Viewpoint

Repression in Ethiopia is broadened to unlimited extent regardless of age, sex, religion and ethnicity across the society. Torture and beating are the daily occurrences in prison cells across the country. Innocent people are persecuted without due process. Democratic rights of the people have long been snatched away. No freedom of assembly. No freedom of press, demonstration and civic activism. All in all, there is no freedom to exercise democratic rights and respect for human rights. Ethiopia is being a prison nation for its citizens and locked by one party led by one man.

Despite the deep-seated crisis in the country, opposition parties, civic organizations, different societal groups, prominent individuals in Ethiopia and abroad could not come together to make a solid and unified power that is able to rescue the country and its citizens from a repressive regime. One can mention many reasons for the failure of Ethiopians to unify their resources and stand in unison against a common enemy.

But here only one facet of the problem would be discussed: the negative connotations in our daily language which transcends negative senses to fellow Ethiopians. What our fellow Ethiopians from Tigray feel about the word Wayanne? Should we continue using the word Wayanne to express the regime in Addis Ababa? What can we learn from where the Meles regime used the word ‘neftegna’ in a distorted and negative sense to harass and massacre Ethiopians by inciting violence among major ethnic groups such as Amhara and Oromo? What should we embrace in our language as a new strategy for unity and democracy in Ethiopia?

Let us look into the main concerns these questions would tell us. The daily language we use in our struggle may have negative repercussions to the minds of many Ethiopians. Recently, prominent individuals from Tigray voiced their concern of using the word wayanne in our struggle. They believe that the TPLF/EPRDF regime is a Stalinist regime in Ethiopia. TPLF is undemocratic in its nature. It can’t be any different to the people of Tigray or the rest of Ethiopia.

In early days, the TPLF struggle was known by the name Wayanne, reclaiming a one time name from the peoples’ revolt in Tigray against its governors in the mean time. The TPLF struggle in the sense of that early day revolt was dead and the name Wayanne which expressed that bold peoples’ revolt had gone with it. Genuine founders and fighters of the TPLF with the spirit of the wayanne revolt were killed by the Meles-Sibahat mafia group. Many died in prison cells and others were in disarray and exile. The spirit of the wayanne revolt and the positive connotations the name wayanne carried over the years had ended there and buried forever. The sacrifice the people of Tigray and the rest of Ethiopians paid under the wayanne struggle had become an unfruitful attempt for Ethiopian freedom and democracy. It now becomes history for Tigreans and the rest of Ethiopians.

But now Tigreans are under repressions and dictatorship like the rest of Ethiopians by a mafia group led by meles Zenawi under the cover of the organization TPLF/EPRDF. In the eyes of the majority of fellow Ethiopians in Tigray, TPLF/EPRDF is an organization controlled by few individual murderers, but still try to exploit the famous name ‘Wayanne’ as a cover for their menace. Thus, the enemy of Tigreans and the rest of Ethiopians was not the group under the name ‘Wayanne’ in the early days but the mafia group now under the name TPLF/EPRDF in Addis Ababa.

Let us look into another parallel before we come up with concluding remarks. This mafia group in Ethiopia for the last 15 years tried to its utmost effort to incite ethnic violence specially between ethnic Amhara and Oromo. To put its diabolical plan into effect, the group promoted hate as a useful tool and made diversion and misrepresentations of historical facts of the feudal system in Ethiopia. They picked up the word ‘neftegna’ which they meant solely to represent Amhara people. This is thoroughly out of the context of a historical reality. Then with the help of some opportunists both from the Amhara and Oromo people, they portrayed ‘neftegna’ – which they mean Amhara – as the sole enemy of the Oromo people. Their well trained cadres in hatred mobilized some innocent people and the armed militias to raise arms against their own folks with whom they have lived harmoniously for ages. The group continued its maltreatment of the people. Any peaceful movement for democracy and human rights is criminalized as a neftegna movement. This act of the Meles regime to some extent created suspicion, split and confusion among the oromo and Amhara people and had practically dragged back the much needed unified struggle for democracy over tyranny.

Now Ethiopians intensify their power to combat dictatorship which they usually refer Wayanne regime in the country. But many prominent Ethiopians from Tigray do not agree to continue using the word “Woyane” as it is being misused by the Mafia group in power to its own advantage. They argue that the Wayanne struggle was a one time genuine movement in Tigray. But that had long been gone and become history. It is not something we should condemn today. Tigreans now even though under brutal repression fight against dictatorship where and whenever is possible. But they expressed their concern that the Ethiopians’ movement against Wayanne transcends suspicion among Tigreans as does neftegna to Amhara.

The overall effect on the struggle for freedom and democracy might be weakened cooperation and commitment from Tigreans. It prolongs probably the victory of democracy over tyranny. The time, however, is urgent for unity and unwavering commitment. Therefore, there is a need to consider a change in strategy to utilize the capacity of Ethiopians in all spheres for a unified democratic Ethiopia. We need to consult and discuss among ourselves including eminent Ethiopian scholars and individuals from Tigray and select a word or phrase representing the regime in Ethiopia today.

Such a discussion and concensus would help us come together from all sectors of Ethiopia. Such a step in our struggle for freedom and democracy neutralizes the pain in the hearts of fellow Ethiopians. In contrast it is a setback for the TPLF/EPRDF regime in its plan for planting bombs across various ethnic lines in the country.

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