W. Hundee Hurrisoo

The roots of my family tree trace back to Warra Jarso in Salaalee, where my great-great-great-great-grandfather, Waaree Obsaa, a Qeerroo at the time, killed one of the Abyssinian invaders camped in his village and had to flee southward to Ada’aa Bargaa. After a long and arduous battle, the fourth generation of my exiled family, Hurriso Boruu, fell into the hands of the invading Menelik nafxanya, and my father was taken to be a bodyguard for Eyasu. Later, Hurriso took his son and fled southward to Arsii, where I was born in 1944.

I grew up as a shepherd for our landlord and, only by chance, attended the Boqojjii elementary school in 1957, completing the eighth grade in 1962. I then joined the Debre Brihan Teacher Training Institute in 1963, graduated in 1966, and taught at Jaarraa and Roobee elementary schools in Balee from 1966 to 1971. In 1971, I enrolled at Haile Selassie I University in Finfinnee, where I found myself immersed in the vast sea of the anti-oppression movement, so to speak. From 1975-1976, I took part in the Derg’s literacy campaign (Idigat Bahibrat) in Walloo.

At the end of 1976, I returned to the University and graduated in 1977, majoring in history with a minor in educational administration. Although I intended to teach at a teacher training institute, none were available then, and I did not want to take up teaching in high schools as a career. I got a chance to work for three months at the Barisaa weekly Oromo Newspaper as a translator and then for another three months.

Later, I was employed by the Ministry of Information, where I served as a page editor and subsequently as a vice editor-in-chief. On January 26, 1980, I received a letter of promotion as an acting editor-in-chief. Two days later, on January 28, I was imprisoned without due process of law until May 23, 1991, a subject extensively covered in my book.

In July 1991, 1 became one of the 12 OLF representatives to the short-lived Council of the House of Representatives of the Transitional Government. Three months later, I traveled to Europe for medical treatment and landed in Germany. In 1993, while still undergoing treatment, the OLF withdrew from the coalition government. Many of my comrades were forced to flee the country, and subsequently, I was granted political asylum in Germany, where I still reside.

From 1994-1996, I worked in the OLF foreign office in Europe in the fields of organization and finance. In May 1996, I participated in a meeting led by Diimaa Naggoo at the OLF office in Washington to form an OLF foreign office committee, and I took responsibility to head intelligence and social affairs, a role that had never existed before.

The intended plan failed due to a power struggle in the leadership. Again, I participated in a conference held in Eritrea in 2001, attended by members of the OLF from all over the world to address issues surrounding the leadership. This conference also failed in the same manner as the project of the OLF foreign office committee five years earlier.

In the decades following the turn of the millennium, when my health allowed, I undertook the role of an Oromo elder, striving to mediate between political factions and encourage dialogue to resolve their differences. This effort culminated in the 2019 political factions’ meetings in Finfinnee, where I actively participated in the discussions aimed at fostering unity.

The conception of my book began almost ten years ago. While there is no joy in recounting such a painful chapter of my life, I found solace in the belief that future generations must understand the brutal realities of the military Derg regime’s oppression. It was this conviction, coupled with the encouragement of my comrades, that ultimately led to the completion of this work.

Despite the relentless torture and the resulting health challenges, both mental and physical, that I endured during my incarceration, I consider myself blessed to have lived a long life.

As I pen this postscript, I am only two months away from my 80th birthday! In line with the Oromo Gadaaa tradition, reaching this age entitles me to the prestigious Gadamoojji status, a revered stage where one withdraws from political involvement entirely.

Before this, I was honored with the Yuuba status, an esteemed position in recognition of life-long contributions. I am deeply humbled to have been acknowledged as an Honoree of Yuuba 2023 held on September 30, 2023, in Washington, DC, USA.

– W. Hundee Hurrisoo, November 2024, Berlin, Germany.