Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities

Introduction, Expansion, and Practice of Islam among the Muslim Communities of Illubabor

Yasin Mohammed — 2026-04-17

Focusing on southwestern Ethiopia, this study explores how Islam took root, spread, and became part of daily life among the Oromo of Illubabor from the nineteenth into the early twentieth century. It finds that Islamization was neither a simple adoption of an outside faith nor a purely internal development. Instead, it resulted from a dynamic interaction: the internal weakening of the socio-political and spiritual order of the Gadaa system created an opening, while external agents—primarily Jabarti and Afkala Muslim merchants and preachers from the north—provided the new religious framework. The analysis highlights two key pathways for this spread: the commercial networks of long-distance trade and the crucial political patronage of local rulers, most notably Chali Shone. The paper further examines how Islam became locally anchored through the establishment of enduring institutions. The shrine (Quba) of Sheik Mohammed Sultan and the network of mosque-centered schools served as vital centers for community gathering, learning, and spiritual practice, ensuring the religion’s deep integration. Methodologically, the paper draws on qualitative historical analysis, archival documents, and carefully cross-referenced oral histories to address a notable gap in the regional history of Islam in Ethiopia. By detailing this case, the paper contributes to wider Africanist scholarship on religious conversion, emphasizing the synergistic relationship between local readiness for change and the external diffusion of religious idea.

Bridging Communities

Adonias Adugna — 2026-04-16

In a world increasingly affected by violent conflicts, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play a crucial role in addressing the root causes of violence and promoting peacebuilding. This study investigates the contribution of rights-based CSOs to cross-border peace efforts in the Ethio-Kenya borderlands, where the Dassanech and Nyangatom communities in Ethiopia frequently clash with the Turkana community in Kenya. Employing a qualitative case-study approach and utilising both primary and secondary data, the research centres on the Ethiopian Institute of Peace (EIP) and its experiences in fostering peace in this conflict-prone region. The Ethio-Kenya border remains a hotspot for communal and cross-border violence, driven by cattle raids, killings, and cycles of retaliation. The study reveals that EIP exemplifies how CSOs can effectively bridge divided communities through impartial engagement, context-specific strategies, the inclusion of livelihood components, and strong partnerships with women, youth, elders, peace committees, and traditional institutions. Despite recent funding cuts, these elements have enabled EIP to promote dialogue, reconciliation, and healing. The findings highlight the need for increased government and donor support to enhance the role of CSOs as key peace actors in the region.

Everyday Narratives on the Ethiopian Civil War (2020-2022)

Theodros Fisseha — 2026-04-16

This study examines the everyday narratives and experiences of local communities in North Wollo during the Ethiopian civil war (2020-2022), utilizing insights from theories of ethnicity. Using qualitative data, the study findings indicate that the narratives surrounding the war were influenced by a variety of factors, including ethnicity, contested land rights, identity issues, the impact of the conflict, and elite mobilization. These dynamic elements led local communities in North Wollo to perceive the war not merely as a confrontation with the federal government and Tigrayan forces, but rather as a direct attack on their ethnic identity, thus framing their resistance as a collective defensive act against the Tigrayan forces. The findings suggest that ethnicity serves as a crucial lens through which local communities construct narratives of victimization. This perspective is significantly shaped by an ethnic-based framework and elite mobilization, which influence their collective identity and responses. The paper concludes by emphasizing that addressing ethnic grievances and perceptions of existential threats through inclusive dialogue and reconciliation is essential for fostering lasting peace.

Peasants and Political Contestation in Oromia Region under EPRDF, 1991-2018

Gutema Daniel — 2026-04-16

The Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) regime (1991-2018) built a peasant-centered strategy to sustain a dominant-party system. Most post-1991 studies of state-society relations focus on ethnic federalism and ethno-nationalism, overlooking peasant political agency. Drawing on 28 interviews and 11 FGDs in rural Dawo Woreda and peri-urban Sululta, this study examines peasants’ role in the 2005 national election and the 2014–2018 Oromo protests using a critical political economy framework and social movement theory. Peasants, mobilized by educated youth, opposition parties and the diaspora, used both episodes to resist EPRDF rule that denied them meaningful local governance and land-tenure security. The analysis reveals that the transition from the electoral challenge in 2005 to the protests from 2014–2018 was propelled by a mcontestation vacuum created by the suppression of formal political space following the landslide elections of 2010 and 2015. For a party that claimed to be the sole representative of the peasants, the Oromo protests were triggered by the displacement of Oromo peasants, ultimately leading to its downfall. Current land policies retain EPRDF-era continuities and risk renewed instability unless local governance and tenure security are democratized.

Revisiting the Approaches to Sustainable Development

Taye Birhanu Taressa — 2026-04-16

Oromo indigenous environmental ethics represents a crucial aspect of African environmental ethics. The Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, possess a wealth of indigenous knowledge about environmental protection and conservation, which can significantly contribute to realising most of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. Unfortunately, there has been insufficient inclusion of indigenous African environmental perspectives, such as those of the Oromo, in the formulation of policies and strategies aimed at sustainable development. This study employs a qualitative research method to explore this topic. The primary objective of this article is to reassess sustainable development approaches through the lens of Oromo indigenous environmental ethics. Traditional sustainable development approaches are deeply rooted in the conventional definitions. This research emphasises the importance of not pursuing sustainable development at the expense of acknowledging both past and present generations, as there exists a profound emotional and moral connection among the living, deceased ancestors, and future generations within Oromo society. This interconnectedness resonates with similar indigenous environmental philosophies across African cultures, such as Ubuntu, Ukama, and Yoruba. In Oromo and other African indigenous societies, intergenerational values, reflected in the responsibilities of inheritance and the care for ageing parents, serve as traditional means of social security.