By The Habesha News Desk
October 3, 2025
Introduction: Tradition, Power, and Identity
Waaqeffanna (also known as Wake Fena) is the indigenous faith of the Oromo people, centered on reverence for Waaq, the sky God. Over time, however, the majority of Oromos embraced world religions: today, an estimated 48–50% identify as Muslim, while 45–47% are Christian, primarily Ethiopian Orthodox or Protestant.
Only a small minority still openly practice Waaqeffanna. Current estimates suggest that 2–3% of the Oromo population — roughly 1 to 1.5 million people out of Ethiopia’s ~45 million Oromos — continue to follow the faith.
Yet Waaqeffanna’s influence extends far beyond its formal adherents. Many Oromo Muslims and Christians preserve cultural traditions rooted in the religion, most notably through the Irreecha thanksgiving festival, which remains one of the most significant expressions of Oromo identity and heritage.
Why does Waaqeffanna, a faith practiced by only a small minority of Oromos (2–3%), dominate Ethiopian headlines today? The answer lies less in numbers than in symbols. Despite its limited formal following, the indigenous monotheistic religion of the Oromo — centered on Waaq, the sky deity — continues to shape Oromo cultural identity. Its annual thanksgiving festival, Irreecha, is attended not only by adherents but also by millions of Oromo Muslims and Christians.
For the ruling Prosperity Party (PP), this intersection of minority religion and majority culture presents both an opportunity and a dilemma. Waaqeffanna embodies Oromo pride and heritage, but also fuels debates about recognition, authenticity, and the role of indigenous belief in national politics. The central question is whether the Prosperity Party seeks to embrace Waaqeffanna as genuine diversity — or exploit it as a symbolic prop for civic nationalism.
This article explores the issue through three lenses: minority faith, cultural force, and political tension.
Historical Roots of Waaqeffanna and Oromo Identity
Origins and Beliefs
Waaqeffanna upholds Waaq as the supreme creator, the ultimate source of justice, and the guardian of moral order. Its rituals are traditionally performed in open spaces beneath sacred trees, where spiritual leaders known as qaallu preside, transmitting wisdom and guidance through oral tradition. Core values such as nagaa (peace), safuu (moral balance), and ayeeyyee (blessing) are not only embedded in religious practice but also remain vital pillars of Oromo social and cultural life.
Role in Pre-Colonial Society
Far more than a religion, Waaqeffanna provided the spiritual foundation of the Gadaa system, the Oromo’s indigenous democratic order. Under Gadaa, leadership rotated every eight years, guided by ritual legitimacy and moral authority. Through Waaqeffanna, the Oromo conducted marriages, harvests, peace treaties, and collective governance, ensuring that spirituality and politics were intertwined.
Syncretism and Survival
With the spread of Islam and Christianity, many Oromo communities adopted new faiths without abandoning Waaqeffanna’s cultural frameworks. Even today, Oromo Christians and Muslims attend Irreecha, seek blessings from elders, and use Waaqeffanna idioms in daily speech. Over time, this syncretism reduced Waaqeffanna to a minority religion, yet ensured its cultural resilience across centuries.
The Prosperity Party and the Politics of Identity
From EPRDF to Prosperity Party
Created in 2019 under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Prosperity Party dissolved the old EPRDF coalition to form a single, centralized political organization. Its ideology blends civic nationalism, economic liberalism, and a unifying discourse of “Medemer” (synergy). Officially, PP claims inclusivity, promising respect for Ethiopia’s diverse peoples, languages, and religions.
Civic Nationalism vs. Ethnic Federalism
The PP presents itself as an antidote to ethnic politics. But critics argue that its civic nationalism masks a centralizing agenda, reducing ethnic and cultural self-rule. For Oromos, this raises fears that distinct identities will be absorbed into a state narrative that favors unity over autonomy. In this context, the public staging of Waaqeffanna becomes politically loaded.
Silence on Indigenous Faiths
While PP rhetoric affirms “religious inclusion,” party platforms focus on Christianity and Islam, leaving Waaqeffanna largely invisible in official policy. There is no outright hostility, but also little support. Permits for Waaqeffanna ceremonies are harder to obtain, adherents are rarely represented in leadership, and state resources seldom support indigenous rituals. In practice, the majority faiths dominate, while indigenous belief is marginalized by omission.
Irreecha: Cultural Festival or Political Stage?
The annual Irreecha festival illustrates the paradox. For Oromo communities, Irreecha is a spiritual thanksgiving — gratitude for rains, harvests, and peace. For many Oromo Christians and Muslims, it is cultural heritage. But for the state, it has become a political theater.
In Addis Ababa and Bishoftu, Irreecha ceremonies are televised and framed as national unity events. Government officials appear in traditional Oromo dress, invoking diversity while sidestepping the deeper faith behind the rituals. Critics argue that this instrumentalization of Waaqeffanna reduces sacred practices to cultural showcases, stripping them of their spiritual meaning while exploiting them for political gain.
Waaqeffanna in Oromo Nationalism and Protest
Even as a minority faith, Waaqeffanna plays a symbolic role in Oromo resistance. Activists and intellectuals invoke Waaq and Irreecha to assert Oromo identity, rights, and dignity. Mass gatherings at Irreecha often double as platforms for political mobilization, with chants for freedom, equality, and recognition.
For some Oromo leaders, including figures like Jawar Mohammed, Waaqeffanna’s revival is less about theology than about cultural authenticity. By emphasizing indigenous faith, they seek to reclaim Oromo history from state homogenization and highlight the community’s distinct contribution to Ethiopia’s pluralism.
Prosperity Party’s Political Calculus
Why does the Prosperity Party emphasize Waaqeffanna despite its small following? Several factors explain this paradox:
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Safe Symbolism: Highlighting Waaqeffanna allows the state to acknowledge Oromo identity without empowering the politically stronger blocs of Oromo Muslims and Christians.
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Distraction from Crisis: At a time of war, economic decline, and unrest, cultural festivals provide images of unity and normalcy.
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Oromo Legitimacy: For Abiy Ahmed, who faces accusations of betraying Oromo aspirations, invoking indigenous rituals offers a way to appear rooted in Oromo culture.
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Control of Narrative: By managing Irreecha ceremonies, the government can neutralize their potential as protest sites, reframing them as state-sponsored celebrations.
Challenges and Marginalization
For genuine Waaqeffanna adherents, life remains difficult:
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Recognition: The faith is rarely acknowledged in official religious forums.
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Access to Resources: Sites and festivals receive little state support compared to Christian and Muslim institutions.
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Representation: Few adherents hold political office or positions of influence.
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Social Stigma: Practices like buttering sacred trees or consulting elders are sometimes dismissed as “primitive,” further discouraging open identification.
Thus, while Waaqeffanna’s cultural shadow is vast, its institutional standing is fragile.
Conclusion: Between Heritage and Instrumentalization
Waaqeffanna remains a minority religion, yet a major cultural force. For Oromos, it symbolizes resilience, continuity, and identity. For the Prosperity Party, it is a convenient tool — useful for imagery, but inconvenient as a genuine faith.
This tension — between sincere heritage and political exploitation — lies at the heart of Oromo discontent. Unless Ethiopia’s leaders recognize Waaqeffanna as more than symbolic garnish, the Oromo struggle for dignity will persist. The path forward demands more than televised rituals; it requires legal recognition, policy support, and genuine pluralism.
Only by treating indigenous beliefs with respect — not as props for power — can Ethiopia hope to bridge its divides and build a future where diversity is honored, not manipulated.