Qeerroo
{{Short description|Oromo-led social movement in Ethiopia}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name = Qeerroo
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| other_name = Oromo National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy (ONYMFD)
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| leader = Jawar Mohammed
| foundation = April 2011
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| ideology = Oromo nationalism
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| status = Active
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| website = {{URL|https://qeerroo.org/}}
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|preceded by=|image=|allegiance=Political allies:
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Oromo Liberation Front.svg}} Oromo Liberation Front
- Oromo Federalist Congress{{cite news|url=https://www.africanews.com/2020/01/02/i-did-it-for-oromo-jawar-mohammed-explains-decision-to-join-ethiopia-opposition/|title=I did it for Oromo: Jawar Mohammed explains decision to join Ethiopia opposition party|website=africanews.com}}
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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.{{cite news|access-date=2019-10-31|title=How did US and Ethiopia become so close?|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47203691|date=8 April 2019|newspaper=BBC News|via=bbc.co.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503105058/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47203691|archive-date=3 May 2019|url-status=live}} In traditional Oromo culture the term means "bachelor" or youth{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-politics-idUSKBN1X50BC|title=Violence during Ethiopian protests was ethnically and religiously tinged, say eyewitnesses|date=26 October 2019|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-10-31|via=reuters.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026235510/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-politics-idUSKBN1X50BC|archive-date=26 October 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/ethiopia-youth-gather-jawar-mohammed-house-show-support-191023135139619.html|title=Ethiopia: Youth gather at Jawar Mohammed's house to show support|newspaper=Al Jazeera|via=aljazeera.com|access-date=2019-10-31|date=24 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030051057/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/ethiopia-youth-gather-jawar-mohammed-house-show-support-191023135139619.html|archive-date=30 October 2019|url-status=live}} 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,".
File:Daandii qeerroo (Qeerroo Street).jpg.
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,{{cite news|access-date=2019-10-31|title=How did US and Ethiopia become so close?|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47203691|date=8 April 2019|newspaper=BBC News|via=bbc.co.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503105058/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47203691|archive-date=3 May 2019|url-status=live}} which calls itself Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo.{{cite web|access-date=2019-10-31|title=Qeerroo|url=https://qeerroo.org/|website=qeerroo.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905004229/https://qeerroo.org/|archive-date=2019-09-05|url-status=live}}
History
The Qeerroo, also known as the Qubee generation,{{citation|title=Why Ethiopia’s 'alphabet generation' feel betrayed by Abiy|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57524513|date=19 June 2021}} "first emerged in 1991 with the participation of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in the transitional government of Ethiopia."{{cite web|first1=Asafa|last1=Jalata|access-date=2019-10-31|title=Why the Oromo protests mark a change in Ethiopia's political landscape|url=http://theconversation.com/why-the-oromo-protests-mark-a-change-in-ethiopias-political-landscape-63779|date=14 August 2016|website=The Conversation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030191632/http://theconversation.com/why-the-oromo-protests-mark-a-change-in-ethiopias-political-landscape-63779|archive-date=30 October 2019|url-status=live}} Qeerroos also played a key role in the 2014–2016 Oromo protests.{{cite news|first=Eyder|last=Peralta|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/06/672196480/how-an-exiled-activist-in-minnesota-helped-spur-big-political-changes-in-ethiopi|title=How An Exiled Activist In Minnesota Helped Spur Big Political Changes In Ethiopia|newspaper=NPR|via=npr.org|access-date=2019-10-31|date=6 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029132121/https://www.npr.org/2018/12/06/672196480/how-an-exiled-activist-in-minnesota-helped-spur-big-political-changes-in-ethiopi|archive-date=29 October 2019|url-status=live}} Jawar Mohammed, a qeerroo,{{cite news|first1=Tom|last1=Gardner|access-date=2019-10-31|title=Jawar Mohammed's red-carpet return signals Ethiopia's political sea change|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/aug/20/jawar-mohammed-return-ethiopia-political-change-oromo|newspaper=The Guardian|date=20 August 2018|issn=0261-3077|via=theguardian.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030141639/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/aug/20/jawar-mohammed-return-ethiopia-political-change-oromo|archive-date=30 October 2019|url-status=live}} played a key role in founding the ONYMFD.
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.{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/ethiopia-sidama-vote-federal-region-electoral-board-191123150618999.html |title=Ethiopia's Sidama vote for new federal region: Electoral board |newspaper=Al Jazeera |via=aljazeera.com |access-date=2019-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207194226/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/ethiopia-sidama-vote-federal-region-electoral-board-191123150618999.html |archive-date=2019-12-07 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |first=Zecharias |last=Zelalem |url=https://www.opride.com/2018/06/01/the-rise-of-the-barbaarta-somali-protesters-demand-an-end-to-abdi-illeys-reign-of-terror/ |title=The Rise of the Barbaarta: Somali protesters demand an end to Abdi Illey's reign of terror |work=OPride |date=1 June 2018 |access-date=9 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209094952/https://www.opride.com/2018/06/01/the-rise-of-the-barbaarta-somali-protesters-demand-an-end-to-abdi-illeys-reign-of-terror/ |archive-date=9 December 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |first=Melat |last=Mulugeta |url=https://mereja.com/index/269583 |title=Ejjetto calls for workers strike in Hawassa |newspaper=Mereja |via=mereja.com |date=15 March 2019 |access-date=9 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209095002/https://mereja.com/index/269583 |archive-date=9 December 2019 |url-status=live }} They staged nationwide protest rallies in July 2020 following the assassination of Oromo musician Hachalu Hundessa.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/13/freedom-oromo-activists-qeerroo-ethiopia-standstill|title='Freedom!': the mysterious movement that brought Ethiopia to a standstill|last1=Gardner|first1=Tom|date=13 March 2018|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=2019-10-31|issn=0261-3077|via=theguardian.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029075755/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/13/freedom-oromo-activists-qeerroo-ethiopia-standstill|archive-date=29 October 2019|url-status=live}}