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Ethiopian PM Minister Abiy Ahmed is not stranger to making unmeasured remarks that tastes bitter to most Ethiopians.
However, the remark he made this week on the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of a bakery plant in Wolaita Sodo does seem to have a political intention intended to frame political resistance in the Amhara region for attack.
He framed his remark in comparative terms. An opportunity for breathing an air of peace is being created in northern Ethiopia where we saw tragic war between brothers. Everyone should work hard to ensure that it is a success, he said.
And then he went on to say “Today we see two extremist thoughts and smaller groups…they could change Ethiopian map and shape…groups that can not ensure the continuity of Ethiopia, groups that believe in repelling each other. These two groups are Oromo Shane and Amahra Shane.”
They may differ in their spatial position but they both think in terms of an Ethiopia they can rule single handedly the way they like and they do not seek peace, he added.
PM Abiy Ahmed has clearly coined a new name “Amhara Shane” to describe political groups with Amhara ethnic background.
Oromo Shane is a militant ethnic Oromo nationalist group that is believed to be the military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) although the latter has disowned the group for two years now. The group calls itself as “Oromo Liberation Army” and is after creating an independent ethnic Oromo state out of Ethiopia. It has massacred tens of thousands of ethnic Amhara based in the Oromo region of Ethiopia after PM Abiy Ahmed facilitated the entry of group from Eritrea some time in 2018.
Nothing is known so far about “Amhara Shane.” Activists and rights groups are saying that PM Abiy deliberately used the term to frame emerging ethnic Amhara politicians with critical views about his administration. He has been criticized, rightly, for utter failure to protect the lives of ethnic Amhara civilians in the Oromo region of Ethiopia. Some activists based in the diaspora are claiming that the massacre of ethnic Amhara in the region has recognition from Abiy Ahmed.
What is your take about his “Amhara Shane” remark? share it in the comment section.
Video : embedded from EBC YouTube channel
Cover photo : screenshot from FANA TV video
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The “major & primary problem” for Ethiopia has always been “Too-Small-A Pie” shared by many, adding to that the huge population growth between 1930 – 1974 (from 13 – 33 million) made too many mouth chasing too little resources , the effect of “climate-change” and the drought and famine that followed in late 1960’s and early 1970’s lead to the overthrow of the kingdom.
When Haile Selassie coroneted in 1930 the total population was around 13 million, by in 1974 it has more than doubled to 33 million. After the Italian invasion in 1935 and its defeat in 1940, many efforts were made to build back the country and to build schools & infrastructure (such as GERD, studied then but not built, due to lack of capital, (Western nation’s Banks refusal to loan the funding needed, (“Western control”)). Such practice by the Western capitals is evident today; the Ethiopian population has to contribute to build GERD). statista.com/statistics/1066913/population-ethiopia-historical/
If we really try to be “Honest”, Ethiopia has gone through a lot of problems in the last 52 years (post 1970) Ethnic conflict is did not exist in the first 17 years of the Military-rule (1974/5 -1991).
The TPLF + rule since 1991 brought about Ethnic-Based-identity (to remove the Ethiopian identity from the minds of Ethiopians (North, South, East, & West), just like the Bolsheviks did in Russia 1917. That is when Ethnic divisions started to grow in Ethiopia. Opportunists among us (inside & out) latched to this idea (opportunity) and run with it, even then the ethnic differences amongst the general population did not materialized, except in the minds of the “politicians” who want to use it to elevate their “personal ambitions” to power, (still going on).
When the USSR collapsed, Russia 1991(coincidence) drafted a new Constitution that eliminated the Ethnic-division Vladimir Lenin & hit party started/introduced in 1917.
The TPLF+ created ethnic based constitution was not discarded as PP was created and that the biggest mistake for the current problems.
The actual Ethnic violence started since 2018 after Abiy came to power and PP was formed and TPLF+ was no longer. This is not to say Abiy is responsible, but the repatriation of OLF from Eretria without “demilitarizing its “military” wing (“OLF-Shene”) which lead to this articles question, whether Abiy coined the “Amhara Shane” to highlight a point regarding OLF Shane actives… (I have yet to hear ethnic-based killings similar to that of OLF Shane in Oromo regions, in Amhara regions.)
1970 -1991: no Ethnic division or related violence.
1991 -2018: ethnic based identity established and strengthens, still no violence.
2018 -2022: ethnic violence began in a few regions (predominantly in one).
Here is what is going to remedy the keep out Nation division free & strong:
1) Discard the 1991 constitution replace it with one Ethiopian Identity across that is inclusive of all Ethiopian 80+ cultural & ethnic diversity in one basket as one people, and putting mechanisms of Equal opportunity to every Ethiopian men or women.
2) Let us EXPAND the PIE, so that it is big enough to have everyone coast to coast have equal access to it, rural to urban across the country…
3) Call me naïve, returning to the old Provinces are the BEST remedy to correct the wrong TPLF introduced “ethnic Division” shortsightedly for good; so that the generation to come will be free to work and live anywhere in Ethiopia as we did before 1991.
4) Again call me naïve, but the other short sighted ERROR TPLF committed can be corrected by bringing back Eretria to our Ethiopia family even if as an “Autonomous-province”, not only this coming whole again is undoubtedly to create a stronger & prosperous Ethiopia, and A stronger Horn of Africa. And it is the greatest gift we will pass on to the next generation and thereafter; a complete & Unified-Ethiopia.
If I made an error describing the “top-view” (zoomed out, national in Scope), do not get offended, it is not meant to offend anyone group or individual; except to bring us all closer. If we use “microscope” (village view) my analysis will not hold water, in its design.
The “present time” is to be used to live better than the past & to be able to plan the Future to be better than the present. But if we spend the present fixated in “the past” we are not only not favoring ourselves, we are robbing the future generation by not having PLANED how the Future will better than our present.
A farmer who did not plant now has nothing to harvest in the Future. “No PIE”, its even worse than “small-PIE” that got us here in the first place.
Best wishes!!!
It is very good idea to bring Eretria back to Ethiopia and Djibouti and Somalia be part off greater Ethiopia, but the question is which language will be national language? which Falag will they take? and lastly wich name will be called that great nation? Will Amhara accept to change their Flag and accept another language?
Let us deal with the language first.
language is a TOOL of communication, therefore, the language the majority of people speak will serve as a tool for all (the majority in the total area). At this time there are more Amharic speakers than any other language in Ethiopia.
Amharic is spoken by 80+% of the population of Ethiopia, as a tool it is preferred, that does not mean it belongs to one tribe, it is everyone’s “tool”/ language. Nothing more.
Eritrean, Tigrigna and Amharic all 3 use the same letters, and reading writing either one is easy any one can easily learn to speak them in du time… from reading alone.
So it is positive if all 80+ languages use Amharic letters, cross learning would be second nature.
The “Greater-Ethiopia” in Eretria there are a lot of people that do speak Amharic including President Asaias Afiwark (who lived in Addis abeba and is fluent in Amharic). Many Eritreans that also lived in the south before the separation do speak Amharic. In Arusi province for example before 1991 the majority in the rural areas spoke Oromo & some Amharic, most in the city spoke both Amharic & Oromo as needed; there is no rule. If two people do not speak the other’s language they ask someone close by to help translate for them to exchange ideas/business, and some use what little words they know in either language and add sign-language to do the trick. So , there was always a way.
As in Eretria also was similar, Tigrigna, Amharic some also use Italian. And was similar in all the 14 provinces.
Since Eretria is only away for 30 years, reuniting will not be an issue, and would be very beneficial for both sides: (1) Geopolitically Eretria will be a lot more stronger as part of Ethiopia, most the young will be part of the Navy Force, and the civilian Ports will create high paying jobs for the young native Eretria’s, and the land mass will be fully protected from outside threats with a stronger combined Army, Navy, Air Force. (2) Ethiopia will not be land-locked any more and will control the Red-Sea zone as well as expand the coast line tourist industry (protect and expand coral rives) create more jobs. (3) The Economy of both will grow exponentially. (4) Eretria’s population is smaller than Tigray’s by about 3 times, therefore there will not be a threat coming from Tigray as has been the case since 1993. TPLF’s old plan was to declare independence & take part of Eretria by force and create “Greater Tigray” with Red Sea access; but this reunion will kill that “nightmare” forever. (5) Eritrean population will be free to live and work in the whole of Ethiopia as was the vase before the separation.
So, nationally, as well as internationally the combined new-Ethiopia with Eretria as its coastal province/ autonomous-region with its existing regional “Flag” can bring a better life and growing living standard for the people of the region, as well as people from the central provinces.
It will be a win win for all, most importantly in the ever changing geopolitical-threats both are facing at the moment.
Stronger together is the key-term.
As for Djibouti, let us just say the would be a possible “future project”, and just having the trade partnership is just fine for now.
As for Somalia, there are two now, and they need to resolve their internal issue before “unity with Ethiopia” can be considered by Ethiopia, it will not work as it is today, there are many obstacles, and are better left unexplored.
Djibouti though was out of Ethiopia over 100 + years the majority do speak Amharic (remember most of Djiboutians are people from Harar province & speak perfect Amharic, when they want to. The other half are from Afar & Welo area and do speak fluent Amharic. Language will not be a problem they use many languages as a nation, French, Somalian, Afar, some Amharic as well.. They can always use all as they are, if they become part of Ethiopia. But that is a long way away.
Language is a tool, most of the world speaks English simply because a large majority of the business & education world use it, and the majority know /learnt English because that is what almost everyone happen to be using, speaking/teaching doing business with. It does not belong to the Brits in UK, its the world’s communication tool & everyone’s tool and language of choice. Period.
PM Abiy needs to stop appeasing Oromo extremists at the expense of everyone else in the country. You can’t rule a nation with just one ethnic group behind you. He needs to stick to his original stance of doing the right thing no matter what. These extremists view him as too moderate anyway and will never support him. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand behind this Administration.
What the African Diaspora could do to uplift their continent of origin, from a second-class /junior-partner & exploitations-destination (“jungle”, Eu foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell) for the “West” (the Anglo-Saxon, European mix) parasitic-“garden”, J.B. .
Aljazeera “conversation with former AU ambassador to the US” .
Re ” US-Africa Summit”:
youtube.com/watch?v=UfLxnIqi4Uc
Imagine the HUGE potential the “Pan-African” One -Customs-Union has for developing Ethiopian manufacturing industry by collaborating with China’s manufacturing industry “investment”, to make Ethiopia the manufacturing HUB to supply Africa with quality-goods with Ethiopian-Airlines-cargo service as the backbone of the delivery system till rail-connections are developed to connect East-Africa with West-African and southern-Africa.
Ethiopian young population staying at home develop manufacturing jobs instead of dying somewhere in Africa (elsewhere) traveling in search of a better future. Chinese manufacturing-partnerships (PPP) could change the landscape by providing the Chinese-Capital with short-term tax-incentives and ‘Industrial-parks” in every-region/province… it is a game changer both for Ethiopia & Chinese investment, and the government should work 24/7 to achieve this goal, having the pan-African-customs-union as the selling point in addition to tax-incentives, location, and industrial-parks in all zones (East, West, North, South, Central).
These potential is Huge, unity is crucial, & division is failure!!!
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