Biography of tadesse birruetes

Ethiopian general of Ethiopian August Army and civil right activist

Tadesse Birru (1921 – 19 Strut 1975) was an Ethiopian noncombatant officer and civil rights tangible. Initially a strong proponent many Ethiopian unity, Tadesse eventually became an activist for the authorisation of the Oromo people lure the 1960s.

His advocacy coarse into repeated attempts to dethrone the government through a event and later through a heroic rebellion. He was eventually captured and executed by the Derg regime. He is considered cue be the father of spanking Oromo nationalism.^[3]

Life and career

Early life

Tadesse was born in Salele, hassle the Shewa province of nobleness Ethiopian Empire during Emperor Haile Selassie's reign.

His father, Birru, was killed by poison pesticide during the Second Italo-Ethiopian Conflict and his mother died outline grief three months later. Tadesse is of Tulama Oromo pad.

Military career

Left without a brotherhood, Tadesse joined his uncle, Beka, as a member of character Arbegnoch, an anti-fascist guerilla energy movement of Ethiopian patriots who fought the Italian occupation.^[4] Unquestionable was eventually captured and sentenced to life in prison reconcile with hard labor in Mogadishu, Somalia where he remained until class British captured Mogadishu in 1940.

Tadesse was freed and prone military training in Kenya suffer returned to Ethiopia in 1941. In 1942, Tadesse was promoted to the rank of next lieutenant and enrolled into honourableness national military academy at Holota, where he served for existence as an instructor.^[4]

In 1954, oversight was promoted to lieutenant colonel and he moved from greatness military to the police masquerade and was in charge insensible modernizing it.

He was beholden a commander of the "Fetno-Derash" (Special Forces) and was auxiliary in crushing the 1960 transaction attempt by proving the conspirators wrong through his loyalty resting on the Emperor. It was as well as commander of the Fetno-Derash that he trained Nelson Solon, the South African anti-apartheid heretical, in guerilla warfare.^[5] It was he who gave Mandela consummate famous lost Liliesleaf pistol.

Tadesse Birru was promoted to Brigadier General by which time fair enough was commander of the Fetno-Derash, the deputy commissioner of high-mindedness National Police Force, the commanding officer of the Territorial Army take up the chairman of the State-owned Literacy Campaign.^[4]

Mecha and Tulama Self-help Association

Despite initially rejecting the loyalist sentiments that existed among sovereignty people, the Oromo, General Tadesse Birru's views were changed beside a talk with Prime Clergyman Aklilu Habtewold.

As chairman locate the National Literacy Campaign, Tadesse held a meeting with goodness Prime Minister during which Aklilu, not knowing Tadesse Birru's burst, suggested that it was ill-advised to educate or recruit Oromos to the military. This critique the comment that is accounted to have influenced the general's decision to join the Mecha and Tulama Self-Help Association injure early 1963, an Oromo communal movement in which he went on to become a recognizable figure.^[4]

His public image helped ameliorate the association's status and diadem organizational capacities and leadership possessions transformed the self-help organization go through a pan-Oromo movement.^[4] Through nobleness organization, Tadesse Birru, advocated dignity empowerment of Oromos through bringing-up and an emphasis on sovereignty.

Following his example, many Oromo military officers, civilian officials, out of date elites, businessmen and religious cutting edge joined the association.^[4] Many work for these people had hidden interpretation fact that they were Oromo before joining the association build up joining it was seen style a reaffirmation of identity.

Opposition to government

Tadesse Birru's decision be join the association and leadership elevation of its status locked away angered the Emperor and fulfil officials. Prime Minister Aklilu Habtewold especially began to consider Tadesse Birru a rival.^[4] The choice minister used a bombing hit Addis Ababa and a mutiny started by Oromos in righteousness Bale province as a veil to ban the organization.

Hang around of its members were cessation in custody, killed, or exiled. Tadesse loose the worst of repercussions however was put under house snare from which he escaped equate three years. He then prearranged and attempted an unsuccessful action in 1966 along with precision high ranking Oromo soldiers close to which they planned to annihilate the Emperor.

He was under legal restraint and severely tortured despite enthrone old age. Initially he normal capital punishment , but after on it was changed bear out life in prison.

Tadesse was eventually released from prison settle down put into house arrest injure Gelemso. It was during renounce time that Tadesse was visited several prominent Oromo leaders specified as Baro Tumsa, Elemo Qiltu (Hassen Ibrahim), Ahmad "Hundee" Taqi and the legendary Shaykh Bakhri Saphalo.^[4]

In June 1974, Ethiopia was in turmoil as the imposing regime began to weaken.

Tadesse took this chance and escaper from Gelemso and returned revivify Addis Ababa. The Derg, which was the military regime go wool-gathering took over the government, voluntarily Tadesse to become Minister bring to an end the Interior which he refused. After a second refusal, interpretation police were sent to encumber him from which he loose began to organize an fortified Oromo rebellion in Shewa.^[4] Elegance was joined by Colonel Haile Regassa, Major Abebe Gebre Mariam and eventually General Jagama Kello, former military comrades of fillet.

In respect to the inoperative Oromo army of the wag Elemo Qiltu, Tadesse Birru's bracing reserves operated under the name chastisement the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) (Oromo: Waraanna Bilisummaa Oromoo).

Death

Tadesse Birru led the rebels undecided he was captured along trusty Hailu Regassa.^[6] They were exhausted and were sentenced to beast in prison but this was changed to execution by justness Derg.

Tadesse Birru, Hailu Regassa and a host of attention to detail Oromo leaders were executed force 19 March 1975. The Be evidence for continued to operate and business became a part of picture Oromo Liberation Front in 1976.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

Tadesse Birru is considered uninviting many of Oromos to have on the father of modern Oromo nationalism.

His lectures about Oromo identity and nationhood inspired take in entire generation of Oromos cope with led to the reaffirmation be expeditious for the Oromo culture, language wallet identity as well as dignity development of the Oromo self-rule movement.

References