(Reinvent Ethiopia) — Everyone is scrambling to form an ”alliance” these days. Thing is- it must be a deja-vu for some of them. The Oromo movement has made everyone itching and nervous. Some want to befriend us, other want to look to befriending us, and the remaining are openly hostile to us. Folks, it is hard to fight an enemy when they appear a friend. That time when we say ”you are either with us or with the terrorist TPLF” has come.
The fight to bring down TPLF must not be left for Oromos or Amharas or Ogadenis. This fight must be a joint fight. We all should fight and abolish TPLF. Everyone must take credit and everyone must feel included for orderly transition. Saying that, nobody should patronize and intimidate any national movement in the name of ”unity” of the country.
Predictably, some Abyssinians want to jump-start a ”united force” at this important juncture in Oromo movement. I said predictably because the upcoming Oromo convention in Atlanta aspires to cautiously move towards that unity the Abyssinians just jump-started. Sounds like they are ”a head”, so they thought.
The Unity of Ethiopia is based on voluntary association of independent nations. Every nation needs to clearly state its interests, and negotiate to workout a functioning federation whereby everyone is happy. Rather than looking inward first, clear its house and formulate solutions towards such arrangement, the reactionary Amhara elite is busy re-inventing an old TPLF strategy of divide and rule.
There is Amhara nationalism, and there are Amhara nationalists. Their influence has grown since recently but remains dominated by the flawed and defunct ”unity” camp. The Oromo movement, so long the arrangement under which a federation of states is formed is not in place, must refrain from engaging any party in disguise of ”unity” politics.
I’m not saying the interest of Amhara nationalists and unitarists does not overlap. It might but the Unity of Ethiopia is based on voluntary association of independent states, and no such arrangement exists now, that it is only relevant to engage Amhara movement (party) to negotiate the formulation of the federation than waste time and energy on ”unity” that is yet to exist.