Oromo Witness

Oromo Witness tells the astonishing tale of Hangasu Wako Lugo, from his home in Ethiopia to his fight for his people's freedom and, finally, to America. Twin Cities debut author, Abdul Dire, Hangasu's nephew, takes readers on a journey of survival, resistance, triumph, internal conflict, and wisdom. Along the way, the reader will learn about the history and culture of the Oromo people and their struggle for the opportunity to determine their own destiny on their own land.

During the Bale Revolt, 1963 – 1970, Ethiopia descended into civil war as the Oromo people fought for self-determination and liberty. Throughout the conflict, Hangasu was there. He sat at the side of his father, Wako Lugo, from battlefield to negotiating table. He met—and argued with—Emperor Haile Selassie. He was imprisoned in one of the harshest Somali prisons. He accompanied a military expedition in which he saved a general's life. In the 1990s, after the communist regime was toppled, he ran for a House seat representing his home district. And finally, in 2000, he found a new life in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.