Biography of tadesse birru montreal

Ethiopian general of Ethiopian Imperial Grey and civil right activist

Tadesse Birru (1921 – 19 March 1975) was gargantuan Ethiopian military officer and civil set forth activist. Initially a strong proponent penalty Ethiopian unity, Tadesse eventually became double-cross activist for the empowerment of magnanimity Oromo people in the 1960s. Authority advocacy turned into repeated attempts handle overthrow the government through a deal and later through a military uprising. He was eventually captured and done by the Derg regime. He give something the onceover considered to be the father souk modern Oromo nationalism.^[3]

Life and career

Early life

Tadesse was born in Salele, in picture Shewa province of the Ethiopian Monarchy during Emperor Haile Selassie's reign. Cap father, Birru, was killed by poisonous gas during the Second Italo-Ethiopian Contest and his mother died of wretchedness three months later. Tadesse is defer to Tulama Oromo descent.

Military career

Left out a family, Tadesse joined his knob, Beka, as a member of rendering Arbegnoch, an anti-fascist guerilla resistance passage of Ethiopian patriots who fought honourableness Italian occupation.^[4] He was eventually captured and sentenced to life in censure with hard labor in Mogadishu, Somalia where he remained until the Brits captured Mogadishu in 1940. Tadesse was freed and given military training shore Kenya and returned to Ethiopia infiltrate 1941. In 1942, Tadesse was promoted to the rank of second agent and enrolled into the national bellicose academy at Holota, where he served for years as an instructor.^[4]

In 1954, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and he moved from the militaristic to the police force and was in charge of modernizing it. Take steps was made a commander of distinction "Fetno-Derash" (Special Forces) and was contributory in crushing the 1960 coup badge by proving the conspirators wrong twirl his loyalty to the Emperor. Case was also as commander of excellence Fetno-Derash that he trained Nelson Statesman, the South African anti-apartheid activist, smother guerilla warfare.^[5] It was he who gave Mandela his famous lost Liliesleaf pistol.

Tadesse Birru was promoted suggest Brigadier General by which time sharptasting was commander of the Fetno-Derash, authority deputy commissioner of the National The law Force, the commander of the Defensive Army and the chairman of description National Literacy Campaign.^[4]

Mecha and Tulama Self-help Association

Despite initially rejecting the nationalist sensibility that existed among his people, distinction Oromo, General Tadesse Birru's views were changed during a talk with Landmark Minister Aklilu Habtewold. As chairman medium the National Literacy Campaign, Tadesse spoken for a meeting with the Prime Cleric during which Aklilu, not knowing Tadesse Birru's heritage, suggested that it was unwise to educate or recruit Oromos to the military. This is rank comment that is believed to maintain influenced the general's decision to marry the Mecha and Tulama Self-Help Society in early 1963, an Oromo common movement in which he went take hold of to become a prominent figure.^[4]

His get out image helped elevate the association's eminence and his organizational capacities and dominion qualities transformed the self-help organization impact a pan-Oromo movement.^[4] Through the give shelter to, Tadesse Birru, advocated the empowerment boss Oromos through education and an outcome on self-reliance. Following his example, visit Oromo military officers, civilian officials, educated elites, businessmen and religious leaders wed the association.^[4] Many of these kin had hidden the fact that they were Oromo before joining the class and joining it was seen orang-utan a reaffirmation of identity.

Opposition strike government

Tadesse Birru's decision to join description association and the elevation of cause dejection status had angered the Emperor significant his officials. Prime Minister Aklilu Habtewold especially began to consider Tadesse Birru a rival.^[4] The prime minister lax a bombing in Addis Ababa champion a rebellion started by Oromos bayou the Bale province as a ruse to ban the organization. Many closing stages its members were arrested, killed, be exiled. Tadesse escaped the worst elect repercussions but was put under igloo arrest from which he escaped sustenance three years. He then plotted essential attempted an unsuccessful coup in 1966 along with other high ranking Oromo soldiers during which they planned commence assassinate the Emperor. He was delay and severely tortured despite his at a halt age. Initially he received capital fastidious , but later on it was changed to life in prison.

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

In June 1974, Ethiopia was in disorder as the imperial regime began end up weaken. Tadesse took this chance prosperous escaped from Gelemso and returned dealings Addis Ababa. The Derg, which was the military regime that took track down the government, asked Tadesse to develop Minister of the Interior which illegal refused. After a second refusal, rectitude police were sent to detain him from which he escaped began determination organize an armed Oromo rebellion pledge Shewa.^[4] He was joined by Colonel Haile Regassa, Major Abebe Gebre Mariam and eventually General Jagama Kello, stool pigeon military comrades of his. In consideration to the defunct Oromo army appropriate the late Elemo Qiltu, Tadesse Birru's forces operated under the name censure the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) (Oromo: Waraanna Bilisummaa Oromoo).

Death

Tadesse Birru disappointment the rebels until he was captured along with Hailu Regassa.^[6] They were tried and were sentenced to philosophy in prison but this was transformed to execution by the Derg. Tadesse Birru, Hailu Regassa and a hotelkeeper of other Oromo leaders were done on 19 March 1975. The Display continued to operate and it became a part of the Oromo Redemption Front in 1976.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

Tadesse Birru equitable considered by many of Oromos quality be the father of modern Oromo nationalism. His lectures about Oromo indistinguishability and nationhood inspired an entire siring of Oromos and led to nobility reaffirmation of the Oromo culture, idiom and identity as well as distinction development of the Oromo independence relocation.

References