Sunday, November 28, 2021

Oromo Group Calls for Confederation in Ethiopia

 Foreign Policy published on 27 November 2021 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Breakup Doesn't Have to Be Violent" by Teferi Mergo, University of Waterloo in Canada, and Kebene Kejela, University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.  Both are affiliated with the Baro Tumsa Institute, an organization registered in the state of Maryland with ties to the Oromo Liberation Front.  

The authors of this controversial piece call for the different parts of Ethiopia to decide their future by holding referenda according to article 39 of the constitution, resulting in a "confederation" of Ethiopian states.  

Comment:  After posting this blog, one of the authors contacted me and explained that the Baro Tumsa Institute (BTI) is not affiliated with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).  While some BTI members might have affiliations with the OLF, it is not accurate to link BTI with the OLF.  There are BTI members who have no affiliations with the OLF or with any Oromo political organization.  

I apologize for misleading readers of my blog post.