The Oromo are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the Oromia region of Ethiopia and parts of Northern Kenya. They speak the Oromo language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia. According to the last Ethiopian census of 2007, the Oromo numbered 25,488,344 people or 34.5% of the Ethiopian population. Recent estimates have the Oromo compromising 35.8% of the estimated 116,000,000 Ethiopian population placing Oromos at a population of 41,000,000
Nekemte, also spelled as Neqemte, is a market city and separate woreda in western Ethiopia. Located in the East Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, Nekemte has a latitude and longitude of 9°5′N36°33′E and an elevation of 2,088 meters.
The Boorana or simply Borana are one of the two major subgroups of the Oromo people, a Cushitic ethnic group. They live in the Borena Zone of the Oromia Region and Liben Zone of the Somali Region of Ethiopia, former Northern Frontier District of Northern Kenya, The Tana River in the former coast province of Kenya and also in central Somalia. The Boranas living in Kenya and Ethiopia speak a dialect of the Oromo and those living in central Somalia share a dialect with Dirr communities of Somalia, a language that is closely related to both the Borana Language and the Somali Language. The Borana people are notable for practicing the Gadaa system without interruption especially those residing in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, a larger percentage of Boranas in the Liban Zone of the Somali region and those in central Somalia were Muslims, whereas those living in the Borena Zone of Ethiopia and those in Kenya mostly practice the Christian and Islamic religions, but few still hold purely to their culture especially those in Sakhu Constituency of Marsabit County.
Gadaa is the indigenous democratic system of governance used by the Oromos in Ethiopia and northern Kenya. It is also practiced by the Konso and Gedeo people of southern Ethiopia. The system regulates political, economic, social and religious activities of the community.
The Oromo Liberation Front is an Oromo nationalist political party formed in 1973 to promote self-determination for the Oromo people inhabiting today's Oromia Region and Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The OLF has offices in Addis Ababa, Washington, D.C. and Berlin from where it operates Amharic and Oromo radio stations.
The Islamic Front for Liberation of Oromia was an Oromo-based political and paramilitary organization founded in 1985 by its Commander in Chief, Sheikh Abdulkarim Ibrahim Hamid, otherwise known as Jaarraa Abbaa Gadaa.
Sheikh Mohammed Rashad Abdulle was an Oromo scholar. He is known for developing Oromo phonology and translating the Qur'an into the Oromo language.
Dawud Ibsaa Ayana is an Ethiopian politician who is the chairman of the Oromo Liberation Front, an Ethiopian political party established in 1973.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Tourism is the ministry of the government of Ethiopia responsible for researching, preserving, developing, and promoting the culture and tourist attractions of Ethiopia and its peoples, both inside the country and internationally. In doing so the Ministry closely works together with different national and international stakeholders.
Medrek, officially the Ethiopia Federal Democratic Unity Forum, is an Ethiopian political coalition founded in 2008 by former defense minister Siye Abraha and former president Negasso Gidada. The election symbol of the party is five fingers. On 2008 election, Medrek won a single seat in the House of Peoples' Representatives, representing an electoral district in Addis Ababa. This was allegedly due to lack of election transparency. Medrek won 30% of the individual vote nationwide but received only one seat in parliament since Ethiopia's elections are conducted under a single-member plurality voting system.
The Machaa are a subgroup of the Oromo people in western and Central Oromia. They live south of the Blue Nile (Abbai) in the northwestern part of the region of Oromia and in parts of West Shewa Zone, South West Shewa Zone, Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinnee, West Welega Zone, East Welega Zone, Jimma, Jimma Zone, Illubabor Zone, Kelam Welega Zone,Horo Guduru and in parts Amhara Region particularly Gojjam zones. A small group of them lives in the area north of the Blue Nile Wambara in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.
Irreecha, is thanksgiving holiday celebrating the end of the winter in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The Oromo people celebrate Irreecha to thank Waaqa (God) for the blessings and mercies they have received throughout the previous year. The Irreecha festival is celebrated every year at the beginning of Birraa (Spring), new season after the dark and rainy winter season. It is attended by hundreds of thousands people. The thanksgiving is celebrated at sacred lakes across Oromia Region like the Hora Finfinne and Hora Harsadi, Bishoftu, Oromia Region as a whole. Once at the lake, festival-goers immerse freshly cut green grass and the flowers they are carrying and sprinkle themselves and place in water.
Lencho Letta is an Ethiopian politician and Oromo activist who was founding member of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). He was the Deputy Secretary General of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) from 1974 to 1995. In Late 1990s, Lencho left OLF leadership due to ideological differences. He is currently the leader of Oromo Democratic front, which was formed in 2013.
Abadula Gemeda is an Ethiopian politician who was the speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives, the lower chamber of the Ethiopian Parliament, from 2010 to 2017. Previously, from 2005 to 2010, he was President of the Oromia Region. He was succeeded in that position by Alemayehu Atomsa.
The Oromo Liberation Army is an armed opposition group active in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. The OLA consist primarily of former armed members of the pre-peace deal Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who refused to disarm out of skepticism of the peace deal, and former youth protestors who grew disillusioned with nonviolent resistance.
Hassan Ibrahim, more commonly known by his nom de guerreElemo Qiltu, was an Ethiopian guerilla commander and businessman, a prominent member of the Oromo nationalist movement and one of the first leaders of the Oromo Liberation Army.
The Oromo conflict is a protracted conflict between the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ethiopian government. The Oromo Liberation Front formed to fight the Ethiopian Empire to liberate the Oromo people and establish an independent state of Oromia. The conflict began in 1973, when Oromo nationalists established the OLF and its armed wing, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). These groups formed in response to prejudice against the Oromo people during the Haile Selassie and Derg era, when their language was banned from public administration, courts, church and schools, and the stereotype of Oromo people as a hindrance to expanding Ethiopian national identity.
Waaqeffanna is an ethnic religion indigenous to the Oromo people in the Horn of Africa. The word Waaqeffanna derives from the word Waaqa, is the ancient name for the Creator in the Cushitic languages of both the Oromo people and Somali people in the Horn of Africa. The followers of the Waaqeffanna religion are called Waaqeffataa and they believe in the supreme being Waaqa Tokkicha. It is estimated that about 3% of the Oromo population, which is 1,095,000 Oromos, in present day Ethiopia actively practice this religion. Some put the number around 300,000 depending on how many subsets of the religion one includes. This number is still up for debate by many African religious scholars.
