Jawar Mohammed is an Ethiopian-born American political analyst and activist. One of the founders of the Oromia Media Network, Jawar was a leading organizer of the 2016 Ethiopian protests and the key intellectual inspiration for the International Oromo Youth Association, popularly known as Qeerroo. With 1.75 million Facebook followers, he is a popular figure amongst many Oromos; however, he has been controversial.
Early life and education
Jawar Mohammed was born on 12 May 1986 in the small town of Dhumuga, Arsi Province bordering Hararghe. His father was Muslim Arsi Oromo while his mother was an Orthodox Christian Tulama Oromo; their inter-religious union was considered novel but was ultimately accepted by the community. Jawar began his formal education at a Catholic school in Asella former capital of the Arsi Province. He then attended secondary school in Adama until 2003, when he was awarded a scholarship to study at the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore, from which he graduated in 2005. He described his experience at the UWC as awakening his consciousness to his own Oromo identity. He then studied at Stanford University, graduating in 2009 with a degree in political science. He went on to pursue graduate studies in human rights at Columbia University, receiving a master's degree in 2012.
Activism
In 2006, while a student at Stanford, Jawar founded the International Oromo Youth Association, intended to serve as an umbrella organization for Oromo youth groups around the world. The IOYA has engaged in advocacy in front of United Nations bodies in Geneva and held demonstrations to protest Ethiopian government policy. Jawar first gained prominence as a writer and speaker on Oromo and Ethiopian politics, chiefly amongst the US-based diaspora. He was a notable critic of the Oromo Liberation Front and their perceived failure to effect meaningful political change in Ethiopia or to advance Oromo interests. Jawar has been an important political coordinator for the Qeerroo youth movement, even in exile. During the Oromo Protests, He has campaigned and called protests in Oromia. One of the rally is the Oromo grand protest across 200 cities in Oromia including its capital cityFinfinne in August 2016. Following the escalated protests, Ethiopian government censored internet, and satellite TV channels and accused him for leading the protest. The government also carried out cyber-attack against him. After his interview with Aljazeera, in which he replied "I am Oromo first" for the question "Are you Oromo first or Ethiopian first?" Although his answer was a view of millions of Oromos, some Ethiopians have started campaign and requested Aljazeera to fire the journalist. They demonized and defamed him and alleged he had ties with global jihadists. Following his return to Ethiopia in 2018, he has been accused of stoking inter-ethnic tensions and mob violence. In October 2019, he reported that, late at night, members of the police had attempted to force his security detail to vacate the grounds of his home in Addis Ababa; alleging they planned to later mobilize a mob and intimating they were doing so at the behest of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The previous day, the prime minister gave a speech in parliament in which he accused "media owners who don’t have Ethiopian passports" of "playing it both ways," a thinly-veiled reference to Jawar, adding that "if this is going to undermine the peace and existence of Ethiopia... we will take measures." The reports sparked nationwide clashes by the Qeerroo, leaving at least 67 people dead, including five police officers. After weeks of clashes had ended, Abiy said the death toll had risen to 86.
Arrest
On June 30 2020, Jawar was arrested by Ethiopian Federal police after an incident between Jawar's guards and police that resulted in the death of a police officer. The incident happened when Jawar and his guards intercepted the transportation of the corpse of Hachalu Hundessa, a popular Ethiopian singer who was murdered, to his home town of Ambo, that lies 100 km west of Addis Ababa. Jawar wanted to have the funeral in Addis Ababa while Hachalu's parents and wife wanted to have the burial in Ambo. 35 people, including Jawar, were apprehended along with eight Kalashnikovs, five pistols and nine radio transmitters. Jawar was initially detained at Addis Ababa Police Commission premises and later found at an underground cell at an unofficial detention location near the Federal Police headquarters in Mexico Square on 14 July.
