Endalk-Chala/Crowdsourcing-Rebellion

Research on digital diasporas and insurgent financing in Ethiopia, analyzing crowdfunding patterns and Oromo diaspora political mobilization with R visualizations. # **Crowdsourcing Rebellion: Digital Diasporas and Insurgent Financing in Ethiopia** ### _A Research Collaboration by Endalkachew Chala, Dr. Seife Ayal Asfaw, and Dr. Terrence Lyons_ --- ## **Overview** This repository hosts the data, code, and visualizations for the research project titled **“Crowdsourcing Rebellion: Digital Diasporas and Insurgent Financing in Ethiopia.”** The project investigates how Ethiopian insurgent groups—specifically the **Fano militia**, the **Oromo Liberation Army (OLA)**, and the **Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)**—utilize digital fundraising platforms and transnational networks to mobilize financial support, shape political narratives, and sustain resistance operations. Preliminary results were presented at the **International Studies Association (ISA) Conference in March 2025**, and the final study is forthcoming in *Civil Wars Journal*. --- ## **Research Context** The digital transformation of insurgent strategy is reshaping how rebel movements finance operations, build legitimacy, and engage with diaspora supporters. Ethiopia’s post-2018 political trajectory—characterized by deepening ethnic cleavages and escalating conflict in the **Amhara**, **Oromia**, and **Tigray** regions—presents a unique case to explore this phenomenon. Each of these regions has become a hub of insurgency, while also anchoring **active and politically engaged diaspora communities** in North America and Europe. This research analyzes **39 GoFundMe campaigns** launched between 2019 and 2024 by diaspora communities affiliated with these regions: - **12 campaigns** connected to the **Amhara diaspora** (largely in support of Fano), - **11 campaigns** tied to the **Tigrayan diaspora** (supporting the TPLF during its period of armed resistance), - **16 campaigns** initiated by the **Oromo diaspora** (in alignment with OLA-affiliated or sympathetic initiatives). --- ## **Theoretical Framework** The study is grounded in two conceptual frameworks: - …