By Anwar Abdifatah Bashir
Ethiopia is a rainbow and myriad country which conglomerates over 100 million with over 80 different ethnicities. Additionally, it is the most humongous country in Africa after Nigeria. Ethiopia tends and accustoms iron fist and patrimonial leadership since its birth. Everything in Ethiopia is under the government. There is no freedom of expression, free media, strong private sector, and egregious human rights. In 2015 demonstrations in Ethiopia led by Oromo and Amhara ethnicities under the guise of Oromara, propelled the resignation of the former prime minister in Ethiopia Atto Hailemariam Desalegn. After his resignation which was outlandish according to Ethiopia’s congenital opened up a new beckon, new beacon and aura of hope.
The ruling politburo, the EPRDF for the last three decades, nominated Abiy Ahmed, on April of 2018, as the new prime minister of the country. Abiy, Oromo in origin, and Amhara in his mother and wife, was anticipating receiving much kudos from the country and the world as well. Moreover, colossal of people were foretelling that there will be bountiful of opportunities and blossoming in the country.
At the beginning, Abiy unleashes the political prisoners in the country, lifted the opposition label of the three most oppositions in Ethiopia, the OLF, ONLF and Ginbot 7. Abiy evokes famously and courageously that, he accepts free media and freedom of expression. But what happened since then? Abiy’s blink of an eye, has done tremendous mischiefs, and few of evolvements. First, he targets Tigray ethnic group and dislodged plenty of Tigray officers, by regarding them as diehards against his administration. Also, he attacked the Somali region and arrested the former president of the Somali region Atto Abdi Mohamud Omar, aka Abdi iley for bum rap who is still in behind bars without a verdict. The other misstep is, Abiy doesn’t control his insatiable ethnic Oromo who invades other communities, especially the cherubic Somali ethnicity in the Somali region.
Oromo’s paramilitary armed to the teeth tend to attack and kill the Somali community in Ethiopia. Abiy brushed-off Oromo’s egregious aggression against Somalis. Abiy’s bloodletting and brinkmanship policies led the country into chasm among the Ethiopia’s mosaic communities. And the begrudge amidst the different communities in Ethiopia is becoming decay, because of Abiy’s botched, capricious transformation and his one’s worst enemy policy. While, the feud amongst the communities became like brawl!
The other side of the coin, Ethiopia hosts the largest IDPs in the world closely 3 million, because of the communal violence peaked and became zenith. And the tremor pervaded across the country without exception.
Diametrically, Abiy encounters plenty of coup attempts including the last month’s one. Amhara, the most aggressive, selfish, chauvinist in Ethiopia was leading the latest putsch which killed the former president of the Amhara region, and the former chief of army in Ethiopia along with several officers. Abiy was not anticipating that, his coterie Amhara will oppose him as he considers them as a bastion against their predecessor, aka Tigray minority rule. But the reality is, Amhara is bullish and bully to their backyards in Ethiopia, and they create bumbling permanently.
SIDAMA demands self-administration
Sidama is, one of the 57 different ethnic groups in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s region (SNNPR) under Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement’s (SEPDM) representation to the ruling party (EPRDF). Southern coalition is estimated closely 20 million, roughly 4% according to the Ethiopian population. Sidama is the largest ethnic in this coalition, they are closely 4 million, which means, and they are the fifth most humongous ethnic group in Ethiopia after Oromo, Amhara, Somalis and Tigray. Since 16 July this year, Sidama was demanding desperately new independent administration under their watch. And their demand is compatible to the Ethiopian constitution, Article 39 (Rights of nations, nationalities and peoples), paragraph 1 says, every nation, nationalities and people in Ethiopia has an unconditional right to self-determination, including the right to secession.
If we backtrack, Sidama used to demand self-administration since 1990s. Far and wide, Sidama is part of Cushitic native, and they are Cushitic alliance along with Somalis and Oromo. Most of the Southern Nations belong to four ethnicities called:
1-Cushitic – Sidama, Hadiya, Gedeo and others;
2-Omotic – Welayta, Gamo, Dawro and others;
3-Semitic- Gurage , Silte and others;
4-Nilo- Saharan – Me’en and others.
Recently, Sidama was protesting while demanding to orchestrate referendum which they can express and determine their own future endeavor. Especially the young people were the leading ones in this stand out protest under Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM). The capital city of Hawassa was hosting this ramping up demonstration and the incremental demands emanate from the local people.
The electoral board that was assigned holding a referendum proposed to postpone the referendum. This emerging decision taken by the electoral board frightened the protesters who mainly are the young people. But, Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM) accepted the delay for antidote and dodging potential instability in the region.
Plenty of talking heads opined this emerging issue that, this leads into domino effect. And also, is the beginning of dismantling Ethiopia into pieces like Yugoslavia. And that will defeat Abiy’s honeymoon, while his guise of reformer replaces deformer. Additionally, the long-simmering conflict amongst the different communities in Ethiopia wreaks havoc. And Abiy’s unripe behests became frail and fickle. Furthermore, if Sidama’s would-be accepted, then the other ethnicities of the southern region including Welayta, Hadiya, Gurage and others will demand instantly the same treatment.
Somali region: Awfully loses or genuinely clueless!
Somali region usually remains demeaned and disposed from the game. This is because, all other communities in Ethiopia believe Somalis are a dormant volcano and that they are not staunch to the Ethiopianess. Practically, if you meet with someone from the Somali region in Ethiopia, and say to him/her you are Ethiopian, surely, immediately he/she gives you a reprimand, and maybe some fight could ensue.
On the other hand, Somali region doesn’t get the necessary treatment as the other Ethiopian communities do, in terms of budget allocation, education, political positions, federal troops and so on and so forth. According to the Ethiopian constitution Article 10 (Human and democratic rights) paragraph 2 says: Human and democratic rights of citizens and peoples shall be respected. Also, Article 16 (The right of the security of person) everyone has the right to protection against bodily harm. Also, Article 18 (Prohibition against inhuman treatment), paragraph 1 says, everyone has the right to protection against cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Despite these conspicuous rights enshrined in the Ethiopian constitution, the Somali community lacks equitable distribution of resources due to permanent marginalization that emanates from other Ethiopians.
I contacted while I am jotting down this piece of writing some of the local people in the Somali region-Ethiopia. They told me that, the region is stuck, and there is no active business, purchasing power and financial transaction, because of the poor management in the region. Knowing that, the incumbent acting president in the Somali region Mustafa Omar, aka Cagjar, and his entire pseudo-administration is swimming cesspool of corruption, while the people are suffering by day.
Cagjar and his lame-duck cabinet recently attended a graduation ceremony which was held in Bahrdar in the Amhara region. Cagjar addressed the ceremony with Amharic language, while he was emboldening the graduates. Some of his naysayers pontificated that Cagjar is mentally-retarded and pro-Amhara, and that is why, he’s always happy to attend in every gathering which Amhara organizes.
With all these cumbersome isues, Ethiopia demands badly an interlocker who propels to bury the hatchet and ends impetuousness.
Both the Ethiopian Prime Minister Mr.Abiy Ahmed, and Mustafa Omar Cagjar, the Somali region’s president, violated badly the human rights and the inalienable rights of the citizens. Abiy tends to block the internet and paralyze the media when any demonstration erupts. And Cagjar accustomed jailing and besmirching his critics and naysayers against his incompetent administration. Knowing that, Article 29 (Right of thought, opinion and expression), paragraph 3 elucidates that, freedom of the press and other mass media and freedom of artistic creativity is guaranteed. Freedom of the press shall specifically include the following elements:
- Prohibition of any form of censorship
- Access to information of public interest
Moreover, innumerable prisoners are in custodies both at federal and regional levels. First, the former president of the Somali region Abdi Mohamud Omar is still behind bars for bum rap without due prcess, and plenty of dissenting voices are in the custody in the Somali region. Bearing in mind that, Article 17 (Right to liberty), paragraph 2 says, no person may be subjected to arbitrary arrest, and no person maybe detained without a charge or conviction against him.
Anwar Abdifatah Bashir
Email:Anwarcade100@gmail.com