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….
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 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…
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…
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,…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
Background As I watched a video clip of a recent parliamentary session from distance—courtesy of YouTube—I was caught off guard by a moment that, while unexpected in such a formal setting, was hardly surprising given Ethiopia’s deep-rooted ethnic tensions. During the Q&A session, Dr. Desalegn Chanie, an Amhara politician, deliberately referred to Adama by its…
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?…
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…
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…
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…
The premise stated in the title requires little effort to substantiate, as the evidence speaks for itself. 1. Historical Context: A Flag Rooted in Division The Ethiopian tricolor flag traces its origins to the reign of Emperor Yohannes IV (1872–1889), though it became more widely recognized during the reign of Emperor Menelik II in the…
by Olii Boran, PhD (an article by invitation) Leadership, often idealized as a mechanism for fostering stability, driving progress, and leaving behind a positive legacy, can also be manipulated as a tool for perpetuating dysfunction. “Leading by chaos, not competence” encapsulates a leadership strategy where chaos is not an accident, but a deliberate tool used…
