Geresu Duki’s hometown Waliso had been the epicenter of the Oromo Protests in December 2015. The following is the story of Dej. Geresu Duki …
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Geresu Duki (Garasuu Dhukii) was born in Waliso, in the National Regional State of Oromia in Ethiopia, around 1905; his father was ObboDhukii Gulummaa, and his mother Aaddee Warqee Elemoo. Growing up in the Maru locality in Waliso, Geresu Duki was known by the nickname Abbaa Booraa.
Dej. Garasuu Dhukii Gulummaa
By his early thirties, Fit. Geresu Duki became one of the army leaders of the resistance movement against the Italian Fascist colonial regime, which occupied all of Ethiopia, including Oromia, between 1936 and 1941. The Italian Fascist colonial regime converted all the people in Ethiopia to the class of subjects (i.e. second-class citizens) on their own country with the Fascist Italian colonial rulers as the first-class citizens, i.e. those citizens with real political and socio-economic power. All native farmers were subject to be evicted from their land at any time, and the land would then be given to Italian colonial plantation owners to grow coffee and other cash crops; other Italian colonial rulers went on to build factories, luxury homes and shops (such as the ones in areas known as Piaza and Kassanchis in Finfinne/Addis) on their newly acquired land. At the expense of the natives, they showed roads, luxury houses and factories, all owned by the Italian colonial rulers, as their contributions to drive darkness (i.e. poverty and backwardness) out of the dark continent.
During the five-year occupation of Ethiopia by the Fascist colonial regime, any Italian supporter of the colonial regime could go to any part of Oromia (and any other part of Ethiopia) and claim any land of the natives (who had been made subjects) for their own; any native (such as Oromo, Amhara, Sidama, etc.) who opposed the Italian colonial regime’s eviction was shot dead or thrown to prison. Those who protested these unfair living conditions were taken to the streets and murdered summarily in public, or were taken to remote prisons to languish and die. Another Oromo hero Major Abdisa Aga was one of those protesters in Ethiopia who refused to accept the Italian colonial system, and later got caught – he was taken to Mogadishu (then under the Italian colonial rule) and then to Europe. His fight to get his freedom back from the colonial grip exemplifies valor for all mankind.
Tefera Geresu Dhuki, 15-year-old son of Geresu Duki
It was this Fascist colonial regime, that was armed to its teeth with the latest modern weapons of that era, that the ragtag Oromo army of Fit. Geresu Duki fought against in the trenches, on the hills and meadows of the Waliso-Jimma corridor in Oromia as well as in the Omo region in the Southern State in Ethiopia – in cooperation with the British/Allies’ forces in East Africa. At the height of the war against the Fascist colonialism, Fit. Geresu Duki was able to mobilize an army of 55,000 Oromo men and women, including his own son, Tefera Geresu Duki (aged around 15 at the time), to liberate the region spanning from Waliso to Jimma in Oromia, and to the Omo region in Southern State in Ethiopia.
Soon after the completion of the war against the Fascist colonial regime in 1941; however, Dej. Geresu Duki’s decorated and heroic war achievements were found to be threats to the political power of the then imperial regime of Ethiopia. Because of this, Dej. Geresu Duki was banished to remote corners of the country – he spent his years humiliated on the land he helped liberate from Fascist colonialism. He finally died of a suspected poisoning case while he was under house arrest in Adama in the mid 1960’s. In those days, many heroes and heroines were denied recognition for their achievements during the war against the Fascist colonial rule due to the fear of their political influences against the then imperial rule; some like Dej. Geresu Duki were banished and lived the rest of their lives humiliated; others like Dej. Belai Zelleqe of Gojjam were executed summarily.
The following is an Afan Oromo biography of Dej. Geresu Duki.
Garasuu Dhukii (Abbaa Booraa)
In magnificent silhouette, Dej. Geresu Duki watches his army cross the Omo river into Italian territory (circa 1936-1941)
Garasuu Dhukii abbaa isaa Obbo Dhukii Gulummaafi haadha isaa Aaddee Warqee Elemoorraa Caamsaa 27, 1905 dhalate. Bakki dhaloota isaas karaa Jimmaarraa magaalaa Walisoo cinaatti kan argamu naannoo Maaruu jedhamutti. Garasuun umrii isaa ijoollummaatti barumsa isaafi jireenya hawaasummaa kanneen birootiin baay’ee cimaa, walii galteerrattis mudaa kan hinqabne waan ta’eef, namoota hunda biratti jaallatamaa ture.
Tapha Garasuun jaallatu keessaa inni guddaan fardaan gulufuudha. Akkuma ijoollee abbaa lafaa naannoo Maaruu, ogummaa fardaan gulufuu, gaachana qolachuu, eeboo darbachuufi, adamoo shaakalaa ture. Abbaa isaa duukaa waltajjii adda addaarratti argamuun akkaataa dubbii barachaa hojiirra oolchuun hunda durse. Ija jabinaafi cimina isaa kanarraa kan ka’e, bifa farda inni yeroo hundaa gulufisiisuu jaallatuun namootaafi hiriyoota isaatiin umrii waggaa kudhanitti maqaan masoo, ‘Abbaa Booraa’ jedhu kennameef. Yeroo dirree waraanaa ture farda adii yaabbatullee, maqaa dhuma kanaan hamma lubbuun isaa dabartutti waamamaa ture. Yeroo tokko mootii Haayile-Sillaaseefi haati warraa isaa giiftii Manan bishaan ho’aa lafa keessaa burqu, isa Walisoo daawwachuuf yeroo deemanitti Garasuun farda isaatiin dura, duraa gulufuun karaa agarsiisaa turuurra darbee uummataafi mooticha duratti ba’uun waa’ee naannichaa haasawaa qalbii namaa hawwatuufi ogummaan guutame taasise. Martuu itti gammadee, ‘Ijarraa hafi; guddadhu,’ jedheen. Ogummaafi ciminni akkasumas, ijajabinni isaa qalbii mootiifi giiftii seenee, faara tolaan akka ilaalamu taasise. Loltummaanis waggoota torbaaf erga tajaajilee booda jabinaafi amanamummaa isaatiin filatamee itti dhiyeenyaan mooticha akka tajaajilu taasifame. Waggoota muraasaaf mootii erga tajaajilee booda, eeyyama mootiitiin loltoota ilma isaanii Asfaawasanitti makame.
Garasuun loltoota Asfaawasan waliin gara Walloo deemuun achirraas Ambaalaagee kan jiran loltoota Raas Kaasaatti dabalamuun Xaaliyaaniitti duulan. Lola bakka Tamben jedhamtu kan Tigiraayi keessaa jirturratti si’a lama geggeeffameefi kan Maayicawurratti (RAAYYAA) geggeeffame keessaatti loltuu diinaa madfifi matarayasii, qilleensarraan ammoo, xiyyaaraan gaasii summii facaasuun lolu jala dhaabachuu waan dadhabaniif kaan dhumanii kaan booji’amanii, kaan ammoo baqatanii lubbuun harkaa ba’anii gara Wallootti deebi’uun karaa Warraa Iluu Finfinnee galan. Haala kana keessatti cimina geggeessummaa isaarraan kan ka’e loltoonni Garasuu dursaa turan.
Kumaalaa Garasuun erga Finfinneetti deebi’ees, osoo wal’aansoofi dadhabbii lolichaa hinjiilin kutannoofi jaalala biyya isaatiif qaburraa kan ka’e, naannoo dhaloota isaa Maaruutti deebi’uun hojii gootummaa itti fufuuf murteesse. Yeroo kana mootii Haayile-Sillaaseen hooggantoota waraanaa hedduu waliin biyya Ingiliziitti baqatan. Kaan ammoo, Xaaliyaaniitti harka kennaan; Gariinis nibooji’aman; kaan ammoo nidhuman. Kun marti Garasuufi gootota muraasa jilbeemfachiisuu hindandeenye. Waggoota shaniif yeroo Xaaliyaaniin biyyicha bulchaa turte keessatti loltuu qopheeffate waliin riphee loluun diina bahaagala dhowwaa ture. Kallattiinis ba’uun diina humna lafoofi qilleensaatiin lolu mo’achaa loltoota hedduu booji’aa, barbadeessaa, kanneen jalaa booji’aman deebifachaa qabsoo hidhannoofi hojii gootummaa itti fufe.
Tefera Geresu Dhuki, 15-year-old son of Geresu Duki
Geggeessitoonni Xaaliyaaniifi baandaan sodaatanii si’a hedduu araaraaf jaarsa erganillee Garasuun gargaarsa uummataafi onnee waan qabuuf shiraafi kiyyoo isaaniitiin qabamuu hindandeenye. Roorrisaan, kan biyya abbaa qabu gabroomfate, baandaan biyya isaa saamsisuun Orma jala kaatu ramacii caalaa isaa gube. Keessummaa uummanni Itoopihyaa Xaaliyaanotaan Finfinneerratti mulluu ta’e ija duraa baduu dide. Guyyaa tokkollee osoo miilla isaarra rasaasaan rukutamee loltoonni harkaa dhumanii kanneen hafan ammoo diina duratti isa gatanii deemanitti, akkas jechuun yaadannoo isaa barreesse. “Ani Garasuudha; hojii koos xumureera; du’us giroo koo miti; kan na yaaddessu garuu Finfinneen bakki ummanni koo irratti dhume bilisa baatee osoo hinargin du’uu kooti,” jedhuun ture.
Haa ta’u malee yeroo marfame sanatti du’a oolee diinoota harkaa ba’uun madaan isaa fayyee loltoota abdii kutuun faca’an walitti qabuun amma dhumaatti lole. Dhumni hojii gootummaa Garasuus lola Jimmarratti Xaaliyaanii waliin geggeeffamedha. Garasuun loltoota diinaa kan jimmaarra buufatan marsuun yaadesse. Loltoota Garasuun hoogganuun marfamuu cinaatti oduun gara biyyaatti deebi’uu mootii Haayile-Sillaaseefi gargaarsi Ingilizootaa waan dhaga’ameef, dhangala’uu dhiigaa malee loltoonni Xaaliyaanii warri naannichaa akka harka kennan taasisee, kutaa biyyaa hunda kanneen qabatanis lakkisanii kaan dhumanii kaanis baqatanii ba’uun Itoophiyaan injifannoo argatte. Kumaalaa Garasuunis, Haayile-Sillaaseefi uummata Itoophiyaa biratti gootummaafi tooftaa lolaa isaaniitiin hundaa olitti dinqisiifatame. Kanarraan kan ka’e, waamicha mootiirraa taasiifameen loltuu isaa Shawaa Lixaa kan qabsoo finiinsaa tureefi, Jimmaan kan bilisa baase mara dhiisee Finfinnee deeme. “Marti namaa ajajaa waraanaa biyyatti ta’a,” jedhee erga innis akkanatti of beeka ture; hojjiin isaas kanaa gadi miti. Mootiin garuu “Biyya Oromoo fudhachuun olaantummaa na dhabsiisa,” jechuun waan shakkeef, bulchaa konyaa Caboofi Guraagee taasisuun mudde.
Barri jireenya Garasuu gabaabbachaa deemte. Jabinaafi gootummaan kan harkaa ba’uu hindandeenyetu itti aggaame. Osuma itti gaafatamummaa isaa ba’aa jiruu soorama ba’uufi dhukubsachuun Garasuu firoottan isaafi uummata isaa yaaddesse. Dhukkuba isaa kana ogeeyyiin biyya keessaa waan dadhabaniif, qabeenyaan isaa hundi gurguramee mucaan isaan Kumaalaa Tafarraa Garasuu biyya Ingiliziitti geessee akka yaalchisu ta’e. Achittiis fayyuu akka hindandeenye waan hubataniif gara biyyatti deebi’uun du’aan wal’aansoo qabuu eegale. Dhukkubni kaanseerii inni ittiin qabame daran itti cimee Waxabajjii 6, 1966 lubbuun isaa dabarte. Seenaan goota Oromoo Kumaalaa Garasuu Dhukii Gulummaa, Maaruutti jalqabee achumatti xumurame.
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