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Lying to reconcile is tolerable, but lying to create hate is repugnantFederation in Ethiopia. Part II

 

Lying to reconcile is tolerable, but lying to create hate is repugnant

Federation in Ethiopia. Part II

Tazabi Sew 02-22-18

 

This is second article in this series of Federalism in Ethiopia. The focus of this article will be Federalism and self determination up and including the right to secession.

There are quite a lot of Ethiopian diaspora politicians and opposition inside the country as well that are frightened by the self determination up to and including secession. Some even go to the extreme to tell that Ethiopia is the only country that has this article in its constitution. The moderate once will bring Yugoslavia and or Soviet union as examples. This is done on purpose. But there is a country, among the best in the world by any measurable, a western country, these opponents of Ethiopian federalism will not mention. This western country has the exact same right of self determination, right of secession as its law.

 

I have read an article from an educated Canadian, of Ethiopian origin lambasting the right of nations to self determination up and including the right to secede. The whole article was a collection of falsehoods. Why? It happens that this person lives in a place that has the same article. He was hiding in Mercato, but asking why do we have shop keepers in Mercato.

 

We have seen this combination of Ethiopians and Ethiopians by ancestry cursing and cussing both Tilahun Gizaw and Walelgn Mekonen. In 1997 I have read articles of persons that were trying to find a mother, grandfather or grandmother, any connection that Walelign might have to Tigrean, since it was obvious that Tilahun Gizaw was Tigrean. The idea that the right to self determination, can only come from Tigre, has to be proven somehow for these collection of chauvinists, Dergists, ex-EPRP, which all have now become “Democrats”, “human rights activists”, “independent” Journalists. They have to find a Tigre in it, behind it, in front of it, above it or below it.

 

How can they miss or forget CANADA? Easy. The attempt is to hide it. The fact that Canada is the largest country in the world next to Russia is ignored, since Canada's example does not serve the purpose of the collection. There is no stone this collection would not turn, there is no lie this collection would not invent to relate the right to self determination to Tigre. I am absolutely certain that at the very least some of this  collection knows there is a country in the world that is in G7, G20, Top 3 countries in the world in every measurable of quality of life, Contributed more than its population size for victory in both World wars and is seen around the world as a country that stands for fairness. That country is Canada. The main reasoning “logic” of the collection is that “if we remove the Tigre factor and principled strength in support of nationalities rights and kilil's rights, the rest are easy to squish and trumple upon and dominate. Even some Oromo have become champions of this old failed, but still dangerous modus operandi. So everything against Tigre, the focus should be Tigre. That is why this collection and its new friends never want Canada to be mentioned as example of rights of self determination and secession.

 

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Canada and Ethiopia have the same, in some cases same words and articles, in regards the right of secession. I bet most of you that think self determination and right to secede is a  Tilahun Gizaw/Walelign/Weyannie invention have never been told about Canada.

 

In Canada this law is called the clarity act. It specifies how a province can secede from Canada. Its so natural that if you have laws of marriage you need laws of divorce. In this case, the laws of marriage is federation and the laws of divorce is separation.

Clarity Act

The Clarity Act is legislation passed by the Parliament of Canada that established the conditions under which the Government of Canada would enter into negotiations that might lead to secession following such a vote by one of the provinces. The Clarity Bill was tabled for first reading in the House of Commons on 13 December 1999. It was passed by the House on 15 March 2000, and by the Senate, in its final version, on 29 June 2000.

 

The Clarity Act (2000) produced an agreement between the Province of Quebec and the federal government that any future referendum for secession must have a clear majority, be based on an unambiguous question, and have the approval of the federal House of Commons.

 

There are procedures, timing schedule and size of majority, protection of minorities in the Province that voted to secede etc. The Ethiopian system also has these same processes.

 

The right to self determination in Ethiopia:

 

The principle is the same to that of Canada, the objective is the same to that of Canada. The process is much different. It is much easier in Canada for a province to secede than its in Ethiopia for a nationality to secede. Example: In Ethiopia the nationality that is aggrieved has to obtain 66.6% of its members just to raise the question. After years of consideration and attempts by federal government to address grievances, the said nationality still needs 66.6% vote to start the process. In Canada the timing is much shorter. After initiating the question the Province can go to referendum in 30 days and if federal government wants extension another 40 days. The whole issue can be done with in less than 6 months.

 

The Historical background is also the same. The Anglophone were dominating Canada and this threatened the Francophone. Quebec , the French (majority) Province of Canada conducted two referendums for secession. Did not succeed and as a result the Parliament of Canada clarified conditions for any future referendum and process of separation if the referendum is successful.

The result is that there is less and less will and movement for separation now, than there was before the clarity act in Canada. What at one point had reached 50% support for separation is now less than 20%.

 

In Ethiopia also happened the exact same results as in Canada. The Somali who fought for a hundred years against Europeans and Ethiopian governments, is now the number one defender of Federalism and united Ethiopia. There is no better example and fact than this to show that good will brings good will. Fairness brings fairness, no matter how belated. The Somali has no intention or principle to dominate Ethiopia, but the most important is the Somali will not tolerate any intention of domination by others. The very repugnant ideology of domination should be eliminated.

 

 

Lets see the self determination issue, in ordinary, straight forward, and openly in Ethiopia. No honey coating or diplomatic language here. Polite and respectful as my ancestors, but also tell it straight as my ancestors as well. I will write in the same manner as my great grandfather told to Hatse Menelik, to Khadive of Egypt and King of Italy, as my father told to Mengistu to his face. 

 

It was astonishing to see some Oromo activists in diaspora and even in the Oromia government at home, being wobbly on the right of self determination, but so enthusiastic for unitary government as long as Oromiffa becomes Official language. What this exposes is that the nationalities cannot trust these Oromo organizations to stand for the right of nations, nationalities and peoples through thick and thin. That is perfect situation how mistrust gets created. It may not have been the intention of these kind of Oromo organizations or leaders to show so early their real aim of replacing Amhara domination with Oromo domination in Ethiopia, but things can only remain hidden temporarily. If you think its the Tigre that is standing in your way to domination and Arat Killo, you are making the same mistake as your later day allies, the collection.

 

These Oromo organizations even started a campaign that “Tigray is going to separate” and only the Oromo can keep one Ethiopia. The only thing to be changed is Oromiffa be used in all the country. And the applause from chauvinists, Dergists and ex-EPRP collection was deafening, at least until they found out what happened in London, Jigjiga, Semera, Awassa, Assosa etc. The backtracking has started in earnest. Now these same Oromo organizations cannot apologize enough, cannot explain enough. No need to waste your time explaining. We (nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia) might have anticipated some wobbliness and have already placed constitution to prevent that. We also have put in place the strength to defend equality.

 

The Oromo people fought for self determination up and including secession for themselves and all other peoples in Ethiopia. At least that was the stated principles. The Oromo did not fight to replace domination of Amhara by domination of Oromo on Ethiopians.  I see a lot of Oromo stating that since we are 30 million or 40 million we are the majority and our language should be used everywhere, we have to have most ministers, most generals, most beaurocrats. The Amhara who make up 70% of the government beaurocracy is wrong, the Oromo should have the most in government. And since its Tigre that allowed this to happen, we have to generate hate on Tigre and then is easy to replace the Amhara. And the collection had same hate campaign for 26 years, except the collection says, if it was not for the Tigre who brought all these peoples in the name of federalism, we would still be dominating. There fore all our fight should be against Tigre.

Those who do not respect the rights, origin, belief and culture of others, at all conditions and times, will not genuinely defend theirs.

 

As per peoples of Ethiopia, there is no majority or minority. All nationalities are some large population and others few thousands. Even the vocabulary itself of majority is repugnant. Tigrinya speakers have better words for it. Wihudat and Bizuhat. Perfect words that speak only of numbers of people. Why can't this be used in Amharic or Oromiffa. The words Anasa bihereseb literally means some peoples are less than others, not in number of population, but in their place in the federation. I am an Afar. I can confidently state that if a Tigre said such a thing, it would be another Tigre that would slap him before I even look as to who said that. I am confident the Somali or Agew would be the same. The Somali is 3 times the population of the Afar, but it can be confidently stated that the Somali would never even on the road to Arat Killo, ever contemplate to dominate and force his culture, values and language on the Afar. We might have closest factors, but still we have differences.

 

We do not need to go far to expose the fallacy of this temper tantrum and finding short cut to Arat killo. There is even songs produced in Oromo to Arat Killo. If population size is their main argument, forget constitution, to hell with principles and all kinds of lies. One small example is enough. The population of Eritrea was always below 4% in Ethiopia. Yet this 3% in 30 years tied the country in knots and made it so it was exposed to abject poverty, bankrupt and its very existence in question.

My advice to Oromo activists and leaders is that even if you want or think you can do away with principles you swore to uphold, the constitution is set up in such away that, there cannot and will not be domination by anyone on anyone else in Ethiopia. If you think you will dominate the Afar with applaud from the collection of chauvinists, Derg and ex-EPRP you are receiving lately, think again. 

  

The biggest lie of all is that “ Mr. Hailemariam comes from an Ethnic that is only few millions and the late Mr. Meles came from an ethnic which is only few millions. How can they be prime ministers. It should be an Oromo and the Amhara diaspora would say should be an Amhara” This is not only a lie, but very pathetic one at that. It boggles the mind of an Afar, how an Oromo who yeterday was swearing for equality of cultures, languages and nationalities can today preach the opposite.

 

Lets follow this “logic”. In Great Britain the total population is 60 million. The Scottish population is 5 Million, if we take out Welsh and Irish (northern), the English are 50 million at least. If we check the prime ministers of Britain through the years the number of Scottish and English is close, that is if just comparing the two. According to the diaspora liars there would never be a Scottish prime minster ever in the history of Britain. There would never be a Sikh prime minister ever  in India, there can never be a Bavarian chancellor in Germany ever. There would never be a German ancestry leader in Switzerland.

 

This lie is so big and often repeated by the diaspora chauvinists, which the Oromo diaspora is lately also copying and echoing it (the only difference being one for Oromo and another for Amhara prime minister).  The Oromo do not say it as laud, since the federal system is fairly accepted in the community and even those in opposition were advocating for the federal system until recently. In 150 years of the federal government in Canada, there have been 22 prime ministers total and 13 of them are Scottish. One of the Scotsmen was prime minister of Canada for 22 years. 9 of them were either French, Irish, German..ancestry. It is by the way very common and ordinary for an American, Canadian to say and let know of heritage and ancestry. Only hypocrite Ethiopian diaspora will tell you its shame to say my father is German and mother is English ..etc. But Ethiopians know what happened to the collection of Qinijit and what is happening now with a number of organization that claim to be Amhara or other Ethnic. There is a dictum here worth repeating: 

Those who do not respect the rights, origin, belief and culture of others, will not genuinely defend theirs.

 

 

The only question that need be asked in Ethiopia at this time is that, according to the current practice only leader of EPRDF can be prime minister. This should not continue. Either EPRDF should be a complete national party operating and competing in all regional states, which includes the regional states now only the regional parties allies represent and function in or there should be possibility of the other states parties can become prime ministers. A leader of Afar or Somali party should have an opportunity to be prime minister or the Afar party should be in EPRDF. As long as EPRDF gains majority seats in the house of representatives I do not see a chance for an Afar to be prime minister according current setup. EPRDF needs to transform to all regions party, rather than 4 regional states only. This is only for EPRDF's sake and fairness for those who supported EPRDF from day one but are not included like Afar, Somali etc.

 

 

Another big lie is the word majority. Let's get this straight. If Majority is to mean 50%+1 (Which is the minimum requirement to use the word majority), which Ethnic is majority in Ethiopia? No body. Let me go even further which Regional state is majority in Ethiopia? None.

So where is that this majority minority come from? Of course the chauvinists started it and the Oromo diaspora is copying it (Since OPDO and OLF had agreed to the set up of the federal system, that all peoples are equal, the Oromo diaspora goes to greater length to use the majority minority lie). Even in opposition there are gentlemen like Abbo Leencio that still defend the federal set up against all the noisy diaspora. Others lack courage to say what they agreed and what is right. As soon as they see a demonstration for any reason, they get weak knee and hide what is right and principled stand for equality of peoples.

 

There cannot be a system or a structure, where it makes the Somali less than the Oromo, or the Agew less than the Amhara or the Irob less than Tegaru, because of numbers.  It is never done in any federal country around the world.  As entity every language is equal, every ethnic is equal, ea If ch and every regional state is equal. If there is no equality of peoples, in an institution, there will be institutionalized  inequality. This no one should and will accept even peoples of 100 person. Maybe its a good idea to ask the diaspora opposition (The collection of butchers Derg, assassination champions EPRP) to try it.

 

There is a good question here to be asked. If all nationalities are equal, then how do you get equality of every citizen?

 

All the above shows only the right way of  group, province, Ethnic, region, republic etc equality. Show me how a Somali individual in Jigjiga and a Muer individual in Gambella are equal as citizens of one country, Ethiopia.

That is where the house of representatives comes in. In the house of representatives all citizens are represented equally (difference maybe 100,000 in an electoral district versus 90,000 or 110,000 in another). There is no country in the world that has invented a system where all districts, constituencies are equal to one person. Unless the diaspora “scientists” and “experts” of constitution, governance systems can come up with one, which automatically would make one a millionaire. It would be copy righted, patented, trade marked and paid for use all over the world.

 

In the house of representatives some Regional states have more than hundred some have less than 10. In Canada constituencies have to be fairly equal absolutely within province, but can be significantly different province to province. This is so that some provinces minimum number of representatives member of parliaments from that province has percentage. Example: there is a condition with one of the provinces that the number of members of parliament from that province cannot be less than 20% of the total number of members of parliament, even if the population in that province is less than 20% of the population of Canada. This was done to protect the province of Quebec (French), since the English part of Canada was growing fast in population and provinces. Do you see how a federal country is built?  This of course the Diaspora constitutional “experts” will tell you is not democratic. Its actually most democratic, since it was agreed upon democratically when Canadians were setting up federal country from the provinces of the British Empire.

 

I have seen an article in one of the Ethiopian opposition sites, where most of these lies were written by no less than someone who claims is a professor in Canada and another one in the USA. Its amazing when someone is so blinded by hate which is waste of the mind if there was one to start with. Some are ex-EPRP that came to the west after getting so many people killed with selfish and wrongheaded strategy, and some are Derg who killed them with such cruelty and bestiality (Gonder, best example of how imbecility was clearly practiced by both Derg and EPRP). These are now “democratic” buddies in the education of hate “science” in the diaspora and they are in alliance. 

 

One brave, very brave Amhara has raised a question, a very important one at that. I say he is brave, because he went against the collection. The collections only target is Tigre a code word that includes us the Afar, Agew, Somali and others. We are not mentioned all the time, but only when the collection and some Oromo wants to try intimidate us from standing up for our rights. What this brave Amhara raised is that: OK lets agree that all nationalities and peoples have equal rights. Then how is that about 5,000 Kunama peoples are represented in Tigray parliament, the house of federation; how is that the Argoba peoples have autonomous wereda in Afar kilil; how is that less than 100,000 Irob are represented in Tigray assembly, house of federation, have an area autonomous in Tigray, yet millions of Amhara in Oromia......? Its in youtube and a number of sites on the internet.

 

He continues..How come our demonstrations in Oromia cities, against EPRDF are hijacked by so called Amhara and Oromo organizations and presented as tool of hate against Tigre? How come our questions are never mentioned by Oromia government, when they state that they are listening to the people? How come Ato Lema was so taken as hero for his addiction speech in Bahirdar, yet never bothered to mention the 60-80% Amharic speaking residents of cities in Oromia and a lot more...

This brave Amhara, brave man, because I understand that the most difficult thing to do in politics is standing against the noise of fake equality, fake domination and fake media. I hope the treacherous, weak and vendetta driven,  ex-EPRP will not open campaign against you as person. Be careful you are exposing them, standing in their way to Arat Killo dressed in fake deceitful slogans. May the God's of Facebook and youtube help you. Jawar and Ato Lema will stay the furthest from your questions, as you stated,  if not expect to be called Weyannie like the rest of us.

 

What the collection do not know is that the Afar wears Weyannie with pride in what we have achieved to protect our rights, to enshrine our rights, to develop the capacity to defend our rights and also no less important to respect our parents that fought and fell in First Weyannie and Second Weyannie.

 

To President Haj Siyum:

Be as brave as you have always been. Never forget any peoples and especially our neighbor, brother, and common history of bravery we share with the Agew and others. Its critical that you show your uncompromising support in their determination to eliminate the very abhorrent idea of domination no matter the fake cover.  The collection is trying to rail road them, ignore them, hide them from its web pages and facebook pages. The collection is attempting to do this on the ground in some kilil. For 26 years the collection has been stating that ANDM is not Amhara, the leaders are not Amhara. We know what they are saying. When the Agew, Argoba and other peoples in the kilil, did not respond in kind, these chauvenists moved to making alliances in their name. The collection follows that “we will use the Agew as a force in our march to Arat Killo, but we will not accept an Agew to be leader in Amhara kilil, Agew is Tigre”.  I have seen the statement of condemnation of the Afar people issued by the collection in the name of Wollo Mahber. We can expect a lot more before September as the saying goes.. As you clearly know us and Somali will be next focus when the collection feels cannot do much against Tigre. It has already started on the internet. I have already seen 3 organizations that completely abandoned the use of name Weyannie. At this late hour they realized that the Afar is also Weyannie. One of the admins is a person I knew in my activities with ARDUF. They have such short memory that the Afar was Weyannie in 1942 and was Weyannie in 1991. In such a haste they even forgot to read the list of organizations in 1991 Ethiopia. They forgot that one of the deadliest fronts against Derg was named Weyannie Afar.

 

Who ever thinks to betray the peoples right to self preservation can and will do so any time they feel of making alliances even with their principal enemies. Derg and EPRP and EDU are in the same organization here in the west. I am sure is the same in the country as seen in Gonder. EPRP has betrayed the Afar people not once, but twice. Not us the Afar. I am opposed to some administrative, economic policies of your government, but will never betray the basic principles of self determination that was fought for and achieved. Will never betray the self preservation right of using AfarAf. You can rest assured of these from all the Afar organizations outside the country. We have never and will not be standing with those who can betray principles they sworn to, for applause or 15 minute of fame.

 

Do as your ancestors did, stand for fairness to all, no matter the noise of detractors and the wobbly. We will not be intimidated into unitary state under any slogan or name. Ethiopia is not Hashish to you or us your people that we can inhale when fashionable and quit when our leaders don't become presidents or prime ministers of Ethiopia. We are Ethiopians through thick and thin. Our Sultan did not betray Ethiopia, even when Italy and King Menelik destroyed the sultanate together and in co-ordination. Our ancestors did not Betray Ethiopia when at behest of Italy Negus Minelik jailed our Sultan in Jima. We will not betray federalism, even when there is no single minister, an Afar in the federal government. I have heard from my friends that the federal bureaucracy is 70% Amhara. This cannot and should not be used against Amhara. Its the fault of Ethiopian rulers for not opening a single school for the Afar. This is very easy to balance. When each Afar has chance to go to school and learn Amharic, its case closed. We cannot stand for any idea that says the Amhara has unfair advantage. No. its poverty and backwardness that need to be eliminated, not the language. To give every child born in Gambella, Lasta, Jigjiga or Shire the same opportunity should be the noble solution. This is a temporary problem that can be solved in one generation of peace and education. Our ancestors have left us no money, no, but noble culture and heritage. Money is something we can achieve by hard work and smarts, noble culture is not.

We have a lot of catching up to do in this world. We cannot afford to spend our time and energy with those who do not have our noble objectives in mind or soul. Please tell them in no uncertain terms, the dogs will bark, but our camels will continue the march. No need to be diplomatic or honey coat. Remember we are the Afar, a culture of telling like it is. We do not change our fundamental principles for applause and then hide behind empty words, we act as our ancestors have always done.

 

Remember that it was an Afar fighter who brought the settlement and agreement to the flag debate in the 1990s in Ethiopia. He stated “We know the three colours, even turned up side down, but the three basic colours are of our kin's fathers. If for nothing else, we would simply accept since the three colours on the flag mean a lot to our kins and comrades. But I have no doubt as well that our kins and comrades will also accept if we add a symbol that means something to us, a symbol that shows we are also included, a symbol that shows we also contributed to the existence of this country.”

Haj Siyum, you and I know what was meant. The flag in the north of Ethiopia in 1880s was red, yellow and green. Ghana has that flag already, they added a star to it. Other Ethiopians also needed to be told that the Tigre and Agew mean to us a lot more than a neighbours. I do not want to brag since its not our culture, but for just one moment I said only an Afar would have such loyalty to his ancestors even in the face of hardship. I am glad the Tigre and Agew did not disappoint like EPRP that is now Derg ally  and apologist against the Afar, the same Afar that had welcomed and sacrificed a lot with EPRP.

 

Peace and progress for the Afar and all peoples of Ethiopia near and far.

 

 

Priceless Moments from Afar and Ethiopia:

 

Prime minister Meles in the heat of an argument with president Mubarek, about Tana Beles Project. Meles always remembered that the Afar destroyed the army of Egypt singlehandedly without a single soldier (including their commander Pasha Munzinger of Swiss German Colonel)from the 1500 Egyptian soldiers,  left to tell their story. Meles told Mubarek “If you want to be the first one that can colonize us and control Abay and Tana, you can try, but be warned a lot have tried to do that and never lived to tell their story. We now have the same mountains, same fields and worst yet, same people”. It was priceless to see on the face of president Mubarek. It was also brilliant and brave of Meles to in an instant find in his memory, and remind president Mubarek the Afar are back not just the Tigraway in front of you here in Sharmalshiek. 

 

Tazabi Sew

February 22, 2018

 


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