attachment or fear. He firmly believes his works are only the products of historical facts, observations of the ongoing Oromo people’s struggle, and channeling of these into his professional commitment and responsibility.
At an Oromo community event organized in Harlem (The Netherlands) on 14th of July 2012, Tesfaye was invited to give a brief presentation of his work and his experience on the Oromo issues. He had also answered several questions from the audience. He specifically started by asking if anyone knew any Amharic literature that had an Oromo main character at its center. After he had observed the deafening silence in the room, he said none had done so, except his book “Ye Burqa Zimita.” That can be one of the reasons that explains the enormous, but contradictory opinions with regards to the book, he believes. Even though many authors had tried to insert Oromo characters in their works, none had the courage to put them at the helm of their efforts. Tesfaye admitted that the time of his writing had also played a great role. He noted famous authors, including the work of Baalu Girma and Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedin. Baalu had named the most beautiful character with a typical Amharic name, Lulit Tadesse, at the center of his book called “Ke Admas Bashager,” in which he later revealed with her real name –Chaltu Tolasa. Lulit’s self-description in the book points to the highly touching fact that, from peer pressure, she has thought her sensational beauty and glamour goes only with the then kings’ language’s name Lulit rather than Chaltu. That is why she calls herself Lulit hiding her identity instilled in Chaltu. Additionally, in his most read book, “Oromay,” Baalu Girma introduced another Oromo character calledTadese Qoricha. Oromay had unfortunately resulted in his murder by the Derg military junta. Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedin had also described the Oromo indivisibility by relating it to the Awash River in his work known by “Awash.” It appears that the author was talking about the river itself, but a closer look reveals that he was referring to the Oromo as a nation, Tesfaye described. Both Baalu and Laureate Tsegaye were thought to be Oromos in one or the other link of their family compositions. The later was heard speaking fluent Afan Oromo on one of his interviews with the VOA Afan Oromo Service.
Tesfaye revealed he was thinking about Leenco Lata while he was framing Anole Waqo as the main character of his book, Ye Burqa Zimita. Leenco, an outspoken veteran Oromo politician, formerly at the center of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), was known in the events leading up to the formation of the Transitional Government of Ethiopian (TGE) in 1991. He has authored several books, and remains a very influential and controversial figure for his role in the OLF joining and leaving of the TGE. He is currently the Chairman of the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF), a party which claims to work for the true federal structure in Ethiopia.
At the Harlem event, Aster Gemeda, a senior OLF official and regarded as a Oromo heroine for her unreserved contribution in the Oromo people’s struggle for the last three decades, described her experience of Ye Burqa Zimita “as the only Amharic novel I have finished reading,” and recommended that Tesfaye be called “Obbo Tesfaye,” the Oromo equal word for “Sir Tesfaye.”
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