Human rights issues have played a central role in political conflicts and wars throughout much of Ethiopia's history Oppressed nationalities' rights to self-determination, freedom of expression, and land reform are just a few of such issues that have ignited conflict, and consequently, resulted in the waves of refugees fleeing from the country One hundred years after its creation, Ethiopia still shows minimal progress in terms of political development or respect for human rights The exodus of Oromo refugees has been particularly exacerbated by the present government's human tights violations.. In essence, such an exodus is indicative of a country's socia-political malaise. The malaise, characteristic of Ethiopia, is rooted in the creation ofthe Ethiopian state at the end of the nineteenth century One can thus assume that the country's current political crisis cannot be disentangled from its past.