General Tadesse Birru

This is a portrait of the Oromo hero General Tadesse Birru (1920 –1975). He was a Colonel General of the Ethiopian
Imperial Army and an Oromo nationalist. Initially a strong proponent of Ethiopian unity, Tadesse eventually became an activist for the empowerment of the Oromo people in the 1960s. His advocacy turned into repeated attempts to overthrow the government through a coup and later through a military rebellion. He was eventually captured and executed by the Derg regime. He is considered to be the father of modern education and modern Oromo nationalism.