In Memoriam - Liben Jaldesa, the 69th Abbaa Gadaa of the Borana Oromo

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Some leaders' deaths mark the end of a chapter, while others' departures prompt a reflection on an entire era. The passing of Liben Jaldesa, the 69th Abbaa Gadaa of the Borana Oromo, belongs to the latter. I received the news of his death on 28 August, 2026, through social media, with immense sadness. But almost immediately, the news carried me back to my childhood--to the time I followed my late grandfather, Halake Bagaja, widely known as Aba-Jirma, to Dhibayyuu-Irreechaa; to the songs Borana women sang