WASHINGTON, D.C. – Feyisa Lilesa finally cracked and broke down in tears as he watched his fellow Oromo people give thanks in a series of video messages for his stance of solidarity with them. A 14-year-old Oromo boy from Houston said “Thank you” and “Good job.” A member of the U.S. National Guard with Oromo roots gave him a salute while in full uniform. Lilesa held the phone close to his face and let out a smile.
“Hello, Feyisa, my Oromo lion,” Mako Felema, an Oromo woman from Minnesota said. “You made all Oromo people proud. You showed what Oromo people is to the world.