It is simple to dissolve Militia: take their land & give it to Fano!

By Desalegn Birara 

Who are the militia? 

Amhara militia are regular people who are recruited from the civilian population  and given a three – four months military training to supplement the federal  army, in case of emergency. All men and women above the age of 18 and below  45 are eligible to the recruitment, if they are able-bodied citizens. The militias, after completing the training, are armed with light weapons; often AK-47  Kalashnikovs and go back to their residences & keep normal lives. So, the  trained militia owns a registered government weapon while living in the village  as a farmer or any regular citizen. Other than owning the gun, militias never  practice militaristic activities in their regular lives; nor are they salaried.  Perhaps they keep the gun for more than a decade without firing a single bullet  in it. Albeit, after all that passive time, the regime can call them for emergency  support. It is obvious that they can’t be ready mentally, physically, socially  and so forth. These people are mostly farmers who have plough lands; they  have established family & have multiple children, in most cases. According to  their profile, their chance of defeat is way higher than triumph in battles. With  this predictable defeat, the militia men who had darlings back home to regret  losing, picked up their guns, up on the call of the regime, and marched to join  the war front.  

How is this made possible? 

The regime announced a salary more than double of the regular army that  militias will be paid, when it called them to report for duty at their nearest  wereda station/camp. These poor farmers who live in remote areas, where  even news media is not accessible, have no idea where to go and whom to fight  with. Even after they are gathered to report for the called duty, they are  intentionally made unaware of the details. The same day the militias reported  at camps, they were instantly reshuffled and sent to anonymous vicinities, far  away from their areas so that they wouldn’t question killing their own people. The  militia is shortly indoctrinated to believe that the mission is against an enemy  somewhere; and he can’t hesitate to shoot; while the other militia from the  other side is sent to kill his family. The reshuffling is fundamentally aimed at  creating this anonymity.  

Therefore, the militia is entombed in two deceptions.  

1. The bonbon incentives and lucrative urban land promises tantalized the  militia; as they are perceived to be short ways to get rid of poverty. 2. The militia is made to think, whether by convince / confuse, or  reshuffling, that he is deployed to kill enemies of the country. When the  other militia from the other district comes to kill his family, he is  conditioned to believe that the enemy killed them. Analysis of such  conspiracy intricacies is bizarre for militia; whilst the regime has even 

more sophisticated strategies to obliterate Amhara with its own  antagonized elements.  

The regime manifested its clear plan of genociding Amhara people as early as  their targeted attack in different parts of Oromia region; such as west Welega,  West Arsi, West Hararghe, and Sheger city, around Addis Ababa. The current  war on/in Amhara has also crystal clear genocidal genesis. The regime first  disbanded the region’s special force and made the Amhara people defenseless.  It followed that leaders of the region who had legitimate authority were  assassinated and the regime puppets put to rule the region. After the security  structure and administrative system was destroyed, the regime forces entered the Amhara region and massacred civilians including newborn babies and  pregnant women in Merawi, Ataye, Dembecha, Lalibela and many other towns  and villages. Drone strikes targeting civilians at market grounds, churches,  public transport and health services were recorded all over Amhara on a daily  basis. The massacres showcased total killing of the people. Thus, the local  youth picked their personal arms and organized people to defend themselves.  At this point in progress, the regime called the Amhara militia to report for  joint missions with the army, just a few weeks earlier which otherwise could  have joined the public fronts, also called Fano. Once the militia was separated  from the community, a full scale war against the civilian Amhara was  waged by the regime.  

The regime separated Amhara militia from the public within a calculated time  frame that allows the implementation of militia vs fano war: a war where only  Amharas die from both sides. Had the regime been a moment late, the militia  could have joined Fano or at least been informed of who he went to kill.  Ignorance of the militia was not only manifested by killing its own people; but  also maintained further advantages to the regime. The regime used them as  cannon fodders in order to shield the regular army. The militia is wanted not  only to kill the people; but to be killed; and in no way to escape alive. Because the militia is Amhara. Trained and armed Amhara! Yet, the militia  massacres civilians dreaming of the urban lands that the regime promised to  give them, after their mission. They have no means to know that the greatest  massacre awaits them. They are the highest priority targets for obliteration.  

Therefore, calling them back by hook or crook is saving their lives, saving the  lives of more Amhara civilians that they otherwise can kill every other day;  and consolidating the Amhara popular force that combats the regime.  

What call can return militia to home? 

The very reason that attracted the militia to join the regime forces can bring it  back home. The reason wasn’t just a cause of belief in political  propaganda, obviously. It was the thirst for urban land and better salary.  

The call to return the militia doesn’t have to be necessarily offering  comparatively more lucrative incentives. No one affords the indulgence to do  that. But anyone can take what the militia has back home. As we discussed in the militia’s profile, they have plough lands; and they make a living on land  produce. There is an acute scarcity of land in the region. Amharas born after the year 1980 have land at all. Meaning, the entire fano youth owns no land  at all.  

Hence, plough lands that are owned by militia members can be redistributed  to fano, in areas where fano has domination over the regime. The militia force  will disperse overnight. Once the militia disbands, the regime military leaves the Amhara region the following night. Consequently, Fano can control the Amhara  region entirely. A full grip on the Amhara region enables Fano to make  international cooperations, besides the internal unity that can be a huge  leverage to withdraw the regime.  

Note: 

This essay focuses on the Amhara militia that sided with the regime in the  war against the Amhara people. However, it should be noted that the main  actors in the war against Amhara are the regime forces from the national  defense force, Oromo special force and federal police forces. 

Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com

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