The historic name “Irbu Shiniggaa” remains etched in the collective memory of the Oromo nation. It represents both a painful loss of visionary leaders and the birthplace of a renewed spirit of unity and resistance. The Shiniggaa massacre, where vibrant Oromo leaders were ambushed on their way to Mogadishu, gave rise to an unfiltered, uncompromising, and unyielding Oromo unity—symbolizing an indivisible nation.
Today, the Oromo Liberation Front (ABO-WBO) invokes Irbu Shiniggaa as a battle cry, testing the physical, emotional, and endurance limits of the Oromo people. It represents a prolonged struggle against the Abyssinian system of oppression and exploitation.
The first phase of Irbu Shiniggaa involves the uprooting of the colonial system and replacing it with a government built by the people, for the people, and accountable to the people. This dream of liberation is what drove our young leaders to confront the Somali bandits at Shiniggaa. They stood united, facing death to pave the way for future generations, carrying the banner of a free Oromo nation.
The mission of Irbu Shiniggaa will not end with the final defeat of the colonial regime and the first official flag raising over the national palace. It marks the beginning of a new battle against poverty, the modernization of health and education systems, the upgrading of existing roads, and the construction of new infrastructure, including highways, railroads, and airports throughout Oromia. This will connect us to neighboring sovereign nations such as Sidama, Walayita, Kaffa, Gimira, Gambella, Ogadenia, Somalia, Kenya, and both Sudans.
Irbu Shiniggaa is a long journey towards our nation’s integration into the community of developed industrial nations. It represents the Oromo nation’s commitment to contributing to world peace and supplying goods for human safety. Our nation must remain steadfast and united to achieve the liberation of Oromia.
Author: Jaal Liben Waqo
Editor: Dr. Daniel Dibaba
