Falmataa Sabaa (PhD)
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to hear a call for unity for struggle especially between Oromo and Amhara nations. United force sounds well not only to overthrow the TPLF led tyranny Ethiopian government but also to build envisage democratic Ethiopia in which all could co-exist. Catching phrases of unity are embedded, for instance, in Gonderian’s need to rescue Oromo by saying shedding Oromo blood is also theirs. The enlightened effort of Gonder people seemed to move forward to sending delegates who aimed to take part of Irreecha festival Har-sadi Lake of Bishooftuu. According to ESAT news, one of the delegates even became victim as part of the Oromo massacre in in Irreecha at lake Har-sadi. From such honorable effort, I learn lot about people to people sympathy and bond of unity for co-existence. On the other hand, I feel chanting such once in a blue moon slogan alone may not suffice the intended achievement.
Nevertheless, it appears that political elites are that often assume leadership to ensue tactic and strategy to achieve intended goal of the peoples, forming united liberation force in this case. In view of setting road map, however, what does the track record of Ethiopian elites tells us? In the face of explaining this, I bring two categories of elites on board and proceed to explain my thought. Obviously, setting goal necessitates remembering the past discourse, reality of undercurrents around us and necessitates precise model to predict the future phenomena. I want to emphasis on two nutshell elements as main operators in this regard. These are history of Ethiopia in the discourse of forming nation state and population size of some nations. Hence, I ask if our elites are keen to understand reality and critical to analyze available resources? If not, where will we land driven by unrealistic calculative claim for benefit over right, cheap propaganda, miserable justification of facts on the ground and trickery politics?
I couldn’t agree more on the general approach to thus far specific tactic and strategy by Oromo elites toward struggling for freedom and equality of their fellow Oromos. I have no doubt that having the right road map with properly arrayed elements assures destination at the desired ultimatum. Obviously, hindrances on the road, though predictable, might be uneasy to skip them simply. Therefore, adjustment on the part of the tactic requires being noteworthy to commensurate imperatives of unity with need to bypass blockage. Nevertheless, when the strategy demands to act on the other side of the coin, Oromo do have justifiable cause, substantial population size and unified homeland as resource to propel its struggle for freedom and equality. As these elements of success work synergistic, further internal victory will be indispensable with likely momentum on geopolitical arena of Oromia. Hence, smartness to get the benefits of the doubt is requirement as part to express of Oromo elites’ excellence.
As for me, Amhara elites need to further critically analyze the elements of setting tactic and strategy I considered. Related to population size, Wikipedia reports 19.9 % Amhara (and 34.4% Oromo) as per census of 2007. Apart from some policy level re-calculations which probably tends to minimize the census size of both populations, there might be four logical issues as a cause to expect even lesser population of Amhara nation. Firstly, for a number reasons related to the process of Ethiopian formation many citizens were often tending to be known as Amhara whatsoever blood they may have. This is regardless of where they may leave: in Oromia or not, in town or countryside. Needless to say that a person whose one of the parent is Oromo (or other nation/nationality) and the other parent is Amhara used to be automatically considered Amhara (Amharic speaker) and were numbered to Amhara. In the current trend, however, we are witnessing an eventual change to the otherwise. The overall implication of recently publishing appeals to mixed blood Ethiopians from Amhara ideology promoters seem to agree with my argument. If this would be the future possible outcome, the pretension that Amhara is populous might require re-assessment.
Secondly, some individuals who were effectively humiliated by the process of state formation tended to deny self and opted to be counted as Amhara in forgone census. This include individuals in the domain of Oromo origin or others of non-Amhara basis. In spite of such past, individuals who sought opportunity by being pseudo-Amhara would recognize the crisis of benefit at the expense of true identity leading to further reduction on the perceived Amhara population size. Here I want to reiterate by stating practical evidence of surprise. Sometime in 2007, we (I and my colleagues as non-Oromo) did open dialogue about Ethiopian population size and language issues. One of those Doctor friends is currently in USA as researcher and is frequent guest interviewee of ESAT on law related issues. I said there are many non-Oromo residents (even born) in Oromia and yet they don’t want to officially speak Afaan Oromo. My friend instinctively responded saying that his mother speaks Afaan Oromo to him at home. Note that his immigrant mother speaks Afaan Oromo but he, who was born in Oromia, can’t speak Afaan Oromo. And the family (including the native father) identify themselves as non-Oromo, he added. Think of effects of such move on census and its consequence of assuming Amhara as second populous following Oromo. Further, the circulating news of missed two million Amhara would also downgrade the above percentage.
Thirdly, the issue of rising other than Amhara nationalities in Amhara region and its bearing on the size of current Amhara population worth close investigation. Apart from non-Amhara individuals leaving elsewhere in Amhara region and yet shy to express themselves as non-Amhara for the purpose of census, the impact of localities popping for self-identification as non-Amhara would be huge. Northern Agaw, Eastern Agaw, Wstern Agaw and Southern Agaw (Agaw Awi) are likely to strictly identify themselves and seem to use their inalienable right to declare they are only their self. Further rumors were available even from many corners of Gonder per se. I have heard a word of mouth from one senior OLF person about claim of some senior Gonderians during the transitional government of Ethiopia (TGE). According to the then top official of the OLF in the TGE, some elderly delegate of Gonderians visited him to seek rescue by OLF for they are Oromo at the verge of losing their identity. Let us pend that this people are soon counted as Oromo but immediate fact is that they may not anymore want to continue contributing and be counted as Amhara.
Fourthly, we are not sure of Gojam to continue identified as Amhara. I remember about one appeal letter circulated in Addis Ababa at the eve of the TGE. The voluminous appeal letter was headed to UN including key players of the then TGE: Mr. Zenawi of TPLF and Mr. Dilbo of the OLF. The whole issue in the appeal was about Gojam is not Amhara and had never been Amhara. The appeal letter stated that Gojam with its capital city named Felegehiwot was independent nation whose country was subjugated and the people were given stigmatized name buda, its identity camouflaged as Amhara. In fact there are sentimental reminders of the past on the ground to speculate truth of such claim. Among others, one is related to nomenclature of most places of current West Gojam (Yilmana Densa, Mecha, Jarso, Biyyo, Wemberma, etc) and East Gojam (Baso Liben, Goncha, etc) of Amhara region give clue for they were once inhabited by Cushitic/Oromo people. Therefore, this leaves us with home take work to re-examine reality. However, what seem obvious is that present Gojam can only be for contingency plan to assume align with Amhara.
Therefore, confounded with traditional lore, deliberate rejection of historic truth in the course of building state and naïvely hoped capacity, elites of Amhara seem to work on imprecise predicting model of political cause and effect of struggle against tyranny. As time progress and we all would settled down to examine further historic reality and potential capability, no doubt that truth outweigh the lore based ignorance. Also it may worth notion to disseminate self-contradicting bare propaganda aimed to drag attention would eventually produce counter effect. I might have to remind you one currently hot but simple illustrative unclean propaganda contributing to the inaccuracy of their struggle model. Some Amhara elites when interviewed about the scenario of civil unrest in Ethiopia after overthrow of TPLF regime, they argue that it wouldn’t lead to civil strife. They deem it is necessary to get rid of TPLF relating regime’s operation to an internal colonization hoping to regain hegemony. When the scenario interview is under situation of the struggle led by Oromo against TPLF, they don’t want to read any word of colonization and they think of the scenario would become futile and thus cause civil unrest followed by endless battle. Both approaches seem to lack thorough understanding and shortsighted. The possibility of further massacre may not be ruled out if the struggle is not wisely and cooperatively managed. The urgency of call by the people to people demands elites’ due attention. It seems Oromo elites are scapegoat when it comes to issue of unified struggle
My purpose is no more than to solicit the elites of Amhara nation to join elites of Oromo on the ride of galloping horse to victory, though. Of course, unity demands critical self-definition in terms of the elements I considered to justify my present purpose. Unfortunately, elites of Amhara seem to tradeoff with no accurate transaction. It seem that they even want to re-orient their struggle primarily against Oromo instead of TPLF’s government. The re-orientation is not necessarily popping in connection to the current Oromo’s Charter deliberation but long ago. I read at least one article on Ethiomedia vividly proposing Amhara’s preference for collaboration with TPLF than Oromo camps. Planning based on an opportunistic resources to set the tactic and strategy would rather be costly. I submit that collaborative or united struggle of Oromo and Amhara nations against the tyranny TPLF led regime enables enhanced result. The idea of promoting unity based on fact on the ground is imperative. I intuitively state that realistic plan with some contingency is assurance for future co-existence reversing the evils of EPRDF to FDRE (FDR of Ethiopia). Therefore, I encourage fellow elites of Amhara not to trade off but to accurately re-assess their undercurrents and stay with unity of struggle for common benefit and right.
Thank you,