PM, your position on restructuring Ethiopia along ethno-linguistic lines was misguided from the very outset. I am for the very principle and right of ethnic groups to run their administrative affairs (both locally and nationally) by electing representatives that would better understand their psychological make-up, culture and traditions. This can be done with considerable effectiveness and efficiency without resort to ethnic federalism. Much focus should have been given to the ideals rather than to the dangerous project of carving complex geographic entities to put people who speak the same language in one basket. Even then the scheme was not both just and successful—for instance, Oromia does not include all Oromiffaa speaking groups; there are over five million Amharas outside Region 3; Benishangul-Gumuz was named for Benishangul and Gumuz ethnic groups even though the region is also home for other ethnic groups that account for half of the entire population there; Harari people who number no more than 25,000 have their own region while Gurage, Sidama, Wolayta, and Hadiya did not qualify to establish their own regional governments although their respective populations are in million(s).
If you claim to be promoting “equality of all nations and nationalities and peoples in Ethiopia,” you have to demonstrate that in practice that no ethnic group is less or more important than others, which means that each linguistic group should have its own regional government like Harari people! In that case, we would have had more than eighty regional states one for each ethnic group—including Dime, She and Qewama who number in few hundreds! But, considering the current federal system with all its odds and ends, can we say Qewama and Oromo are equal? If not, some ethnic groups must be more equal than others and “equality” does not apply equally to all ethnic groups!
But, as many critics have pointed out, the entire process was not only a shoddy project but also a divide-and-rule strategy designed to foil any concerted and united approach in the struggle for the prevalence of the universal values of democracy, freedom and equality in Ethiopia—values which should not be subject to geographic locations or ethnic affiliation.
So far, to some extent, you appear to have been successful on this since we have seen many Oromo pseudo-intellectuals who find it very rewarding in sitting and cursing Menelik II than condemning your regime which made “the prison speak Oromiffa” under their nose! These pseudo-intellectuals would tell us that Menelik II colonised the South in the late 19th century while Oromo kings and queens (Iyoas I (half Yejju Oromo) and Mentewab (half Quara Oromo), for instance) had already been ruling the country from Gondar in the North more than a century earlier!
At the centre of all these problems lies, Prime Minister, your poisonous ethnic politics—which paved the way first for narrow tribal association and then for the dreams of forming tribe-based sovereign states. Recent news reports coming out from our country clearly show the grave consequences of coddling tribal politics which could still create breeding ground for religious fanaticism, adding fuel to the already burning issues that divide our society. Associating the Northern largely Semitic population with Christianity and the Southern and Eastern Cushitic with Islam has long been used by our enemies as a major political instrument to antagonize and polarize our society into two hostile ethno-religious camps. The growing Islamic fundamentalism in some parts of Oromia and Somali Regions, allegedly sponsored by Arab countries, notably Saudi Arabia, appears to shed some light on this assertion.
We are already tasting the bitter fruits of your ill-advised policies on dividing our nation into Bantustan like ethnic enclaves—which, regrettably, have been reducing the patriotic people of Ethiopia down to the slush of ethnic mania in every aspect of interpersonal relations and social life.
Worse yet, ethno-centric preoccupations have been manifesting themselves in open and violent showdowns between different ethnic groups who seek to maintain complete control over grazing land and farming plots by excluding others whom they consider not to belong to their ethnic exclave. There are a lot of evidences to this. Compared with previous regimes, your reign has seen unprecedented series of inter-ethnic confrontations and disputes over ownership claims of land and landed resources. Since the institutionalization of ethnic federalism with the adoption of the current constitution in 1995, various ethnic groups have bluntly demanded or actively participated in the forced eviction of “stranger” ethnic groups. In some areas (such as Bedeno and Arbagugu) the campaign started as early as 1991 and thousands of “outsiders” were brutally slain in the process. Some even tended to equate ethnic federalism with ethnic cleansing. All in all, the past two decades was marred by ethnic conflicts: between Amharas and Oromo in Arsi area; between the peoples of Wessamo and Tsayte-Kule in Arbaminch area; between Amhara, Kembata, Hadiya, Welayita, Sidama, Tenbaro, Kulo, Dawro and Tigray ethnic groups on the one hand and Oromos on the other in Shashemene area; between indigenous Guji and “outsiders” in Shakiso-Adolla-Oddo-Borre area; between Gedeo ethnic group and “strangers” in Yirgachefe-Fissehagenet-Chelelektu-Bulle-Dilla area; between Gorsa and Hademona ethnic groups in the Dilla area; between Guji and Sidama ethnic groups in Wondogenet area; between Somali and Oromo ethnic groups in Meiso/Hararge area; between Borena Oromo and Konso ethnic groups in Teltelle/Yabelo area; between Koira and Guji Oromo ethnic groups in Amaro Kelle area (SNNPR); between Anuak and Nuer ethnic groups in Gambella, etc.
All these bloody, internecine and inter-ethnic confrontations, without any doubt, were confrontations for controlling adjoining resources—resources that competing ethnic groups endeavour to give their exclusive ethnic banner. Such phenomena are scarcely surprising in a country where we are witnessing “Amhara Buses” or “Oromo Trucks!” Everyone and everything in Ethiopia is getting ethnic identity, thanks to you, Prime Minister!
Prime Minister, on several occasions, you firmly emphasised the sovereignty of nations and nationalities over the sovereignty of the Nation State of Ethiopia. At times even some of your booby cadres (including Sebehat Nega, of course) blackmailed us into accepting article 39 without any scruple or face the disintegration of Ethiopia. For me there seems to be too much myopia in such rhetoric. None will profit from Ethiopia’s dissolution in the first place. Moreover, if you claim to represent the interests of the people of Tigray, shouldn’t safeguarding the unity of Ethiopia be top on your agenda? Aren’t the people of Tigray the ones who would benefit most from a united Ethiopia? Well, let me give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that we are all better off if each ethnic group maintains its “sovereignty” and the right to break away anytime it wishes to do so. Let us start with Oromia. As we saw in the foregoing paragraph, Oromos are parties to most of the ethnic confrontations mentioned. They engaged the Sidama, Konso, Somali, Koira, Amhara, Hadiya, Kembata, etc. Because of its vast area, the Region of Oromia shares boundaries with every region except with that of Tigray. Which means that, given the curse of associating everything from parties to properties with ethnicity, all ethnic groups bordering Oromia have their claims of land against Oromos and vice versa. This is not all. OLF states in its political programme that the Oromo country is about 600,000 sq km in area, which is roughly half of present day Ethiopia! Under the current federal arrangement, Oromia is about 360,000 sq km, which means that OLF has yet to add about 240,000 sq km of land—which certainly will be annexed from Benshagul-Gumuz, Somali, Afar, Amhara, Gambella, and SNNPR. Think of the Imperial Map that Amhara and Tigray will come up with! This may appear nonsense but I don’t think any obsession with political correctness or hypocrisy could be of any help. We must discuss the issue openly and with genuine commitment. Too late to hush up!
The respected Ethiopian scholar and human rights campaigner Prof.Mesfin Wolde Mariam in his book, “The Degeneration of Betrayal” [Yekihidet Qulqulet] correctly describes the ethnically structured administrative regions in Ethiopia as “ethnic satchels” [Yegossa Keretit]. Today many of these ethnic satchels are already full and overflowing. They are replete with hatred, suspicion, distrust, vengeance, egoism, machination, and everything-within-my-ethnic-group-but-nothing-outside-my-group style philosophy of fascism. I don’t know which chronological sequence could be invoked before the law in order to justify the legitimacy of evicting, killing and persecuting ethnic minorities in the various regions of the country. Until the seventh century AD Axumites had ruled from Nubia to Shawa to the Red Sea. During the Middle Ages the Agaws/Amharas had dominated the political arena of the Horn in the footsteps of their Axumite cousins. Following Ahmed Gragn’s invasion the Oromos, launching their miraculous cavalry from south eastern Ethiopia, swept across the region as far as Tigray in the North and ruled in coalition with Amharas until the advent of Emperor Theodros II. The Amharas made successful return to absolute control of the central government when power fell in the hands of the world-renouned Emperor Menelik II in the late 19th century.
Whose is Ethiopia then? On what basis can we legitimately and justly allocate regions/enclaves to each ethnic group? On the basis of historical facts? On the basis of contemporary realities? If we reckon with the constant movements and dynamic features of the various peoples of Ethiopia that took place for a long period of time, no satisfactory job can be done in deciding which belongs to whom. In fact, given this continuous demographic and cultural diffusion, history can convincingly prove that Ethiopia belongs to us all but it cannot prove that some part of it exclusively belongs to some group. It is here where the minefield lies when trying to implement ethnic federalism as a means of accommodating diversity or promoting democracy.
Prime Minister, in May 2008, in an interview with awate.com, you had said the following regarding your view of the necessity of democracy in Ethiopia: “…And I start with the fact that Ethiopia is an extremely diverse society. I start with the fact that previous regimes in Ethiopia have tried to resolve the issue of diversity through homogenization, attempted homogenization, assimilation. I start from the fact that they have completely failed. I start from the fact that the best way of accommodating diversity is democracy. Therefore, in the case of Ethiopia in particular, democracy is not a question of choice; it is a question of survival. Either we accommodate diversity by peaceful means or we implode.”
Certainly you were referring to democracy through ethnic federalism even though the term was not mentioned directly. Your touch on the issues of diversity, homogenization, attempted homogenization, and assimilation are clear indications that you were talking about problems which have to do with ethnic discrimination and oppression. True these are real issues that affect millions of Ethiopians and need to be addressed properly and with utmost urgency. But, one fundamental element missing in your speech was that, while dwelling on the failures of the previous regimes, you deliberately dodged to mention any of the disasters or pitfalls of your regime’s approach. Not even a single instance of ethnic conflict was mentioned! Dodging or concealing the reality may bring short term benefits in terms of prolonging the life of a moribund regime; however, at least from our own experience, concealing the reality has always been the Eve of the demise of oppressive regimes. Haile Selassie did not want to let the world know about the Tigray/Wollo famine in 1973/4, Mengistu unsuccessfully tried to cover up a similar national tragedy in 1984 and your regime, Prime Minister, sarcastically, claimed that rapid economic growth and prosperity, not famine, was the cause for the lack of severe food shortage in southern Ethiopia in 2008!
Prime Minister, I feel it would be morally wrong and historically a big blunder to play hide-and-seek, especially on big and serious issues such as ethnic federalism. We need to open our eyes and see for ourselves what is happening on the ground than linger on useless, irrelevant and sometimes cynical philosophical doctrines and theoretical speculations on ethno-linguistic arrangements to ensure democracy and justice in our country. It has been a complete disaster, to say the least. The only thing ethnic politics has achieved is poisoning an entire generation that has become a heavy national debt whose bulky interest will be paid by losing the next successive generations unless appropriate corrective measures are taken to reverse this grand crime of killing an entire nation.
I myself saw the consequences of this poison in early 2000s when university students lined along ethnic camps and fought against each other. Many were injured (there was even rumour of some death) and a lot of public properties were destroyed. I could not even figure out why students were attacked randomly for the sheer “crime” of belonging to this or that ethnic group. It was a complete nightmare! Many students who had shared dormitories and lockers became enemies, one chasing and threatening to destroy the other. Amharic and Oromigna became two major official languages to identify guerrilla fighters who had fortified on university campus! Amhara, Tigre and many Amharic speaking Ethiopians formed a coalition to defend themselves from any further attack. The escalating crisis was defused with the intervention of the military. Why all this despicable scenario among fellow citizens? There were several other manifestations of how low this generation has descended. I knew students who carried IDs that read “Nationality, Oromian!”
If the outcome of the hastily declared independence of Eritrea is to be any guide, the so called rights of nations and nationalities to secession could not be a viable solution to forge lasting peace and prosperity in the region. Because of its colonization by Italy, Eritrea’s boundaries were more or less unambiguously defined from the rest of Ethiopia as a result of the infamous Treaty of Ucalli/Wuchali 1889, a treacherous treaty that sold Bahr Medri/Eritrea to the Italians. However, this colonial treaty could not be reliable enough to fend off the bloody territorial dispute which claimed the lives of over 100,000 Ethiopians and Eritreans during 1998-2000 border conflict.
During the Ethiopian Student Movement in the early 1970s, a certain Wallelign Mekonnen wrote: “We should never dwell on the subject of secession, but whether it is progressive or reactionary. A Socialist Eritrea and Bale would give a great impetus to the revolution in the country and could form an egalitarian and democratic basis for re-unification.” In the hindsight, we learn that he was completely wrong! Today, much to his false prophecy, Wallelign would turn over in his grave if he were to see how low Shabia and OLF have plunged. Both Fronts could not even resist the temptation of working hand in glove with terrorists to destabilize the region, let alone struggle for the holy cause of creating “egalitarian” and “democratic” basis for re-unification. My perception is that secessionist elements, once poisoned, have hard times to build a sense of trust and centripetal beliefs. This was the key point missed in the go-go years of the late 1960s and early 1970s. If we downplay the practical significance of living as one people in a single nation state of Ethiopia, the alternative would be a basket of eggs pulled on a turbulent wagon, many of the eggs crashing and losing their yolks in the process. A typical zero-sum-game!
My impression is that, Prime Minister, you are well aware that your philosophy of ethnic federalism has failed miserably, but, I suspect, as a human being, your passion for rectitude and faultlessness would not let you admit that you are dead wrong. This is human nature. We all have hard time to accept that others are right even when we are left with no room of defending our position both theoretically and practically. But there are also extraordinary people like former US president Richard Nixon who had the courage to “accept defeat in honour” and end the twenty-one-year long, expensive Vietnam War (1954-1975). Nixon’s bold decision and contempt of hypocrisy eventually brought the long sought victory to all stakeholders of the war, including Americans! Certainly America recovered much of its good name and fortune during Nixon Administration compared with what it had lost under the previous administrations from Eisenhower to Johnson. Prime Minister, why not swallow the poisonous pill of accepting defeat in honour and teach us Ethiopians that we can learn, change and set examples for the existing and upcoming generations?
My Humble Road Map for the Future
– Set up a constitutional enquiry commissiion/committee in collaboration with the House of Federation of Ethiopia who would exhaustively examine the provisions on the questions of self-determination, secession, sovereignty, as well as on the structures of the current regional and federal arrangements and relations between them. This commission shall come up with recommendations for new administrative arrangements that would replace the existing cancer of ethno-linguistic enclaves, while ensuring the rights of people to run their local affairs wherever their locations. Moreover, the nine regional flags should be removed and all Ethiopians, regardless of religious or ethnic affinity, shall gather under one umbrella of Green-Yellow-Red and show the world that we can learn, change and live as civilized people putting our humanity before our ethnicity and judging each other based on the content of our character rather than the colour of our skin or the similarity of our language (Here we should give credit to Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia, an initiative conceived and born by Ethiocentrists such as Mr.Obang Metho and Dr.Golto Aila).
– TPLF/EPRDF must openly admit that ethnicc federalism never was and never will be an Iron Wall that would protect each ethnic group from arbitrary oppression and exploitation by other groups. If ethnically carved regions were invincible strongholds against injustice and extra judicial killings, Ogaden would have been an earthly paradise by now! It must be admitted that ethnic federalism, in the Ethiopian experiment, has only given rise to more conflicts, bloodshed, and destruction of people and properties as a result of the beastly competition and egoistic passion of each group to exclusively control farmland, pasture and water under a single ethnic banner. Looking at the number of clashes between the various ethnic groups over land and pastures in the last twenty years, one does not need a prophet to predict what the situation would be like under complete sovereignty of the various groups. In a country like Ethiopia, where the survival and wealth of 85% of the population is inextricably linked to the size and fertility of their land, it would be suicidal to promote the solidification of ethnic zeal instead of encouraging the flourishing of shared and communal ownership of resources. What do we learn from the breakaway of Eritrea?
– TPLF/EPRDF officials need to understand that, though it appears to be counterintuitive, greater social cohesion and harmony can still be attained under heterogeneous composition than in ethno-linguistic uniformity; all it takes is to educate the public and raise their awareness about the diversity of our culture, languages and ethnic make-up. We cannot bring peace, stability and peaceful co-existence among Ethiopians by simply alienating or “breaking the spinal cord” of real or perceived oppressors. Since 1991, however, TPLF/EPRDF has been using the slogan “the Amharas will come back!” in order to thwart efforts of Ethio-centric movements. Instead of using the name Amhara wholesale as “a scarecrow” to win the support of some eccentric individuals, the government should work hard to break in elements from this ethnic group who may still exhibit symptoms of “feudal mentality” and educate them that Ethiopia can never be brought back to the situation of the 700 year dominance of Amhara rule.
– Revive the passion of Ethiopianism throuugh an innovative, all-inclusive campaign that promotes Ethiopian culture in art, music and literature. This shall include: recognizing Oromigna, Tigrigna, Somaligna and Guragigna as official languages of Ethiopia along side with Amharic and encourage the use of Geez script in writing throughout the country. The Geez script may not be representative of all sounds in all Ethiopian languages but linguists can help here by creating new alphabets to make for missing sounds in each language/dialect variation. Cyrillic, the alphabet used by Eastern Slavic nations, for instance, was developed from the Greek alphabet and new characters were included for sounds not present in Slavic variations.
– Introduce substantive norms and procedurres that govern the recruitment, employment, and transfer of government employees making it easier for job seekers and employees to get employment opportunities outside their provinces/regions. This may be complemented by initiating new rules and regulations that make it compulsory for some types of jobs to meet certain level of ethnic composition in their staff. The overall objective is to encourage Ethiopians to travel, work and conduct business anywhere in their country, which is virtually impossible under the current ethnic fortification.
– Many people have been calling for the reeturn of the fertile lands of Begemidr/Gondar and Wollo that were illegally annexed to enlarge the Tigray region under the auspices of TPLF/EPRDF following the downfall of Derg in 1991. I have no problem if these lands stay under the province of Tigray as long as there are no anti-Ethiopian and divisive conspiracies behind such move. But, the ethnic ramification of the country and the subsequent incorporation of lands from beyond the Tekeze River—the natural border till the mid 1990s– under the “ownership of Tigray” points to the existence of some conspiracy, which, indubitably, emanates from blind ethnic zeal. No one has any doubt concerning the Ethiopianess of Tigray people; but, if the unthinkable happens, do you think we would simply sit and write articles? God forbid! That is why we should abolish all ethnic barriers (including article 39 which invites for secession) so that all Ethiopians can freely travel, re-settle, work and conduct their business chores anywhere in the country without being scared of any ethnic or tribal bogeyman.
– Invite the various liberation fronts andd pressure groups operating in and outside the country to end the longstanding political impasse that has consumed enormous human and material capital in vain for nearly half a century. And the armed fighters, on their part, must show willingness to work together with their Ethiopian compatriots to establish a genuine democratic order in which all questions regarding justice, freedom and equality are guaranteed for all citizens regardless of region, ethnic background or religion. Oromo Liberation Front, Ogaden National Liberation Front and other LFs must admit that, at least in the Ethiopian context, the various groups cannot live independently and as good neighbours without endless bloodshed and conflict. It is important to note that Ethiopian Somalis and Oromos have been clashing for the control of the town of Meiso in Hararge even before they declare their independence! In this regard, I would urge the OLF leadership to come to its senses and realize that the slogan of an “Independent Oromia” is completely impractical and even with the unlikely probability of having the State of Oromia, it would certainly be a Pyrrhic victory for Oromo people.
Prime Minister, on the eve of the Ethiopian Millennium, you described Ethiopia as “the greatness of Africa’s past and the worst of Africa’s present.” I hope, with love, unity, and cooperation, there is no doubt that we will pull ourselves out of this worst situation in terms of poverty and restore the pride and glory of our nation in the near future. Why focus on language and ethnicity? Language has its own evolution. Ge’ez is dead but Axum stands tall and lively; Agawigna is on the downward spiral but Lalibela remains fresh and splendid. Let us leave the issue of ethnicity to individual choice and to the sociologist/biochemist that might have some intellectual interest in it and focus on building genuine democracy which guarantees the individual the freedom to choose which ethnic group to associate with or where to settle for the rest of his life.
I do not rule out the possibility that dictators can change though I am not so gullible to believe that all dictators will. Jerry John Rawlings had ruled Ghana without constitution for more than a decade before he could lay the strong foundations for Ghana’s democracy in 1992. Prime Minister, undoubtedly, your starting position was much better than Rawlings’ who had neither parliament nor a legal document which put restraint on his power. You started with a legislature and a constitution even though most of the time you fail to respect it. You like it or not, if you consistently rebuff the call to change for good, your regime will eventually be overthrown like all dictatorial regimes in history. But the demise of your regime will be different. It will be different because it won’t be an honourable death. If, however, you take elections 2010 as another opportunity to repair all the broken hearts from the previous general elections and re-start with a new spirit and new vision for your country and your people(s), there is no reason that Ethiopians won’t forgive you and pardon all your past sins and blunders.
Prime Minister, after 18 years in power, the news about our country is still about grinding poverty, galloping inflation, large scale famine, recurrent wars and ethnic conflicts, high unemployment and migration of the young, etc. It appears that your policies, programmes and strategies have failed miserably on the economic, political, administrative and social fronts and I think it is high time you gave the chance to others who would kick-start with new spirit and fresh thoughts. But, recently I was shocked to hear that your puppet electoral board passed new electoral laws that would ban political parties that did not participate in two successive previous elections from participating in Elections 2010. It seems that, by eliminating political parties in such a way, you endeavour to make 2010 a special event–“Elections EPRDF!”
And Finally Release Birtukan Mideksa and all other political prisoners in Ethiopia as a gesture of good will and forgiveness for the New Year and teach us by example how tolerance and forgiveness should constitute the cultural substrate for democracy to flourish.
