Sun 16 March 2014 Photograph: Rich Schultz/Getty Images Sean Ingle Mo Farah insists that his preparations for next month’s London marathon remain on track despite reports that he was unconscious for three minutes after collapsing at the end of the…
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Sun 16 March 2014 Photograph: Rich Schultz/Getty Images Sean Ingle Mo Farah insists that his preparations for next month’s London marathon remain on track despite reports that he was unconscious for three minutes after collapsing at the end of the…
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Mar 16, 2014 Pic Source:Totall433 Twenty seven coaches from around the world have sent applications for the Ethiopian coaching position left vacant after the sacking of Sewnet Bishaw in early February. The deadline for the application was last Friday after…
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Mar 16, 2014 Pic Source:Totall433 Twenty seven coaches from around the world have sent applications for the Ethiopian coaching position left vacant after the sacking of Sewnet Bishaw in early February. The deadline for the application was last Friday after…
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Mar 16, 2014 TesfaNews The Governments of Eritrea and Sudan will soon commence the construction of a 340Km, 220 KV double circuit power transmission line from Sudan to Eritrea. According to document released by COMESA, the $70M power Interconnector project…
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By Admasu Belay
This article is in response to the commentary “Ethiopia Anew: A Call to Amhara Ethnic People” which has shocked many Ethiopians around the world. We all respect the work of Dr Zelalem Eshete in trying to solve the maze that is Ethiopian politics. But his article indirectly vilifying and accusing Amhara people is misleading and historically inaccurate. Just like OLF’s best friend Wallalign Mekonnen, Dr Zelalem seems to have bowed down to the pressure and propaganda waged by the tribalists among us.
I will discuss how Dr Zelalem’s article asking “Amhara people” to confess and repent our so called “sins” defies common sense. First of all, we have to understand the different identities in Ethiopia and how they are created. Did the Amhara ethnic group or “Amhara nation” ever existed before? Ofcourse no. If the myth that an Amhara conquest/oppression of others (like Oromo, gurage etc) ever happened, then shouldn’t an “amhara nation” exist first? The truth is an “Amhara country” never existed. The only two times we see a resemblance of one “amhara nation” or geographic entity in history is during the brief Italian occupation and under the current TPLF rule. Having lost in their first war against Ethiopia, the Italians knew the only way they can weaken Ethiopian patriots was by divide & rule policy. That strategy eventually fell and we know the current TPLF/OLF aparthied system will also fail.
Dr Zelalem’s first mistake is in believing the “amhara” ethnic identity currently propagated by TPLF/OLF. While there are some people who label themselves Amhara, most of us never call ourselves amhara. For example, i am from Wollo and all my family members say they are Wolloye, all neighbors back home and all friends say they are Wolloye, never Amhara. What Wallalign Mekonnen said is actually better applied here because us Wolloyes have our own culture, own national dress, own dialect, own music and own identity. In fact, if our ancestors were studied some Wolloyes can’t be even associated with an Amhara identity since many originally belong to other ethnic groups but happen to speak Amharic. Even if TPLF/OLF imposed Amhara label on them, they are not amhara. Some “modern” politicians call these amharic speaking people of diverse ethnogroups “Amharicans.” The same way, there are many so-called “Amharicans” from every ethnic group in Ethiopia which happen to speak Amharic as first language.
As mentioned on another Ethiomedia article, Wallalign’s claim that Ethiopian nationalism is fake because Amharic belongs to Amhara and so many other “nationalities” exist, is also another wrong conclusion. As we can see even in the American example, German-Americans are majority population in the multi-ethnic USA but English is the official language due to convenience and to unify the country.
Anyhow, What does our people (falsely labelled amhara) in wollo who died in hundreds of thousands during the 20th century famines have to confess and repent about? What did we do wrong? We are the ones who suffered the most. The truth is we actually deserve apologies from the rest of Ethiopia, not the other way around. For example, since the time of Menelik, almost 80% of development projects and all types of advancements were planted throughout present day “Oromia” (in addis, ambo, adama, debrezeit almost everywhere in oromia!) while our Wollo people were starving to death! The Shewan rulers only cared about Shewa region, which is part of current Oromia. Even western historians like Donald Levine noticed this when he said “Amharic-speaking Shewans consider themselves closer to non-Amharic-speaking Shewans than to Amharic-speakers from distant regions.” He was correct and that takes us to another important point: when did Ethiopia ever had rulers claiming to be Amhara? There were many non-amhara Ethiopian leaders since centuries ago (like the Oromo Emperor Iyoas I in 1700s) but let us focus and look at our leaders the last hundred years between 1914-2014. —–
[1] — During the post-Menelik era, the most powerful figures were the army commander Mikael Ali (Oromo), Iyasu V (oromo) and Emperor Haile selassie (mixed including Oromo).
[2] –During the Derg era, the most powerful leaders were General Aman Andom (Tigrayan/Eritrean), Tafari Benti (Oromo) and Mengistu (Welayta/mixed). [3] — And recently we had Meles zenawi (Tigrayan) and Hailemariam Desalegn (welayta).
As we can see, most of our past leaders can be labelled Amharicans, but they could never be labeled as Amhara.
What TPLF/OLF had done is (just like the Italian occupiers) simplify our identities and divide our people by using only language as a sole defining tool of identification. But There is another elephant in the room that TPLF/OLF hides from Ethiopians. Since the 60s when marxism/socialism poisoned our politics, the only reason that we are always blamed and accused as oppressors in Ethiopia is because we speak Amharic as our first language. Nothing else, nothing more. The harsh truth that TPLF/OLF can’t swallow is that if we did not have our own alphabet and if the powerful Orthodox church (which was the state for centuries) did not use our more convenient language as its lingua franca, the roles could have easily been reversed in Ethiopian politics today. It is all by chance and there was no design to oppress others as Amharicans come from many diverse background and ethnicity, but simply share this language that was gradually adopted by all.
What is more unfortunate today is that the victims are the ones being accused and becoming more victimized in Ethiopia. Many crimes might have occurred over a century ago in the past. But in more recent memory, it is us Amharic speakers who are being oppressed and killed in Ethiopia. The slow genocide of Amharic speakers started when the OLF joined TPLF government in the early 1990s and massacred thousands of so called “Amharas.” This OLF/OPDO crime has continued in recent years in southern and eastern Ethiopia. Dr. Zelalem, This is what the current generation has seen first hand! This are the crimes that TPLF/OLF should confess and repent for!
In general, reconciliation is vital in Ethiopia but we have to separate the system/government from the whole group. We can not blame the whole Oromo people for OLF’s crimes or the whole Tigray people for TPLF’s crimes. We should not blame any whole group of people for the crimes of any Ethiopian governments.
By Ezana Kebede March 16, 2014 The Ethiopian government has significantly increased its borrowing in recent years. Debt-to- GDP ratio has reached an all time high of 35 percent and continues to grow. Lately, the country has also been shifting…
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March 15th, 2014 By Admasu Belay This article is in response to the commentary “Ethiopia Anew: A Call to Amhara Ethnic People” which has shocked many Ethiopians around the world. We all respect the work of Dr Zelalem Eshete in trying to…
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Mar 15, 2014 The Ethiopian government has invited foreign media correspondents to the construction site of the multibillion-dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Hydroelectric Dam. “We decided to take the media to the very spot of construction in order to provide them…
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March 14, 2014
In present-day Ethiopia there are two political schools of thought. These schools lead to the political struggle and the actions taking place on our land today. They are diametrically opposed to each other. The first one states that all problems that existed and still exists in Ethiopia emanate from the rulers oppressing Ethiopians at large. This leads to the struggle of Ethiopians to have a say in the political sphere of the country. The oppression of the rulers of the country has many forms and shape but it is all the rulers against the ruled. There is one ruling group and then there is the rest. The rulers own power through the state apparatus and the means of production.
The other school of thought states that what went on in Ethiopia and still goes on today is the oppression of other nations and nationalities by one nation in Ethiopia – stated Amhara. It is the Amharas who rules, it is the Amharas that oppressed, it is the Amharas as a unit that are the problems and the causes of all problems in Ethiopia.
These two schools of thought correspond to the political organizations that exist in Ethiopia today. Those in power in Ethiopia today come from the second school of thought. Those that formed their own liberation fronts and are struggling to “decolonize themselves” from Ethiopia or “secede from Ethiopia” belong to this second school of thought.
On the other hand those that are in the countrywide political organizations and want to get rid of those in power today belong to the first school of thought. Let me make one thing very clear.
If we are serious to change the political system in Ethiopia, we must have an explicitly different vision from the rulers on the land. If we do not have this, then we better stop being dishonest to ourselves and to all Ethiopians at large. There should be a clear distinction between the two political philosophies. This is where I come from. No matter who rules and no matter where the rulers count their ancestral heritage from, it has been the rulers against the ruled. Here I want to add that, no matter how bad TPLF is today, I cannot blame all Tigrayans wherever they are for the action of TPLF. It is the ruling group of TPLF that is responsible for the ills of Ethiopia today. Tigrayans are not ruling us today. It is TPLF and TPLF alone that is ruling us. Now let me focus on why I wrote this article.
Where Is Dr. Zelalem Eshete (PhD) Going With this?
Rulers were not Ethiopians but Amharas? What was perpetuated on the other ethnic groups was done by the ethnic Amharas and not by the ruling class? Were all the ethnic Amharas privileged lot? Are you saying there was no class struggle but ethnic dominance? Here, I am trying to read Dr Zelalem Eshete.
A political thinking has objective. The objective lends the thinking philosophy to the political mind. There is a reason behind each and every political move, every political proposal and every political action. When TPLF blamed the Amhara for all things wrong under the SUN, they have a political agenda of disuniting Ethiopians. And thanks to people like Alemnew Mekonnen and Dr. Zelalem Eshete, even those from Amhara origins are dancing to the tune of TPLF.
It was Alemnew Mekonnen who lectures that the Amharas are poison. And now what is Dr. Zelalem Eshete telling us? Dr. Zelalem Eshete wrote on March 10, 2014 and posted on a number of Ethiopian websites an article: Ethiopia Anew: A Call to Amhara Ethnic People. I read it and reread it. Understanding the fact that this kind of article is draped with a political agenda sent our way. Some may ignore it and give it no attention. Some may call it rubbish and not deal with it. This is a reference for future propaganda work and I felt I need to respond to it. I observed Dr. Zelalem Eshete has written other articles and posted them too.
On this particular article, Dr. Zelalem Eshete calls on the Amharas “. . . to be accountable to the ills of our forefathers.” Does he know what our forefathers did? In short, does he know Ethiopian history?
He started with: “This is a call to Amhara ethnic people from an Amhara ethnic individual.” OK, I have no problem with that but, I would like to make a remark that you do not have to be an Amhara to state what is wrong and what is right, unless you have an objective behind stating that. In reference to the non-Russian Stalin’s extravagant exercise of power of the central government against a minor nation, Lenin stated that if you scratch some communists you will find Great Russian chauvinists. It may not be word for word but it is close and the message is clear. This is to say that you do not have to be from a certain nation to be a mouth piece and a chauvinist of that nation for good or bad.
The good doctor prescribes three-pronged solutions.
A) Confession: deal with the past
Here he meant the Amhara have a unique responsibility of dealing with the past per his description. The Amhara have responsibility for what the rulers of the past have done, be it good or bad. The past is not Ethiopia but Amhara. This emanates from the fact that the Amhara, not the rulers have done terrible things to others and thus need to look back and confess. WOW! I understand someone from the second school of thought promoting this. That is logical since it is the bases for their political philosophy and administrative policy. I can also accept if the good doctor is coming on behalf of that school of thought. Where does his past start and where does his past end? Does the good doctor know the condition of the Amhara right now? Are they still responsible for what is going on in Ethiopia today? Do they still hold the power and need to learn how to behave so everything will be fine? What is the purpose of this confession where the good doctor wants the ARSOADER from MERHABETIE goes to Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM DESALEGN and confesses about what his forefathers did to his forefathers? Does this make sense?
B) Repentance: deal with the present
Unless my understanding of morality lets me down, you repent for what you did and promise not to do it again. The Amhara are not responsible for what Atse Theodros, Atse Yohannes, Atse Minilik, Aste Haile Sellassie or Dictator Mengistu Hailemariam did. On the contrary, those who lived in Megezez, in Wereylu, in MoTa, in Beyeda suffered in those years, under those rulers equally or more than people in the rest of the country. Does the good doctor know the condition of the Amhara right now? Are they still responsible for what is going on in Ethiopia today? Do they still hold the power and need to learn how to behave so everything will be fine? What is the purpose of this repentance? The good doctor wants the Amhara to give back to others what the Amha owes them. The reality is the Amhara are driven away from the land they cultivated for decades and are being killed there. Do you want them to repent for believing they are Ethiopians who can live anywhere in Ethiopia?
C) Discover: deal with the future
Last I checked TPLF is making sure that there will not be an Amhara alive by the end of its term. What future is there for the Amhara? Do you still fear that the Amhara are going to make the future very bad for the others? I cannot say the Amhara think like this or do like this, or behave like this or something like that. The Amhara like any other ethnic in Ethiopia are all over the political space. Some are close to our good doctor – like Alemnew Mekonnen, who has something to gain by promoting the political philosophy of TPLF. This is his ticket to survive. For others like me, it is a reality where Ethiopians that are thrown under the bus. Many are thrown over cliffs. Many are dismembered. Many are displaced. Many have lost all they owned. This is not hair splitting practice of academicians. It is the life of millions of people, be it in the “Amara Zone” or the rest of Ethiopia. You want the Amhara to deal with the future where their future is in the hands of TPLF. Show your true self!
Dr Zelalem Eshete has this to say at the end of his article.
“When we right the wrongs of the past through confession and repentance, then only we are free from the shackle of the past to envision the future together as a family of one. . . In conclusion, fulfilling our responsibility would pave the way for the healing process to begin.”
This in a nutshell is the central message of the article. It is the Amhara’s refusal to fulfill our responsibility by not righting the wrong of the past that our country is in its present predicament. The path to move forward is hampered by the Amhara not accepting its fault. TPLF do not worry, you are not at fault. The good doctor has testified on your behalf, like your paid agent Alemnew Mekonnen.