The Oromo diaspora in the Twin Cities, the largest Oromo diaspora in the United States and likely the largest in the world, are always mindful of the political situation in Ethiopia. They worry that family members and friends may subjected to unlawful detainment, imprisonment, disappearance or possibly death. These concerns are completely founded in Ethiopian past history and even more so because of recent events.
The Oromo as the largest ethnicity in Ethiopia, approximately 40% of the overall population, represent the largest opposition to the totalitarian undemocratic Ethiopian government. The Ethiopian government’s response to peaceful demonstrations promoting fair and democratic elections has been violent.
The Ethiopian government heavily relies on US foreign aid to stay in power. The United States turns a blind eye to the blatant abuses despite its own State Department’s reports and collaborative reporting from human rights advocate NGOs. United Oromo Voices (UOV) calls on their fellow community members to help them stop the human right abuses in Ethiopia by insisting the United States withholds funding until the Ethiopian government conducts free and democratic elections and ends human rights violations. UOV works to unify the collective voice of Oromos, other Ethiopians and allies who work to end the human rights violations in Ethiopia.
Founded in Minnesota, home of the largest Oromo diaspora in the United States, UOV feels a special obligation to raise local and global awareness of the dire situation in Ethiopia. UOV practices peaceful advocacy, conducts educational outreach and builds alliances within the Horn of Africa diaspora and the broader community.
ABOUT
United Oromo Voices (UOV) works to unify the collective voice of Oromos, other Ethiopians and allies who work to end the human rights violations in Ethiopia. Understanding and respecting all points of view, UOV creates a coalition of dedicated people to insist the United States withdraw foreign aid support from an Ethiopian government that detains, imprisons, tortures and inflicts other human right abuses on its citizens.
