#Oromo Liberation Front warns of growing #war risks in #Ethiopia, calls for political dialogue
The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has warned in a statement that what it described as “gathering clouds of war” continue to hang over Ethiopia, saying persistent conflict over the past decade, including in Oromia and other regions, remains a major source of security, social, and economic challenges.
Addressing the country’s security situation, the OLF said political differences remain unresolved and called on the Oromo people and residents of Oromia, both inside and outside the country, to safeguard their regional boundaries and stand united, describing this as a civic responsibility.
The statement also said ongoing armed conflict in Ethiopia has continued without interruption and claimed that what it characterized as historical looting of Oromo land has not ceased, adding that competition over territorial expansion remains a factor.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55221
Ethnicity at the Gate: The Advantage of Sounding Oromo in Contemporary Ethiopia. Read more.
https://borkena.com/2026/02/20/ethnicity-at-the-gate-the-advantage-of-sounding-oromo-in-contemporary-ethiopia/#Ethnicity#Ethiopia#Oromo
Can Oromo Elites Rule Ethiopia for 1,000 Years? The Anatomy of a Political Fantasy. Read more.
https://borkena.com/2025/12/14/ethiopia-can-oromo-elites-rule-ethiopia-for-1000-years-the-anatomy-of-a-political-fantasy/#Ethiopia#Oromo#Politics#Oromummaa
#Tribute: Professor Asmarom Legesse: Pioneer Scholar Who Illuminated the #Gadaa System to the World
Professor Asmarom Legesse, the Eritrean-born anthropologist who redefined African democratic discourse, passed away on January 31, 2026, aged 94. In this tribute, Teferi Tafa notes the Harvard-trained scholar "spent over half a century documenting the #Oromo Gadaa system, dismantling colonial myths that dismissed indigenous #African governance as primitive."
The author explains that Asmarom’s works revealed "a sophisticated constitutional order" featuring rotational leadership and term limits. He proved that Gadaa was "a highly developed system of checks and balances... that had governed Oromo society for centuries."
Tafa emphasizes that Asmarom’s legacy of "intellectual decolonization" establishes him as a hero to the Oromo and a titan of global anthropology.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55081
Oromummaa is a Lie: Gadaa is Part Democratic and Part Apartheid. Read more.
https://borkena.com/2025/11/18/ethiopia-oromummaa-is-a-lie-gadaa-is-part-democratic-and-part-apartheid/#Oromummaa#Gada#Oromo#Ethiopiapolitics@yonasBiru57
#In_Memoriam: A Tribute to Professor Asmarom Legesse
Asmerom Legesse (PhD), a pioneering scholar of the #Oromo Gadaa system, passed away at the age of 94. Born on 5 February 1931 in #Eritrea, he was widely respected for his rigorous and sustained studies of Oromo governance, now foundational to #African indigenous political thought. In this tribute, Ezekiel Gebissa writes that “for the Oromo people… death is not an ending but a passage from the world of binary reality to the realm of singularity.”
Over nearly six decades, Asmerom reshaped African political studies by showing that #Gadaa is “not a relic of the past but a sophisticated, stable, and coherent democratic system.”
Asmerom’s legacy remains the cornerstone of Oromo studies and global indigenous governance.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=55020
Regional coalition in #Khartoum calls for peace, dialogue across #Sudan, #Eritrea, #Ethiopia
Addis Abeba - A regional coalition bringing together representatives from Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia has called for “peace, coexistence, and an end to ongoing conflicts”, during a public gathering held in Khartoum on 23 April, according to Sudan News Agency.
The alliance, identified as the Coalition of the Peoples of Eritrea, Sudan, and Ethiopia, said the meeting reflected “the aspirations of the region’s peoples to live in peace and stability,” while promoting “the values of coexistence” and rejecting “hatred and conflict,” the outlet reported.
Speakers and representatives drawn from various communities, including #Tigray, #Amhara, #Oromo, and #Somali constituencies, alongside delegates from Sudan and Eritrea, expressed a “unified stance against continued violence”.
https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02sbMgZToVXPCPWfPjK8AQZCYEPVV7SZnsgP8oymTw5Hoajfw75J6qukUrXuV3oLShl
News: Prominent #Oromo Gadaa scholar Asmerom Legesse passes away at 94
Asmerom Legesse (PhD), a distinguished scholar renowned for his pioneering research on the Oromo #Gadaa system, has passed away at the age of 94. Born on 5 February, 1931, in #Eritrea, Asmerom was widely recognized for his in-depth studies of Oromo traditions and governance, which have become foundational references for scholars of #African indigenous systems.
In a statement, the Oromo Studies Association (#OSA) confirmed his death, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of a researcher described as a “kinsman of the Oromo people.” The association noted that Asmerom’s work on Oromo customs, history, and culture significantly advanced understanding of political and social systems across Africa.
The Oromia Culture and Tourism Bureau expressed deep condolences, emphasizing that his life’s work preserved the Oromo Gadaa system and documented its practices for future generations, serving as....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=54991
#Book_Review: A Ten Minute Mission: The Least Price for Freedom by W. Hundee Hurrisoo
In this book review, Ababiyaa Ahmed Ajmel examines W. Hundee Hurrisoo’s A Ten Minute Mission: The Least Price for Freedom, calling it more than a prison memoir—it exposes the “moral and political logic” behind the #Derg regime’s terror.
As editor of Bariisaa, #Ethiopia’s first #Oromo-language newspaper, Hundee saw his symbol of “freedom’s light” targeted for erasure. Arrested under the false pretense of a “ten-minute mission,” he endured “4,040 days” in prisons like the Grand Palace and Maikalawi, where torture tools such as the “Stalin stick” broke bodies.
The reviewer emphasizes that “the memoir is not only a record of erasure” but also affirms the Oromo concept of Jirra: “we are here, we exist”—a truth echoed by today’s #Qeerroo generation.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=54635
The Essence of Gratitude
Baga Ayyaana Irreechaa Bara 2025 Nagaan Geessan! 🙏💚
Today, our hearts are full. We gather at the hora (living water), holding the green coomii and the yellow daisy flowers of Birraa, to say one thing:
Galanni Waaqaaf haa ta'u.
Look at the beauty of our people! A sea of white, a vibrant display of our culture, all moving as one. This is Irreechaa. 🤍✨
From the wisdom in the blessings of our elders, the Abbaa Gadaas and Haadha Siinqees, to the joyful songs of our youth, Irreechaa is the ultimate symbol of our tokkummaa (unity).
It's a day we forget our differences and remember our shared heritage, our shared prayers, and our shared hope for a brighter future. We are one people, with one heart. 🙌
May this Irreechaa bring peace, unity, and prosperity to all Oromo people and to our beloved Oromia.
Ayyaana Gaarii! ✨
#Irreechaa#Oromo#Thanksgiving#Galata#Birraa#Peace#Oromia
@etbisahusen
#Ethiopia: Over 1,000 teachers resign in #Amhara region, many reportedly migrating to Arab states – Report
Around 1,020 teachers in three zones of the Amhara Region resigned during the 2025/26 academic year, with officials and educators attributing much of the exodus to migration to #Arab_states in search of better pay and living conditions, according to a report by Deutsche Welle (DW).
The departures were recorded in #South_Wollo, #North_Wollo, and the #Oromo Special Zone, where local education authorities say the trend is worsening existing challenges in the education sector.
Teachers interviewed by DW cited the rising cost of living and salaries that no longer match market realities as key factors behind their decisions to leave.
In districts such as #Kobo and #Habru in North Wollo, as well as #Bati woreda in the Oromo Special Zone, including Saint, Wagdi and Albko woredas, teachers have increasingly resigned to pursue opportunities abroad, the report....
Read more: https://addisstandard.com/?p=55405
#Premiering_now: Two Years Without Justice: Remembering the BrutalAssassination of Bate Urgessa
April 9, 2024, a night that ended in a brutal execution a husband, a father of five, an intellectual and a peaceful politician.
Two years later, the questions remain.
Click here to watch: https://youtu.be/gAXvr9JN3Y8?si=q7C8otTOvcTw_fZ5
In this commemorative episode of The Standard Signal, host Tsedale Lemma discusses with Prof. Ezekiel Gebissa to revisit the life, final hours, and aftermath of Bate Urgessa’s brutal assassination by government forces, and examine what has (and hasn’t) changed since.
#BateUrgessa#Ethiopia#JusticeDelayed#HumanRights#Oromo#OLF#PoliticalViolence#Accountability#AfricaNews#HornOfAfrica#TheStandardSignal#NeverForget