The Selale community, a subgroup of the Tulama Oromo in North Shawa Zone, Oromia, held a traditional prayer calling for peace on Sunday as violence in the area reaches unprecedented levels.
Clashes between government forces, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), and Fano militants from the neighboring Amhara Region have ravaged the zone for the past four years.
Named “Crying to God for Reconciliation,” the prayer was led collectively in various parts of the zone affected by the security crisis.
Fayitu Wadajo, a Haadha Siinqee (female traditional governor) who helped organize the prayer, told VOA, “People’s houses have been burned, affluent individuals are kidnapped for ransom, and schools and hospitals have been destroyed. The situation in our community is unprecedented; we have never experienced anything like this before. We have no place to turn for solutions except to Waaqa.”
Haadha Siinqee Fayitu further added that it’s difficult to tell which side is committing these crimes amid a conflict between two brothers, but stressed that the community is suffering immensely.
Another elder from Kuyu district, who helped organize the event but declined to disclose his identity, told the BBC, “Selale once had a good reputation. Our ancestors played a significant role in defending the Oromo nation during its struggle for freedom. Today, the opposite is true; there is no love among the people. Our people are not only killing each other, but even the dead are not being buried. The society is being uprooted, and people are suffering.”
Shimallis Tafa, an expert from the North Shawa Culture and Tourism Office, said the traditional prayer was intended to express the community’s suffering and seek divine intervention. “The community’s actions reflect the depth of their crisis. This tradition is held when a society faces a problem beyond its capacity,” Tafa said.
For the past four years, districts in North Shewa, including Kuyyu, Dagam, Hindabu Abote, Warra Jarso, Girar Jarso, Darraa, and Gullalle Yayya, have been severely affected by the ongoing security crisis. As many residents flee due to safety concerns, economic activity has slowed in key cities like Garba Gurracha. Traveling on the main road from Finfinnee to the Amhara region remains dangerous due to frequent armed attacks and kidnappings.