The great Bob
Marley always sang songs of African unity and liberation:
How good and how pleasant it
would be before God and man, To see the unification of
all Africans. Africans unite for the benefit of your people! As it’s been said a’ready, let it be done!
“How good and
how pleasant it would be before God and man, to see unity among all
Ethiopians!”
A nation divided by race, tribe and
ethnicity is doomed to poverty, ignorance and strife. I have always marveled at
the majestic opening phrases in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: “We the
People of the United States, in Order to form a perfect Union…” For all their
flaws, failings and imperfections, the Founders of the American Republic
succeeded in establishing a United States of America in 1787.
Fourscore and
seven years later, when Americans faced a more certain disunion in the Civil
War, they incurred great loss of life to keep their unity and national
integrity intact. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer running for a U.S. Senate
seat in the state of Illinois, had no reservations in defending the
indivisibility and unity of the American people, including those who were not
included in the original “We the People”. He admonished, “A house divided
against itself cannot stand. I believe this government
cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free”. In 1984, another
Illinoisan named Jesse Jackson campaigning to become U.S. president explained,
“America is not like a blanket — one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color,
the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt: many patches,
many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and
held together by a common thread.” In 2004, yet another lawyer from Illinois,
Barack Obama, boldly declared: “There is not a liberal America and a
conservative America – there is the United States of America. There is not a
Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America –
there’s the United States of America.” In 2009, in Accra, Ghana, President Obama
blasted identity, tribal and ethnic politics as a canker in the African body
politics and blight on the souls of all Africans: “We all have many identities
– of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in
opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a
different prophet, has no place in the 21st century.”
Is it possible
for the Ethiopian house to be divided against itself and remain standing? Is
there a place for tribal and ethnic politics in Ethiopia in the second decade
of the 21st Century? Is there any reason why we cannot declare with pride and
determination that there is not an Oromo Ethiopia, Amhara
Ethiopia, Tigray Ethiopia, Gurage
Ethiopia, Gambella Ethiopia, Afar Ethiopia, Ogaden Ethiopia and so many others, but just one Ethiopia
for the Oromo, the Amhara, the Tigrean,
the Gurage, the Anuak, the Ogadeni… the Orthodox, the Muslim, the Protestant and so
many others? Is it not true that Ethiopia, like America, is also “many patches,
many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common
thread”? I believe that common thread to be “Ethiopia-nity”,
which simply means Ethiopians held together NOT by their tribal, ethnic and
religious affiliation but by the bonds of their common humanity, history and
culture.
The overlords
of divide and rule harangue us daily that we must put our ethnicity above our
humanity. They tell us that they do not give a damn whether Ethiopia even
exists at all. They shrug their shoulders with depraved indifference and
benighted hubris and proclaim, “If Ethiopia disintegrates, so be it. It was not
meant to be.” By whom was it not meant to be?!? Certainly not by Providence.Certainly
not by the children of Ethiopia.
For the past
two decades, they have been repackaging tribal politics in a fancy wrapper called
“ethnic federalism.” They have segregated the Ethiopian people by
ethno-tribal classification and corralled them like cattle in grotesque regional
political units called “kilils” (literally
means “reservation”) or glorified apartheid-style Bantustans or tribal
homelands. They have auctioned off large chunks of the country for pennies to
international land grabbers. They have secretly delivered large stretches of
the country to a neighboring country. They have facilitated the breakup of the
country and now stand as the fierce defenders of the national integrity and
inviolability of the sovereignty of those who have chosen to separate themselves
from Ethiopia. Yet these architects of division and partition have the
audacity to proclaim Ethiopia’s unity was never meant to be!!
To some
extent, they have succeeded in fraying the delicate fabric of Ethiopian society
and ripping out the sinews out of the Ethiopian body politics. They have sown
the seeds of ethnic hatred and watered it with violence, corruption and
repression. They have destroyed the peace and harmony of the Ethiopian people
and replaced it with the jangling discord of suspicion, distrust and fear. But
the times, they are a-changing! Ethiopians are standing up and declaring kilil-ism, tribalism and ethnic antagonism were
never meant for Ethiopia. What was meant for
Ethiopia, they say, is liberty, equality and fraternity in national unity. They
say Ethiopians are ordained to enjoy their Ethiopianity;
they are not destined to be the helpless victims of the politics of identity
and ethnicity or of the criminal practices of brutality and inhumanity.
Oromo
Liberation Front Embraces Ethiopian Unity
In an extraordinary announcementfollowing a National Council
meeting in Minneapolis, MN on December 30-31, 2011, the Oromo Liberation Front
(OLF) repudiated its “advocacy for the establishment of an Oromo state” and
proclaimed its “new vision” and “aspiration to establish one country with other
Ethiopians under a genuine federal arrangement that must guarantee the rights,
equality and liberty of all Ethiopians…. The OLF would struggle not only for
the Oromo people but also the people of Ethiopia suffering under the tyranny
and oppression of the TPLF regime.” It seems the OLF declaration makes a simple
but powerful statement: “Kilil-ism,
tribalism and ethnic antagonism are not meant for Ethiopia.”
The OLF’s
reasons for changing its long-held position on establishing an Oromo state
appear to be premised on a number of self-evident facts: 1) the need to end the
“suffering of the Ethiopian people under the dictatorship of MelesZenewi” by “working with
all democratic forces in Ethiopia”; 2) the necessity of “forming the new
Ethiopia that will guarantee and protect the fundamental rights of all peoples
in Ethiopia” and 3) the need for the establishment of a “federal democratic
republic” that is “based on the free will and consent of all peoples in
Ethiopia.”
The OLF’s
National Council urged “all democratic forces to work in tandem to make
Ethiopia a common home for all its people” and called “on the international
community to desist from supporting the tyrannical regime of MelesZenawi that is engaged in
terrorizing the Ethiopian people, selling the precious resources of the country
to the highest bidders” and disrespecting “principles of democracy, human
rights and rule of law.” It challenged “fellow Ethiopians to work with the OLF
in a spirit of trust in order to establish the new Ethiopia, where democracy,
justice, respect for human rights and rule of law will be the founding values.”
Unity is the
Only Cure for the Destructive Politics of Identity and Ethnicity in Africa
The OLF
declaration is surprising, historic, refreshing and singularly instructive. But
the historic significance of the announcement can be appreciated only when it
is contextualized within the broader framework of contemporary African
politics. In many parts of Africa today, we see individuals, political leaders,
groups and organizations of all stripes stoking the fires of ethnic and tribal
hatred, fanning the flames of sectarian and religious violence and instigating
all forms of strife, dissension and enmity. Just over the past year, we have
witnessed in some of the most advanced countries in Africa the consequences of
ethnic and religious warfare. In Cote d’Ivoire, we saw Laurent Gbagbo divide the country by region and religion and
sacrifice the lives of thousands of his citizens in a futile attempt to cling
to power. He failed and is now facing justice at the International Criminal
Court. In Nigeria today, we see violent confrontations orchestrated by
individuals, leaders, groups and militias along ethnic and religious lines. In
a disturbing pattern, it is becoming quite clear that increasing numbers of
Nigerians are giving precedence to their ethnic identity and subordinating
their allegiance to the Nigerian nation. Will these separatist movements
eventually dismember the Nigerian nation along geographic and religious lines? Uganda
faces threats by a vicious group known not only for its widespread human rights
violations, but also for its utterly barbaric practices of sexual enslavement
of women and abducting children to become soldiers.
It is in the
broader African context that we can truly appreciate and admire the actions of
the OLF in dropping its long-held demands for secession and public commitment
to work hand in hand with “fellow Ethiopians in a spirit of trust to establish
the new Ethiopia, where democracy, justice, respect for human rights and rule
of law will be the founding values.” When the trend in parts of Africa is to
strengthen tribal and ethnic loyalty and dissolve the bonds of national unity,
it is extraordinary for the OLF to boldly declare its mission to work for the
common humanity of all Ethiopians and usher in a new era of peace and national
reconciliation.
It does not
seem that it was easy for the OLF to finally come to this position. There
appears to have been a great deal of give and take within the organization on
the issues. Some members appear to have had reservations for a variety of
reasons; but the leadership deserves much credit for having the vision to see
the forest for the trees, for asking the tough questions and for understanding
that the stale cynical political arguments of the past must be replaced with
fresh forward-looking ideas that can produce results for a durable peace and
genuine reconciliation. The leadership deserves much credit for being
open-minded and for accepting the fact that it is necessary to change with the
times and new realities. The realities today are different than they were ten
or twenty years ago. Aligning one’s thinking and actions with changing
realities and circumstances is a sign of wisdom and political maturity. It has
been said that “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot
change their minds cannot change anything.”
Is there
anything the rest of us can learn from the OLF’s declaration?
I have drawn
many lessons about leadership, courage and the need to change with the times.
In my thinking, the OLF declaration embodies the simple principle I have always
upheld and fiercely defended: “Choose your humanity before your ethnicity and
nationality.” Doing it the other way around is downright insanity. With its
declaration, I believe the OLF has chosen to replace the old ideology of
factionalism and secessionism with a new ideology of unity, cooperation and
collaboration. It has chosen to speak not just for Oromos,
but just as vigorously for all Ethiopians who have become voiceless, voteless, helpless and powerless. The OLF has chosen to
speak for them in the common language of all humanity– equality, justice,
democracy and freedom.
I believe a
divided nation is a defeated nation. In unity there is victory. When the OLF
declares that it “would struggle not only for the Oromo people but also the
people of Ethiopia suffering under the tyranny and oppression of the TPLF
regime,” I understand that to mean there is no substitute for the victory of
democracy and human rights in Ethiopia; but the price of that victory is unity
around a common purpose and destiny. Unity is the crucible for cooperation,
collaboration and effective collective action.
The process of
unifying a people is difficult and the road to unity is often littered with the
debris of historical grievances, rancor and bitterness. That road must be
repaved and repaired with good will and new values of dignity and equality in a
genuine understanding of a common humanity. The search for and achievement of
unity does not happen overnight, nor does unity by itself solve all problems.
But where there is unity among the people, they are in a much better position
to resolve disputes and solve problems. Where there is unity, the disagreement
is never about the destination, only about the paths to be taken to that
destination.
Unity in a
given nation is always a work in progress. The Americans are still trying to
make a perfect union 225 years after they began their journey. The work of
unity in Ethiopia should be less cumbersome because seventy percent of the
population is said to be young people. We can remain confidently optimistic
that the new generation will replace the destructive politics of identity of
the old generation with the transformative politics of humanity, equality,
dignity and unity.
Even utopian
Ethiopians know that as we work for unity, they will be working double overtime
for disunity. For every act done to create trust, they will fabricate ten acts
to create suspicion and distrust. It is said that a thousand mile journey
begins with the first step. In making its declaration, the OLF has taken a
giant leap for all Ethiopians. Each one of us must now take our own small steps
for our Ethiopianity (humanity before ethnicity or
nationality).
Fierce Urgency
of Now
What time is
it? It is high time for all Ethiopians to come together. If there is one thing
we can learn from the OLF declaration, it is that none of us can survive
without each other. None of us can hope to prosper while the rest are
disenfranchised and subjugated. None of us can make progress while the rest
regress or stand still. We are now faced with the fierce urgency of creating
the conditions of unity now. Why? Because genuine national unity is a necessary
precondition to feed the starving masses, those 12 million Ethiopians who
survive on international handouts every year. It is the foundation upon which
the proper education and nurturing of the youth which comprises sevety percent of the population. Unity is necessary to
ensure a vibrant economy that provides equal opportunity to all and guarantee respect
for human rights.
All
organizations committed to democracy, the rule of law and human rights must
unite and become an example for the people to unite. Pro-democracy leaders and
organizations should come out, stand up, step forward and make a declaration of
faith in the unity of the Ethiopian people and pledge to subordinate their
narrow political or other interests to the cause of a strong united Ethiopia.
They must pledge to avoid the politics of fear and smear and condemn the
politics of identity and ethnicity wherever it rears its ugly head. It is an
act of supreme courage to embrace Ethiopian unity on a foundation of our common
humanity.
In 2012, we
are living in revolutionary times. The “Arab Spring” continues to show the
historic struggle people are undertaking to live in dignity– the right to
choose their own leaders, to speak freely and to demand accountability and
transparency of those who exercise power. People are making great sacrifices to
live freely in a country where the government fears the people and not the
other way around. Back in 1967, Dr. Martin L. King spoke of similar times:
“These are revolutionary times. All over the globe men are revolting against
old systems of exploitation and oppression, and out of the wounds of a frail world,
new systems of justice and equality are being born. The shirtless and barefoot
people of the land are rising up as never before. ‘The people who sat in
darkness have seen a great light.’”
Revolutionary
times demand courageous, enlightened and ethical revolutionary leaders who
value the common good over private and narrow interests. Such leaders bring unity
where there is strife; love where there is hatred; trust where
there is suspicion; determination where there is hesitation; healing
where there is hurt; reconciliation where there discord; wisdom where
there is foolishness; knowledge where there is ignorance; truth where
there is falsehood; tolerance where there is bigotry and prejudice; honesty
where is duplicity; hope where there is despair and dedication where
there is apathy and indifference. There is a fierce urgency for Ethiopian
leaders with these very special qualities to come forward. We need “leaders
tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes,
humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient
enough to bounce back and keep on moving.”
Some are
perfectly willing to cast the fate of Ethiopia to the wind and say, “If
Ethiopia disintegrates, so be it. It was not meant to be.” But it is the
privilege of the utopian Ethiopian to declare with absolute certainty and pride
that the unity of all Ethiopians is divinely ordained. It is the dream of the
same utopian Ethiopian to look forward to the day when Ethiopians– men and
women, young and old, rich and poor, city dwellers and country folks, the
learned and illiterate and those of diverse faiths and languages– will
assemble and issue a Great Charter announcing to the world: “We, the People of
Ethiopia, in order to form a more perfect Union…”
“How good
and how pleasant it would be before God and man, to see unity among all
Ethiopians!”
