Twenty-Seven Years of EPRDF Rule
From 1991 to 2018, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) — a coalition dominated by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) — governed Ethiopia. For Oromo, the era brought mixed realities.
Structure
| Party | Region |
|---|---|
| TPLF | Tigray |
| ANDM (later ADP) | Amhara |
| OPDO (later ODP) | Oromia |
| SEPDM | Southern Nations |
Economic Growth
- 10%+ annual GDP growth during mid-2000s to early 2010s
- Rapid infrastructure expansion (roads, dams, railway)
- Mass education expansion
- Decrease in extreme poverty
Political Repression
- Media freedom severely constrained
- Political opposition weakened and sometimes criminalized
- Terrorism law (2009) used against dissidents
- 2005 election protests crushed with violence
- OLF designated terrorist organization
Oromo Grievances
- Afaan Oromoo expanded in principle but schools often lacked materials
- Land alienation continued in new forms (investment, Addis Ababa expansion)
- Political space remained constrained
- Arrests of Oromo students, journalists, and activists common
- OPDO seen as subordinate to TPLF
Key Figures
- Meles Zenawi (PM 1995-2012): dominant figure
- Hailemariam Desalegn (PM 2012-2018): relatively technocratic
- Lemma Megersa: Oromo ODP leader who would play key role in 2018
Rising Protest
By the 2010s, grievances had accumulated enough to fuel mass protests in Oromia, starting in 2014 with the Addis Ababa Master Plan.
Key takeaway: The EPRDF era (1991-2018) brought development and political constraints; accumulated Oromo grievances eventually fueled the protests that ended the era.