Qeerroo | |
---|---|
Also known as | Oromo National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy (ONYMFD) |
Leader | Jawar Mohammed |
Foundation | April 2011 |
Country | |
Allegiance | Political allies: |
Ideology | Oromo nationalism |
Status | Active |
Website | qeerroo |
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]
The BBC has described Qeerroo as being Ethiopia's National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy, [2] which calls itself Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo. [6]
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 2014–2016 Oromo protests. [9] Jawar Mohammed, a qeerroo, [10] played a key role in founding the ONYMFD. [2]
The Qeerroo movement inspired many marginalized ethnic to create youth movements, such as Ejjetto, Barbaarta and Zarma. The Somali Barbaarta's demand to end Abdi Illey's presidency of the Somali Region and the Sidama Ejjatto's demand of statehood for the Sidama Region succeeded. [11] [12] [13] They staged nationwide protest rallies in July 2020 following the assassination of Oromo musician Hachalu Hundessa. [5] [9]