750 Years Ideological Conflict in Ethiopia: Authoritarian Amaranet vs Egalitarian Oromummà!
By Fayyis Oromia*
There is no doubt that Amhara identity and the Amharic language began to develop significantly around 1270, when Yekuno Amlak seized power from the Zagwe Dynasty. Since then, Amaranet (Amhara-ness) and Amharic have expanded, largely at the expense of Agawinet (Agaw identity/language) and Oromic/Oromummà (Oromo language and identity). Amaranet, often masked as “Ethiopianism,” assimilated various peoples and nationalities into speaking Amharic and identifying as Amhara. Among those assimilated identities, only Oromummà has continuously challenged the dominant Amaranet.
Today, Amaranet and Oromummà are not merely ethnic identities; they have evolved into distinct political ideologies. Historically, the first Derg regime focused on the ideological divide between capitalism and communism. The second Derg, also known as Woyane, emphasized centralism vs. separatism. The third Derg—symbolized by the Biltsigina regime—appears to be exploiting the emerging ideological divide between Amaranet and Oromummà for its own “divide-and-rule” strategy.
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2023/04/1 ... opianists/