Related Posts
The 1976 OLF Political Program at Fifty: Are We Nearly There Yet?
Fifty years after the 1976 OLF Political Program declared Oromo national self-determination through an independent democratic republic of Oromia as its fundamental objective, the Oromo national question remains unresolved. This reflection revisits the program’s historical force, psychological achievement, constitutional echoes in Article 39, and the strategic ambiguity that still shapes Oromo politics today.
The 2026 Ethiopian Election That Never Was
The 2026 Ethiopian election was presented as a democratic exercise through which citizens would renew the mandate of their government. Yet when vast portions of the country remained outside normal electoral conditions and the outcome appeared predetermined long before voting day, the more fundamental question became unavoidable: can an election still be called an election when millions of citizens are effectively absent from the process?
The Election of the Wheat Sheaf
As Ethiopia approaches the 2026 election, questions increasingly shift from who will win to whether meaningful electoral conditions exist at all. With large territories remaining outside normal voting conditions, state machinery openly intertwined with campaigning, and outcomes widely presumed in advance, the election raises deeper questions about democratic legitimacy and political ritual. In what some critics describe as the modern election of the wheat sheaf, the central issue is no longer competition among alternatives, but whether the process serves genuine choice, predetermined confirmation, or merely the optics of electoral continuity.
When Diplomatic Language Meets Contested Histories: A Gentle Note to the UN Secretary-General
UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ recent remarks in Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) praising Ethiopia as an “old civilization” and celebrating its preserved independence were welcomed by many. Yet for historically marginalized nations and nationalities within Ethiopia, such diplomatic language may unintentionally reinforce contested state narratives. This article offers a respectful reflection on historical plurality, collective memory, and the responsibility of international institutions when speaking about complex multinational states.
W. Hundee Hurrisoo (1944–2026)
The Oromo people have lost another elder. With the passing of W. Hundee Hurrisoo on 14 May 2026, we bid farewell to a man whose life journey mirrored many chapters of modern Oromo history itself: shepherd boy, teacher, student activist, journalist, prisoner of conscience, political leader, exile, mediator, author, and elder. He belonged to that...
Regression Preference Syndrome: Debunking the Regressive Tendency in Ethiopian Politics
Regression Preference Syndrome is proposed as a political-psychological framework explaining Ethiopia's recurring tendency to favor historical rollback over incremental democratic progress. Using contemporary examples from autocratic rule, internal wars, unresolved national questions, maritime access discourse, and hard-power politics, the article argues that regression often appears psychologically easier than reform. It calls for Ethiopia to reject destructive coercive approaches, embrace soft power and negotiated settlements, and pursue gradual democratic progress instead of disruptive retrogressive steps that risk repeating historical cycles.
