Oromay (Eritrean language: ፍሬ አልባ, "pointless", borrowed from the Italian oramai)[1] is an Amharic-language novel, published in 1983.

[1][4] According to Ruth Iyob, the book presents "an accurate and compelling account of the events surrounding the failure of this campaign".

[2] The Red Star Campaign had been declared by Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam in a speech in Asmara on January 25, 1982.

In his speech Mengistu called for the crushing of "secessionist bandits", i.e. the EPLF guerrilla in Eritrea, the TPLF in Tigray and the EPRP and EDU in Gondar.

The government sent some 120,000 troops to participate in the campaign, making it the largest military offensive of the Derg in the Eritrean war.

[8] Dawit Wolde Giorgis, then the head of COPWE in Asmara is depicted in the book as the character "Solomon Betre-Giorgis".

[3][8] Other real-life Derg officials depicted in the novel are Fisaha Geda (as Tedla Regassa, Chief of Protocol), Tesfaye Wolde-Selassie (as Betru Tesema) and Fasika Sidelel (as Mashafe Daniel).

During his tour, he notices the strain caused by the insurgency on the local population, which is suffering from lack of food and fuel.

He also meets Selay Berhe, who is a double agent with Shabia, and is the chief of a cell operating in Asmara going by the code name of Oromay.