Awol Allo Reflections on The Oromo Protests
/Senior Lecturer at Keele University and political analyst, Awol Allo shares his journey from ardent advocate of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to most vocal critic. Through assassinated Oromo musician, Haacaaluu Hundeessaa’s hit song Malan Jira (What Existence is Mine?), Allo thinks out loud about the Oromo Protests, the motivations of those who allege Qeeroo are committing ethnic cleansing and the cloud of mis/disinformation that hovers over the political discourse.
**This interview was conducted in August 2020 as part of an deeper investigative look into the history and political climate of Ethiopia as it intersects with data and tech policy. In particular, We Be Imagining is concerned about the role of mis/disinformation on social media platforms like Facebook which fail to provide adequate content and context moderation. However, the slow scholarship this requires was outweighed by the urgency of the current political moment so we are sharing some of the stories recorded then.
Please note, inclusion in this series in now way indicates agreement among each interviewee or is fully comprehensive of the political history, we simply aim to provide more nuanced and thoughtful insight given the dearth of coverage. Links and notes are subject to change.
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Host: J. Khadijah Abdurahman
Music: Drew Lewis
Links for the Episode:
Haacaaluu Hundeessaa: A towering musician and an Oromo icon
Why I nominated Abiy Ahmed for the Nobel Peace Prize
What is Medemer?
Ethiopia PM Fires Defence Minister, a One-Time Ally, in Major Reshuffle
Ethiopia's Abiy wins Nobel Peace Prize for resolving conflict with Eritrea
Why Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party could be bad news for Ethiopia
