Faarseebulaa
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Digital Serfdom in Ethiopia: Faarseebulaa, Propaganda, and the Politics of Praise

ByOlii Boran (Sociologist) and Ed Chapman (Digital Forensics Researcher) Posted on

Faarseebulaa refers to Ethiopia’s emerging class of Digital Serfs—individuals who voluntarily serve authoritarian systems through online propaganda. Unlike historical peasants or proletariats who resisted oppression, the Faarseebulaa defend it for personal gain, low self-worth, and limited awareness. They are not rulers, yet they passionately safeguard the system that exploits the majority.

A Chilling Assimilation Blueprint of 1933 for the Oromo
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Haile Selassie’s Chilling Assimilation Blueprint of 1933 for the Oromo: When ‘Unity’ Meant Erasure

ByOT Editorial Posted on

Excerpt This article unveils the Chilling Assimilation Blueprint of 1933 for the Oromo people, a calculatedly policy framework of Haile Selassie’s regime. Drawing from historical documents and translated accounts, it exposes how forced identity erasure was justified in the name of “national unity”. Far from being a relic of the past, the blueprint reveals patterns…

Dr Sisay Mengiste
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When Lawmakers Fan Dangerous Flames: The Case of Dr Sisay Mengiste

ByOlii Boran Posted on

Questions for Troubling Rhetoric Where does freedom of speech end, and the incitement of dangerous, ethnically charged propaganda begin? At what point does public discourse shift from a right to speak one’s mind into a reckless abuse of influence—especially when the speaker holds public office in a fragile, multi-ethnic society? These are not abstract questions….

When Falsehoods Wear Fancy Fonts
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When Falsehoods Wear Fancy Fonts: The Absurdity of Manufactured Maps

ByElemoo Qilxuu Posted on

There’s something truly ironic about attempts to rewrite history—how they often stumble on the very tools they try to wield. A case in point: a laughable “13th-century map of Abyssinia” now making the rounds. A single glance at its slick, pixel-perfect typography and digitally crisp outlines is enough to raise eyebrows. We are expected to…

when-language-colonizes
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When Language Colonizes: The Amharic Illusion of Progress

ByKumaa Daadhii Posted on

When Language Colonizes In the landscape of African colonization, one recurring justification for conquest and domination has been the civilizing mission—carried out not just through force, but through language. From the French mission civilisatrice to the British insistence on “English education,” colonizers offered language as a “gift”—while using it as a tool of control. In…

assimilation decree
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How a False Unity of Mythical Ethiopia Was Manufactured Through Annexation and Assimilation

ByOlii Boran Posted on

Introduction Emperor Haile Selassie ascended to the throne on April 2, 1930. Just over a year later, on July 16, 1931, he promulgated the country’s first modern Constitution. In that founding document, the name “Ethiopia” was formally constitutionalized for the first time—replacing the historical name “Abyssinia.” This name change, however, did not gain international recognition…

"Systematic Dispossession of Oromia"
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The Systematic Dispossession of Oromia: Language Status Denied, Lands Mythologized and Engineered, Names Rewritten, and a Mountain Nearly Claimed

ByOlii Boran (Sociologist) and Ed Chapman (Digital Forensics Researcher) Posted on

 An Article by Invitation Introduction In the age of satellites, algorithms, and global awareness, one might assume that cultural denial has no place left to hide. And yet, Ethiopia—a multinational entity whose sociopolitical structure still bears the hallmarks of an unreconciled empire—continues to find creative ways to deny the Oromo people what is clearly, obviously,…

Oromia
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A New Abyssinian Alliance in the Making and What it Means for Oromia

ByOlii Boran Posted on

Synopsis The crisis of Oromia can be summed up in a single, stark sentence: Oromia’s greatest hazard is its own wealth. The sheer abundance of its resources has drawn in competing forces, each vying for control. This relentless scramble has made the realization of Oromia’s self-determination—a cause championed for decades—an even more daunting challenge. Today,…

The Myth of Ethiopia’s Historical Continuity: A Political Invention Disguised as Legacy
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The Myth of Ethiopia’s Historical Continuity: A Political Invention Disguised as Legacy

ByOlii Boran Posted on

Synopsis The name Ethiopia is often presented as an unbroken historical identity, tracing back to ancient times. However, a closer examination of historical records, international registrations, and linguistic origins reveals that the name Ethiopia, as applied to a modern empire-state, lacks continuity before the 20th century. Instead, it was a political rebranding strategy, gaining official…

Why Is No One Talking About the Dissolution of the Ethiopian Empire?
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Why Is No One Talking About the Dissolution of the Ethiopian Empire?

ByYadessa Guma Posted on

The Elephant in the Room The Ethiopian Empire, as it stands today, is a product of the late 19th century “Scramble for Africa,” when European colonial powers carved up the continent among themselves. Unlike most African countries, Ethiopia managed to resist outright European colonization. However, its imperial formation under Emperor Menelik II followed a similar…

The Unshakable Truth: Finfinnee is an Oromo City
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The Unshakable Truth: Finfinnee is an Oromo City

ByElemoo Qilxuu Posted on

Ignorance is our enemy. When we are devoid of facts and logic, all we have is raw emotion. Emotion alone won’t do it. Rewriting fake history, like the fabricated narrative of Barara, won’t change reality. No amount of rhetorical flourish can override the weight of facts. And the fact of the matter is this: Finfinnee…

Historical Revisionism
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The Futility of Denial: How Historical Revisionism Undermines Inter-Ethnic Cohesion in Ethiopia

ByElemoo Qilxuu Posted on

Excerpt Historical revisionism is no mere academic exercise—it is a powerful political tool that shapes memory, identity, and power. In Ethiopia’s modern politics, the deliberate use of imperial-era place names like “Nazareth” instead of “Adama” signals a deeper resistance to Oromo identity restoration. This article explores how such symbolic acts, like Dr. Desalegn Chanie’s recent…

When Those Who Should Protect You Become the Perpetrators
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When Those Who Should Protect You Become the Perpetrators

ByElemoo Qilxuu Posted on

This article was part-featured in Ethio Forum’s news documentary: የሽመልስ አብዲሳ የምስጢር ሠራዊት፤ ነጌኛዎቹ ወታደሮች (5 Feb 2025). What Do You Do When Power Becomes the Criminal? How do you describe the indescribable? How do you find words for a reality so twisted that it defies logic, morality, and even the most basic human decency?…

Ten Things the PP Government Has Done—and You Might Not Even Know
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Ten Things the PP Government Has Done—and You Might Not Even Know

ByKumaa Daadhii Posted on

1. Land of Mass Incarcerations and Extra-Judicial Executions Courtesy of the Prosperity Party (PP) government, Ethiopia—particularly the Oromia region—has become a land marked by mass incarcerations and extrajudicial executions. These events have become so routine that they rarely make the news anymore. Leading up to the last election, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed orchestrated a sweeping…

የአማራ ፋኖ ወለጋን ለመውረር አትድፈር፡ አጠቃላይ መጥፋት አደጋ ላይ ይጥላል።
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የአማራ ፋኖ ወለጋን ለመውረር አትድፈር፡ አጠቃላይ መጥፋት አደጋ ላይ ይጥላል።

ByYadessa Guma Posted on

የብዙ ታሪክ ባለቤት የሆነችው ኢትዮጵያ የራሷን ህልውና አደጋ ላይ የሚጥሉ ውጥረቶችን እየታገለች ነው። ሰሞኑን ከተከሰቱት እና አሳሳቢ ጉዳዮች አንዱ የአማራ ፋኖ ታጣቂዎች በኦሮሚያ ክልል ወለጋ አካባቢ የጦር ሰፈር መስርተው ክልሉን የመቆጣጠር አላማ እንዳላቸው ማስታወቁ ነው። ይህ እርምጃ በወለጋ ላይ ግልጽ ጦርነት ከማወጅ ጋር ተያይዞ ኢትዮጵያን ወደማይቀለበስ የጥቃት አዙሪት ውስጥ ሊያስገባት ስለሚችል በቀድሞዋ ዩጎዝላቪያ መስመር እንድትበታተን…

Amhara Fano, Don't Dare Invading Wallaga: Risking Strong Enmity Between the Amhara and Oromo Nations
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Amhara Fano, Don't Dare Invading Wallaga: Risking Strong Enmity Between the Amhara and Oromo Nations

ByYadessa Guma Posted on

Ethiopia, a nation of rich history and diverse ethnic identities, is grappling with deep-seated tensions that threaten its very fabric. One of the most recent and alarming developments is the announcement by Amhara Fano militias that they have established a base in Wallaga, an area in Oromia, with the explicit aim of taking over the…