Written history of empire Ethiopia is based on speculation and satisfying the incumbent power of the time. Even its modern history uses those skewed information and foreign sources based on that and individual opinion of travelers. The few archeological findings and surviving monuments are subjected to interpretation of historians. Truthful history is not yet composed. It is this false and distorted history Amaaraa nafxanyaa taught to their children that is taking Oromo to Madagascar. Kushitic like the Oromo are indigenous to this part of Africa. At certain period Semitic speaking people have crossed the Red Sea from Arabian Peninsula and intermingled with the Kushitic majority. This is like adding water to the sea with scoop. Blood have turned Kushitic except the tongue. Now major languages spoken in the North are Tigrigna and Amaarinyaa. Amaarinyaa speaking peoples are Agawu, Qimaant, Gaafat and Northern Oromo (Walloo). Outsiders call these Amaaraa from language they speak and the Orthodox religion they prophesy. The first two still have their own languages active, while the rest are almost completely linguistically assimilated. Amaaraa as a ruling class has no territory by its name but that of nations, nationalities and peoples it is dominating. It assumed everything its own until broken by struggle of the down trodden. The struggle has come in time before we are culturally assimilated into the colonizer like most African countries. The present Amaaraa region is creation of TPLF/EPRDF. People living on high escarpment like Laastaa refer to land below them like Waldia and Dasee as Oromo land. Therefore, Walloo people should not be lumped together based on false story with others that see them as aliens to create landing for Amharic speakers. At least a referendum needs to be conducted.
Amharic is said to have started as a code language for secret communication of soldiers of Abyssinian kingdom. Later it developed into literary language of the ruling class and their army of men. The army were composed of different peoples, Tigraaway, Agawu, Qimaant, Argobba, Gaafat, Oromo and others. The language reached prominence after the overthrow of the Agawu king by one of the soldiers called Yekunomlak who assumed to be from Solomonic line of kings. It is this group that eventually developed into the Nafxanyaa system and occupied non-Abyssinian countries. Nafxanyaa system recruited members not only from Abyssinia but also from all the colonies after baptizing and tying string to their necks converting them to Orthodox Christianity. Then they were called Amaaraa by non-Christian people. That is why we say Amaaraa nafxanyaa is not a people but an eclectic class that has one guiding ideology. Since it invaded others as leader of the kingdom whatever it claims is found there, in the motherland not in the colonies. Most third generation nafxanyaa and beyond know only that they are Amaraa and Ethiopian and genuinely do not know their national origin. Unless they hang on the Ethiopian name, they don’t have foundation as a group. But that does not mean individuals have no choice after decolonization. Their country of birth will not reject them. If they accept its constitution, they have full right.
Number of nafxanyaa Amaaraa descendants scattered all over the colonies is significant. For example, they are estimated to be five million plus or minus in Oromiyaa. For those who had lived dominating others it may seem difficult to adjust to live independently as equals. That is why Amaaraa elites have no stone unturned to sabotage the federal system. They want to assimilate all colonies and form unitary system where they will be at the helm. They never thought any of their colonies have the right to be free. For them Ethiopia is what they say is Ethiopia and others have to take their lead abandoning their history, culture, language and freedom. That assertion started waning with overthrow of the monarchy and ended in practice after 1991 by formation of the federal system. The trial of the last three years to take history fifty years back has failed. A revolutionary conclusion is expected soon ending centuries of Amaaraa rule in Abyssinian kingdom and two centuries of the empire. If all or some liberated peoples want to continue together, they may form federation or confederation as smooth way to independence. All depends on the will of each people that have the right to exercise its right to national self-determination.
Dastaa Taklawald defines Amaaraa as, “free people, one who does not accept being ruled but ruling”. It thus has become misfit for this era. Some years ago, when Professor Masfin Waldemaariyam and Colonel Mangistuu Haile Maariyam said there are no people called Amaaraa many were shocked for it came from prominent Ethiopianists. They saw the danger of opening that Pandora Jar sealed for centuries full of lies and other harmful contents. In the Abyssinian kingdom power have been changing hands between Tigaaruu and Agawu and Amaaraa, which is a product of both. Since formation of the Ethiopian empire Amaaraa domination continued except for TPLF interlude for twenty-seven years. The last three years Amaaraa were reinstituted wearing Oromo mask. During TPLF/EPRDF period Amharic was retained as federal working language making all cultural and linguistic rights gained by others meaningless. The struggle since has continued for equal status of all languages. Federal job market should not have been available only to Amharic speakers. Development of languages should be left to open market competition, not supported by political power. However, minority languages must be protected from extinction by common endeavor. If federation continues or any other union is adopted for a language to be given legally advantage over the others contradicts principle of equality.
Now empire Ethiopia is in turmoil. Amaraa is making its last effort to restore its supremacy. In the process it has attacked Tigray committing crimes against humanity. But the counter attack has become beyond its imagination. Regular army is bitten and half trained youth are sent to the front and dying like flies. Even at this last hour pushing the innocent forward to fire to have repose of an hour is observed. A situation where continuing to fight and making peace have no different outcome has arisen. It is a dilemma where war and peace do not lead to survival. Amaaraa elites have applied all lies in store but it did not serve as before. Political consciousness of their subjects had developed beyond their imagination. No choice but giving up and let justice determine the verdict. All they despised have united against them to bring peace, stability, equality and justice for all. From now onwards no one’s interest will be at risk, no one’s right and happiness will be attacked. Nafxanyaa system hopefuls are crying for Ethiopia, a name they picked from Greek history. For Greek historians it stands for color of civilization they encountered. It means black people. They are crying for this name, myth under which they took cover to be different and historic from people they dominated. They have no concern for the people in agony but their own glory. War, famine, COVID 19, desert locust and various other natural and man-made calamities are spread throughout the empire mowing down millions. They show no remorse or shame for it. Even their religious institutions are for the war and are showing no compassion for the dying. Just like Italian clergy blessed Mussolini’s guns that invaded Ethiopia, so did Ethiopian clergy when Abiy’s guns invaded Tigray in the name of Ethiopia as if Tigray is not part of it. Their ancestor, Teklehaimanot helped the massacre of Agawu while they are helping in that of Tigaaruu. The outcome of present chaos is hoped to be an equalizer because there will be no power left to hide the truth. After this with so much blood split and so much sweat perspired there shall be no dominant and dominated nations. We have now experience of vigilance, if force of habit tempts our friends for betrayal, we know how to face it. Our continued sweating is the only way to keep away groups like Amaaraa to come to power again and spill more blood and burry other’s identity. Peace and justice is going to reign over humanity in this corner of the globe. Let us hope that the rule of lies will come to an end with Amaaraa rule and the rule of law shall begin. Oromiyaan haa jiraattu!
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
November 2022