The Ethiopian empire state was founded with the colonization of southern peoples by the first Nafxanyaa as beneficiary of the Scramble for Africa of the 19th century. Rulers that have come changing hands came bragging as if they brought fundamental changes. However, except for some seeming change on the surface, no one of them brought fundamental change. The only change was for the tiny Habashaa kingdom perched in Northern mountains. The struggle now is between those colonized during that time and are demanding for realization of their rights of nations for national self-determination with the objective of ending colonial relations and those that are trying to suppress it. With coordinated struggle of over fifty years the colonized have shaken the empire so that it can never revive again. But now when the people are awakened and are at the threshold to capture their rights obstacles are multiplying internally and externally. Though leaders are showing weakness people are showing their commitment for freedom and the determination not to kneel down for reactionaries.
Though with forced change leaders had come from unconventional sources they could not change the way they operate. For this reason, practice of each of them is being guided by the initial structure. And that is Habashaa feudal value centered and so colonizer, reactionary and oppressor speaking Amharic. Even the Head Quarters are not changed. This is based on observation of the eras of the Crown, Darg, TPLF/EPRDF. SEPD/EPRDF and OPDO/EPRDF. Because all of them failed to answer Oromo question, they did not get stability and peaceful end. The existence of progressive old politicians in society may not be viewed positively by the young and the powerful. The young because they are eager to lead themselves and the powerful are afraid, the oldies will expose what they concealed and awaken the generation on them. Any ways, for old people it is a matter of fulfilling their revolutionary mission. They will connect past and present and advise mistakes not to be repeated.
The Oromo question can be called a national question. Though the question had been there since occupation, it is now around five decades since it is presented in coordinated form. They lost their political, economic and social rights as a nation. As a people they are despised, humiliated impoverished, injured, and left illiterate. When their question did not get response, they were fed up living as a destitute and so started struggle. Unless these questions get unequivocal reply, they have decided at the beginning that their struggle could be protracted. The New World Order has set in ushering freedom of nations decades ago, but Ethiopian empire still remains in the 19th century. Though with occupation sever harm had been inflicted on Oromo, they could have turned get acquainted as a reason into advantage and made this region of Africa an example of development and peace. But the level of our development makes us see everything as negative challenge hindering us from having wider view. And become interdependent neighbors by respecting each other’s interest without harm to anyone of us.
Since they started struggle, there was no time they passed without suggesting solutions. But those that were expected to respond and their advisors only threw only one-sided solution standing in Old Ethiopia. While they still remain there the condition of old Ethiopian empire has changed by struggle of the oppressed. Only its habits are lingering. Like they brought achievements with their seat and blood the Oromo have shown enough that they can keep them in the same way. The way Ethiopianists see Ethiopia and the way Oromo nationalists see her should not be the cause for picking up quarrel. It
should not be forgotten that they are people with separate culture, tradition language and history. They should only bring their differences to the table in good faith and try to reconcile them if possible. The Oromo claim that Oromiyaa is theirs. Only those that say she is not yours will raise arms or badmouth them; as far as they are concerned, they do not cross boundary and look for quarrel except friendship. If they cannot see the reality on the ground together, it will be difficult even to talk to each other if both sides start from different premises. What causes conflict between us is system, system that favored them and oppressed us. To live together with peace and love the cause of our misunderstanding, Nafxanyaa founded Empire System must be dismantled and replaced by new union agreed upon by nations and nationalities with their own free will. Now, since it is impossible to return the colonized to that system , it is said, to extract what would one churn whey?
Groups that are not elected by the people or elected by not fair and free election do not feel responsibly to the people. Though the Ethiopian throne has changed hands and shapes, so far, their attitude towards the colonized peoples did not change. They all want, to plunder their resources, suppress their grievances, stay in power for eternity and to find excuses to deny them leadership. That is why the killing of Oromoo students in particular in Amaaraa region and mass massacre and imprisonment in Oromiyaa are sanctioned or overlooked by those in power. Whatever change takes place unless the Nafxanyaa found bureaucracy is dismantled all incumbents will continue to demonstrate chauvinism like their predecessors.
For instance, even though four governments have changed hands and put forward policies on paper it failed to change ruler ruled relations because the feudal system structure is stronger and tempting to individual politicians that they prefer to overlook promised changes. That is how relation of the colonial people with the state remained constant with all rulers. Though all of them had pretended of running “democratic” elections, because they all have inclinations of passing orders from the center and abhorrence for fair and free election, they had been sabotaging it. Sabotaging an election begins before registration and ends after vote counting. This is character of autocratic unitary system. Election of renewed federation should not run under old Ethiopian system. The one planned now is based on unitary system favoring old Ethiopia and cannot be fair and free. Therefore, it must first be agreed on rights and duties of renewed federation and the election has to run under a body to be created by it. Then only can all have equal opportunity to gain or to lose.
Therefore, any good intentioned ascendants to power have to first dismantle the old system to implement change, otherwise that system will dictate them on how to behave. For Oromo and those that have similar tragic history in the past more than a century, the past is a hell they learn or emulate nothing from. That means, not all peoples like past political system. Therefore, trying to build on them present and future systems, is like trying to revive oppressive, enslaving and genocidal experience for many. Therefore, a fresh new beginning is demanded.
People have fought for their rights against all injustice registering significant achievements. The Ethiopian constitution under the leadership of TPLF/EPRDF is one compromise colonial peoples got from an Habashaa government. Because of it, past victor had started to cry victim to confuse world public opinion. Though not directly in power, one can identity these from their making the most noises about
everything of Old imperial Ethiopia some from guilty consciousness and others from nostalgia for their past. Some openly show their pride of oppressive and genocidal Nafxanyaa past. That is dimming the situation so that the real enemy is not visible. But as long as there is a group occupying the untransformed power structure of Nafxanyaa empire that has to answer for it.
The Ethiopian empire was based on Nafxanyaa colonial system to serve the interest of a group led by Shawaa Amaaraa. After relentless struggle by the colonized peoples that relation is changing. But the structure of state is still lingering despite formation of supposedly democratic federation. At the helm of it are still groups and personalities representing no body but serving interest for which the empire was created. For victories of peoples to be realized the Nafxanyaa constructed empire system has to be dismantled and replaced by new democratic union based on the free will of all peoples. Otherwise, all people brought under it by force are going to take their own decisions, using their birth right of rights to national self-determination.
The obstacle standing on the way of democratic freedom are those with nostalgia for the defunct Nafxanyaa system. Though wrong in procedure there is a federal system constructed by Wayyaanee helped by foreign constitutional experts. The Wayyaanee is offspring of Tigray which was a partner in forming the Ethiopian empire. Therefore, it was not free of the biases and contempt for the colonial peoples. Federal government should be formed by constituent assembly of all member states that have equal voice and veto power. Its formation should be based on consensuses not dictation of minority or majority. Therefore, the present federal system has to be reviewed and the result presented to the peoples’ referendum. All desired can be fulfilled if one has strong organization that can follow enemies’ movement and put up strong defense. For Oromo their enemy is alien system which has come turning their own nationals against them. No system had come to them alone. But now they have to change that by not overlooking role of foreign elements which they can also tame.
A federation formed in this way will recognize sovereignty of the peoples individually and collectively. Since in the process division of power between states and the federal government will be laid down there could be no issues to quarrel about by nations and nationalities or individuals of interest. As for human rights there are enough inputs like Universal declaration of Human rights and even those on the present constitution. Each federated state will have sovereign power within its own boundary. To get human and people’s rights respected there, is its prerogative. The hullabaloo about faith, territorial claims, and imperial symbols will have answer there. No more claiming, protection of relatives in other states, Mosques and Churches or campaigning against freedom of worship by interest groups will be necessary. By hook or crook people will be masters of their rights and form a democratic union of equals and the free to replace the colonial empire or that failing will form their own independent republics. As to the ability of some in sustaining themselves that is a choice each makes not others to make for them.
It is solving the political issues that could mobilize the people for economic development. People have to be assured of their relations with their land, resources and fruit of their labor. Supremacy of the law must also be assured. These can be realized when agreement is sealed on political relations of nations and nationalities as narrated above. Be it as it may whatever change may be intended, unless the Nafxanyaa found bureaucracy is dismantled all occupants of power will go into its straight jacket and
continue to behave like their predecessors. The Nafxanyaa system is so possessive that it spares nothing in turning to its own and is intolerant of self-reliance by anyone except itself. It is addictive for anyone that is socialized by it. This seems relatively universally true, when one sees old colonialism is trying to come back as the elusive neocolonialism on international level. That is why descendants of Nafxanyaa remained stubborn that they cannot fit into the new order. The empire system remained inflexible for it was formed to reflect that behavior. The Ethiopian empire is composed of nations, nationalities and peoples that are forced to stay under that oppressive system with which they had never stopped fighting since their occupation. They are entities with own ethos, history, culture, tradition and language. To tell them what is Ethiopian is theirs is sheer chauvinism. Since the Nafxanyaa system does not fit into the New World Order it can no more function. For this reason, the solution is to form a new democratic federal union based on equality, free will and freedom.
Honor and glory for the fallen heroines and heroes; liberty equality and freedom for the living and nagaa and araaraa for the Ayyaanaa of our fore parents!
Ibsaa Guutama
February 2020