Qeerroo

Qeerroo
Also known as	Oromo National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy (NYMFD)
Leader	Jawar Mohammed
Foundation	April 2011
Country	Ethiopia United States Australia
Allegiance	Political allies: Oromo Liberation Front Oromo Federalist Congress[1]
Ideology	Oromo nationalism
Status	Active
Website	qeerroo.org

Ethiopia's National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy, popularly known as Qeerroo, is a social movement organized with ideology of Oromo nationalism in Ethiopia.[2] In traditional Oromo culture the term means "bachelor" or youth[3][4] but within the political movement that shares the same name, it symbolizes the Oromo struggle for increased political freedom, greater ethnic representation in government, "... an entire generation of newly assertive Ethiopian youth,".[5]

Qeerroo street named to remember its struggle in Asella. The government renamed the street while celebrating the 2019 Irreecha festival in Arsi

The BBC has described Qeerroo as being Ethiopia's National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy,[2] which calls itself Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo.[6]

History

The Qeerroo, also known as the Qubee generation,[7] "first emerged in 1991 with the participation of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in the transitional government of Ethiopia."[8] Qeerroos also played a key role in the 2016 Oromo Protests.[9] Jawar Mohammed, a Qeerroo,[10] played a key role in founding the NYMFD.[2]

The Qeerroo movement inspired many marginalized ethnic to create their own youth movement. Some of youth movements are Ejjetto, Barbaarta and Zarma. Both the Somali youth Barbaarta demand to end Abdi Illey's Presidency and the Sidama youth Ejjatto demand to statehood of Sidama succeeded.[11][12][13] They staged nationwide protest rallies in July 2020 following the assassination of Oromo singer, Hacaaluu Hundeessaa.[5][9]

References

1. "I did it for Oromo: Jawar Mohammed explains decision to join Ethiopia opposition party". africanews.com.
2. "How did US and Ethiopia become so close?". BBC News. 8 April 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31 – via bbc.co.uk.
3. "Violence during Ethiopian protests was ethnically and religiously tinged, say eyewitnesses". Reuters. 26 October 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31 – via reuters.com.
4. "Ethiopia: Youth gather at Jawar Mohammed's house to show support". Al Jazeera. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31 – via aljazeera.com.
5. Gardner, Tom (13 March 2018). "'Freedom!': the mysterious movement that brought Ethiopia to a standstill". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31 – via theguardian.com.
6. "Qeerroo". qeerroo.org. Archived from the original on 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
7. Why Ethiopia’s 'alphabet generation' feel betrayed by Abiy, 19 June 2021
8. Jalata, Asafa (14 August 2016). "Why the Oromo protests mark a change in Ethiopia's political landscape". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
9. Peralta, Eyder (6 December 2018). "How An Exiled Activist In Minnesota Helped Spur Big Political Changes In Ethiopia". NPR. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31 – via npr.org.
10. Gardner, Tom (20 August 2018). "Jawar Mohammed's red-carpet return signals Ethiopia's political sea change". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31 – via theguardian.com.
11. "Ethiopia's Sidama vote for new federal region: Electoral board". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2019-12-09 – via aljazeera.com.
12. Zelalem, Zecharias (1 June 2018). "The Rise of the Barbaarta: Somali protesters demand an end to Abdi Illey's reign of terror". OPride. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
13. Mulugeta, Melat (15 March 2019). "Ejjetto calls for workers strike in Hawassa". Mereja. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019 – via mereja.com.