The Diaspora Impact on the Ethiopian 2015-16 Protests

The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), comprised of a coalition of multiple ethnic parties, forged a constitution in an effort to increase political participation for all groups. Despite these efforts, in November 2015, the Oromo ethnic group began protesting the Ethiopian Government. The government has been struggling to support the influx of different ethnic groups migrating from rural to urban centers in search of opportunity. With the support of diaspora communities, ethnic groups facing discrimination in Ethiopia have begun a movement that may potentially change the political and social landscape of the country. How has the diaspora community affected the institutional and social progress of Ethiopia? This paper argues that the diaspora\u27s influence, through social media, news outlets, and financial contributions, exposes the Oromo struggle and the fragility of Ethiopia\u27s ethnic based federalist system. Diasporas provide an outside perspective on internal conflicts that can be vital to applying new methods to institutional and social development. However, their lack of physical presence can skew their understanding of important nuances of a conflict. Research has suggested that Diasporas play a significant role in inflaming ethnic differences and political discontent but has not accounted for recent civil unrest in the rapidly developing country