A reminder that Ethiopia’s history has never been all sunshine and rainbows

Oppression, land theft, forced assimilation, dehumanization, and the persecution of minority groups are all part of that history. There were communities that were forced to abandon their faith, cultures, and identities, often under the threat of violence or death.

I think a lot of Ethiopians struggle to understand why certain groups don’t share their vision of Ethiopia or identify with the same national narratives. But you have to understand that not everyone experienced our history the same way.

What one group remembers as a period of greatness, another may remember as a period of suffering.

You can’t expect everyone to embrace the same version of history when their ancestors lived through very different realities.

This is very much true for Ethiopian Jews and other groups of people in Ethiopia. None the less we are proud of our country and culture

Looking at the state of Ethiopia today, every region and community is paying a heavy price—whether it's loss of life, destroyed livelihoods, or unbearable inflation across Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Addis Ababa, and beyond.

Yet, despite the collective hardship, there is a distinct lack of unified public pushback. Instead, we suffer from two major political blind spots:

1. Selective Empathy Across Regional & Ethnic Lines:

• When unfair arrests, violence, or economic hardship happen in one region, people from other regions stay quiet because "it’s not their group."
• Some actively cheer on state repression as long as it targets a political rival or an out-group.

2. Political Amnesia & Tribal "Team Switching":

• Ethnic division existed long before TPLF came to power, yet many act as if it was single-handedly invented in 1991, ignoring broader historical roots.
• Millions rightly condemned the injustices of the 27-year EPRDF era, yet many turned a blind eye to political actors who were directly part of that exact same system, granting them a clean slate simply because they rebranded or switched political alignments.

When ethnic hatred blinds basic logic, politicians know they don't need to deliver good governance or safety—they just need to redirect blame toward the "other side."

Are we complicit in our own suffering by giving politicians a free pass as long as they target our rivals? Can we ever break this cycle if logic gives way to selective outrage?

The VFS Italy online appointment system in Addis Ababa constantly displays “No available slots. Please try again later.”

Yet somehow, 10 walk-in applicants are accepted every day.

Applicants are forced to arrive as early as 3:00 AM, sometimes spending the entire night waiting outside just for a chance to submit their applications.

Meanwhile, walk-in applicants are charged additional fees.

This raises serious concerns that online appointments are being deliberately restricted to push applicants toward more expensive walk-in services.

People should not have to pay extra or spend the night on the street just to submit a visa application.

😏😏

I was doing research for an unrelated project when I found a section for Amhara history and associated research articles on EBSCO. As I was reading the background, it kind of felt off the way they defined Amhara people by their "ancient Saudi Arabian ancestry." To summarize, it made Amhara sound like Middle Eastern settlers who discovered irrigation to expand across Ethiopia. To what extent is this true? I am still exploring Amhara history and to me it sounded like essentially whitewashing their origins.

Addis in all its glorious splendour.

Does this sound familiar?

So, I want to build a perfume dupe house. I want to do oil perfumes, perfume balms, fragrances, body oils, etc.

But I’ve actually already started the business. I have my products, suppliers, a pickup shop where people can come and get their orders, and I have a good sales flow throughout the week. At this point, I feel like the business is basically sustaining itself.

I started very small, producing in small batches, and people are actually loving the products. I’ve been getting really good reactions and feedback, especially with the fragrance performance.

Depending on the type of clothes you’re wearing, the perfume can last around 12–18 hours. Of course, longevity and projection are different for every perfume, but on well-moisturized skin, they can last around 5–8 hours, which I honestly think is amazing for an affordable fragrance.

What I’m struggling with now is scaling, especially the packaging. Custom packaging is quite difficult here in Ethiopia, and importing unique bottles in small quantities is very expensive. I’ve already spoken to suppliers in China who can make the type of branded bottles I want, but the MOQ is usually around 500–1,000 bottles. So I basically need the capital to order in bulk and move to the next level.

I could build it slowly, but honestly, I don’t think slow and steady is how this market is moving. A lot of newcomers are coming in, and I feel like you have to move fast, get in front of customers, build a good following and establish yourself.

So what do you think about this type of fragrance business in Ethiopia, specifically Addis Ababa? An affordable perfume lineup that people can actually enjoy and love.

And more importantly, where would I look for an investor in Addis? Are there specific people, communities, organizations, events, or platforms where I could meet potential investors?

If you’re really against ethnic federalism, then stop identifying with the ethnic identity it was based on. If you need to identify yourself, use a city name or the name of the area you’re from. For example, instead of identifying as Amhara, just say where you’re from, like Lasta, Gondar, or another place in that area, rather than identifying with the ethnic federalism that is ripping us apart.

The same goes for Tigray and Oromia. Identify with places like Enderta or Bale, respectively, or wherever you’re from.

This is the saddest thing I’ve seen today.

Imagine living in fear that you could be killed simply because you are an Orthodox Christian.
In Jordan, after nine Christians were killed in an attack, the country mourned, and the King visited the injured in hospital. Their pain was acknowledged. Their lives were treated as precious.

What hurts even more is the contrast. In Arsi, Ethiopia, our brothers and sisters are being killed in their communities, homes are being burned, and families are being torn apart. This is not an isolated tragedy. Such violence has been happening for years, claiming hundreds of lives. In the latest reported attacks alone, around 60 people were killed.
Here in Ethiopia, how many more of our people must die before their suffering receives the urgency and attention it deserves?
We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for our lives to matter, for our suffering to be acknowledged, and for our government to protect its citizens.

Today, it is them. Tomorrow, it could be any of us.

May God protect His children, comfort the grieving, and grant eternal rest to those who have lost their lives. 🕊️🙏

With permission from the mods

Hi everyone, I am looking for books from, or about Ethiopia for our Read the World challenge over at r/bookclub. The book can be any length, and genre, but it must be set or partially set in Ethiopia. Preferably the author should be from Ethiopia, or at least currently residing in Ethiopia or has been a resident of Ethiopia in the past. I'm looking for the "if someone could only ever read one book from Ethiopia which book should it be" type suggestions.

The book should be available in English

Thanks so much

Where do people buy fitness gear and/or supplements in addis? Stuff like creatine, protein, etc

My thoughts-

Instead of ethnic federalism, every ethnic group in Ethiopia should be included in all forms of government, completely and randomly spread out in all branches and intentionally diverse. There should be something in the educational system where on a national level, everyone learns their native language (and I suppose Amharic can remain the same since it’s hard to change at this point, so it can be the common tongue) and everyone be required to learn one other language of another ethnic group in Ethiopia. Same way African schools are pressed to teach any European language in school, they should have that same energy for regional languages. It would further bridge any ethnic tension and conflict and just bring everyone together more as a nationality rather than their specific ethnic group.

There should be a social thing opened to the public where people who have any grievances regarding Ethiopias past or present can come forward and be heard and people discuss back and forth. If enough people agree on something being discussed, the govt takes it seriously and makes some change, even if it’s a symbolic apology, or plaque, or simple acknowledgement. Something to push the progress.

I’d love to hear what yall think, if you agree or have more ideas or critiques on what I wrote. And I am only talking about internal affairs. A fair political state of Ethiopia with her neighbors is an entirely different conversation that I’m not dismissing, just not asking about that in this post, but they are connected.

I ​ was driving to see a client, and as a coincidence, this guy's program was on air (Adhu Radio, around 2 p.m.). Usually I turn it off it's crap, the kind of crap talk that has absolutely zero meaning to my critical brain.

Yesterday he was talking about a conspiracy theory connecting AI, AGI, and ASI to his crap (666, Lucifer, "the beast finally controlling us," microchips). I mean, I couldn't even make a sentence out of his talk because I couldn't grasp what he was talking about! So I decided to Google him when I got home. It took a while, and I was struck ,he has over 300,000 followers.

I never cared to read in-depth about 666, lucifer, microchips, singularity ....etc ....

Anyone who listens to him and finds it makes sense... where is the logic? What premises does this guy use that are valid?

Always confirm this information on the official website as fees and requirements might change.

1. Book your in person Appointment

Go to immigration.gov.et and:
- Fill out your personal information
- Choose your appointment date
- Pay the $250 USD fee to confirm the booking

Appointments are held in person at the Ethiopian Embassy in DC, so plan your travel accordingly.

Work Hours are 9AM - 1PM Monday to Friday.

1. Gather your documents

Bring the following:
- Your expired or soon-to-expire passport
- Proof of your current US immigration or visa status
- A valid ID (a US-issued ID if you have one, not required if you don’t have one)
- Your appointment booking confirmation (print it or save it on your phone)

1. Day of the appointment
   

Embassy staff will ask for your booking confirmation, old passport, and visa status documents. They will then collect your:
- Fingerprints
- Retina scan
- Passport photo (taken on site)

1. Receiving your new passport

Once your application is accepted, you'll be asked how you want to get your new passport:

- DMV Area: Picking it up in person at the embassy when it's ready is usually the easiest option.
- Outside of DMV: Have it mailed to you. Buy a prepaid shipping label (for example, a UPS posting slip) before your appointment, either online or at a UPS store near the embassy, and bring it with you. You can also have someone you know in the DMV pick it up from the embassy and ship it to you.

Tip: If you forget the shipping label, don't worry. Embassy staff have generally been understanding about this. You can finish your appointment, buy the label nearby, and bring it back so they can ship your passport once it's ready.

Good luck!

What is your biggest turn-on in a woman or a man?

In Ethiopia or outside of the country.

A documentary about Birhan, a Tigrayan woman who documented war crimes including sexual violence against over 280,000 women and girls during the last war in Tigray. Now living in the US, she watches from afar as fighting resumes and calls home, fearing soldiers are again searching houses.

Please note: during war times, unfortunately crimes like this against women and vulnerable people happen. Please be mindful of leaving awful comments. Many women across Ethiopia especially in Afar and Amhara region suffered as well, and it goes undocumented.

I hope one day justice is served!

Hi, American here trying to send money to Ethiopia. I usually use Abyssinia remit but giving me issues.

Any1 here got suggestions. The bank I’m trying to send it to is bank of Abyssinia

Hi! I keep trying to send a package to someone in Addis Ababa, but it keeps getting returned because apparently I’m not writing the address correctly. For those of you who use DHL to send packages to Addis, do you just use the person’s name and phone number, or do you include a specific address? What exactly do you put for the address? Please help!

Clubs with good afrobeats, rnb snd rap or mainstream pop

Dear Ethiopians,

For far too long, we have behaved as though Ethiopia were the only country on Earth and Ethiopians were the only people competing for opportunities.

But there are people beyond our mountains and nations beyond our horizons.

While we remain preoccupied with one another, the rest of the world is busy innovating, building industries, advancing technology, creating wealth, and competing in global markets.

The world is not made up only of Amhara, Oromo, Tigray, Gurage, and other Ethiopian communities. It is also home to Kenyans, South Africans, Chinese, Europeans, Japanese, and billions of others striving to prosper.

Every hour we spend plotting how to outmaneuver one another is an hour we lose sight of the competition beyond our borders. Our obsession with internal rivalries blinds our eyes to global opportunities and deafens our ears to the sound of progress elsewhere.

We are competing over slices of a small pie while others are busy baking much bigger ones.

Let us lift our eyes beyond our mountains, open our minds beyond our borders, and recognize that our real competition is not merely among ourselves.

The world is moving. It will not slow down while we settle our endless internal rivalries.

It is time to emerge from our illusions. Ethiopia is not the whole world. It is part of a much bigger one.

Lmao