Ethiopia’s Silent Revolution - From North to South
Posted: 26 Mar 2022, 23:44
Ethiopia is in a silent revolution. The power that has been revolving in the hands of the Abyssinians (Amharas and Tigrians) has come to be shared for real by Oromos and the Southerners as of 2018. This for an onlooker may not appear as such or the line might be blurred given that some autonomy has devolved since 1991 with political change giving a taste of local rule or even arguably in 1974 land to the tiller restoring economic rights. Both those watershed events have their advantages and limitations.
However, real political right has shifted southwards and is unfolding before our eyes albeit very silently and almost unnoticed by the general public as it was pronounced in the case of 1974 or 1991.
The Oromos have been waiting and fighting for the real right of self administration for half a century and the common fear of the Tigrians and the Amharas was that by all means power shall never be surrendered southward as that means giving up all your chips in a casino and expecting to stay afloat for long. That means, losing power is losing any and all leverage of the northerners to tame the Oromo or have a secure share in the future of Ethiopia. They believed if power devolves to Oromos they would be on the receiving end of whatever comes their way and there will never be a possibility where Oromos would accept a future where things are reversed.
So what does the future look like? Will this revolution successfully reverse? For this to change the only way it can succeed is to have Oromos revolt. [And that seems unthinkable because revolt by Oromo extremists like Jawar would only be unfavorable and with time northerners would start to kneel and pray for Abiy’s longevity.] If Amharas revolt, Oromos would not accept any future under the Amhara. If the Tigrians revolt as they did in 2020 knowing they have a 5% chance of success that would be a futile excercise (convincing the world that they’re victims of genocide like Hutus and Jews and be allowed to rule as minority; but we know how this chereba ended, don’t we?)
But is it doom and gloom? No
The Oromos are very inclusive and democratic by culture and custom. And this fundamental nature of Oromo society is how Ethiopia survived this long despite the alienation and disenfranchisement of the Oromos and the South for a century. So Oromos would have no reason to be unjust when they have power because they didn’t stop being inclusive even when they were subjugated.
The other thing is Oromos are silently revolutionizing Ethiopian politics with egalitarianism. Conflicts are approached differently. In northern highlander mentality, your opposition is your “enemy”. In Oromo and South, your opponent is another fellow human being who can live side by side with you. In northern Ethiopia your opponent is treated with blood feud to the 7th generation whereas Gadda system resolves conflicts with aim to achieve peace. In the north the governance style is government controls your life (like the democrat party in the US as a caretaker with government micro managing your choice like babysitter) whereas in the South it is individual responsibility (Like Republicans who leave all decisions to the individual with weak government).
That is why you see lawlessness in Ethiopia which is driven by Oromo mentality that people should be left to care and act responsibly whereas pre-2018, the country was micro managed by government that is acting like a police in all walks of life (controlling what you speak, write, think, hovering over your head….)
I sense this laissez-faire attitude of letting things take their own course and building a society that is responsible in contrast to the Abyssinian “ene awqilacjihalehu” type of government like the unquestionable Seyoume Egziabher and the “hade hizbi hade libi” vanguard TPLF tyranny.
So if this distributed power with emphasis to individual responsibility succeeds as it seems it is, it would be an irreversible silent revolution that would dry the water for the Abyssinian sharks to come and try to reverse their fortune.
The below is what is percolating and sinking in the society that is shaping up.
“The Oromo people have their own varieties of customary practices. Among these practices they have indigenous conflict resolution institutions which are more than helping the people to build solidarity and peaceful coexistence among them. It has a gap filling role for the state made laws. They are such as Gadaa system or Abba Gadaa council, Jaarsummaa, Qaalluu institution or decision of spiritual leaders, gumaasystem, and siiqqee institution etc.Gadaa system is one of the interesting ways of conflict resolution institution and well respected among the Oromo community in Ethiopia (Deselegnetal, 2007: 148).During their long history of egalitarian culture, the Oromo developed a uniquely democratic socio-political structure known as Gadaa” (Cerulli, 1922; Hunting ford, 1955; Asmerom, 1973; Melbaa, 1991 cited in Kuwe, 1997: 116) which can be taken as a symbol of practicing collective approach. Gadaa system of conflict resolution is one that deserves attention. This institution is well respected by the Oromo society at large in the country. If this indigenous knowledge can be controlled, then it is thought that it can be a means
through which sustainable development can be achieved (Ibid).
The main aim of Oromo traditional court (GadaaInstitutionn) has been reconciliation of the disputant parties and restoration of peace and order. In this process the person or party who suffered the consequences of the offense has been compensated and the offender fined.
Sisay (2008) describes the Oromo and their gadaa system as follows: The Oromo have one of the most open and democratic cultures among Ethiopians.”
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... stitutions
However, real political right has shifted southwards and is unfolding before our eyes albeit very silently and almost unnoticed by the general public as it was pronounced in the case of 1974 or 1991.
The Oromos have been waiting and fighting for the real right of self administration for half a century and the common fear of the Tigrians and the Amharas was that by all means power shall never be surrendered southward as that means giving up all your chips in a casino and expecting to stay afloat for long. That means, losing power is losing any and all leverage of the northerners to tame the Oromo or have a secure share in the future of Ethiopia. They believed if power devolves to Oromos they would be on the receiving end of whatever comes their way and there will never be a possibility where Oromos would accept a future where things are reversed.
So what does the future look like? Will this revolution successfully reverse? For this to change the only way it can succeed is to have Oromos revolt. [And that seems unthinkable because revolt by Oromo extremists like Jawar would only be unfavorable and with time northerners would start to kneel and pray for Abiy’s longevity.] If Amharas revolt, Oromos would not accept any future under the Amhara. If the Tigrians revolt as they did in 2020 knowing they have a 5% chance of success that would be a futile excercise (convincing the world that they’re victims of genocide like Hutus and Jews and be allowed to rule as minority; but we know how this chereba ended, don’t we?)
But is it doom and gloom? No
The Oromos are very inclusive and democratic by culture and custom. And this fundamental nature of Oromo society is how Ethiopia survived this long despite the alienation and disenfranchisement of the Oromos and the South for a century. So Oromos would have no reason to be unjust when they have power because they didn’t stop being inclusive even when they were subjugated.
The other thing is Oromos are silently revolutionizing Ethiopian politics with egalitarianism. Conflicts are approached differently. In northern highlander mentality, your opposition is your “enemy”. In Oromo and South, your opponent is another fellow human being who can live side by side with you. In northern Ethiopia your opponent is treated with blood feud to the 7th generation whereas Gadda system resolves conflicts with aim to achieve peace. In the north the governance style is government controls your life (like the democrat party in the US as a caretaker with government micro managing your choice like babysitter) whereas in the South it is individual responsibility (Like Republicans who leave all decisions to the individual with weak government).
That is why you see lawlessness in Ethiopia which is driven by Oromo mentality that people should be left to care and act responsibly whereas pre-2018, the country was micro managed by government that is acting like a police in all walks of life (controlling what you speak, write, think, hovering over your head….)
I sense this laissez-faire attitude of letting things take their own course and building a society that is responsible in contrast to the Abyssinian “ene awqilacjihalehu” type of government like the unquestionable Seyoume Egziabher and the “hade hizbi hade libi” vanguard TPLF tyranny.
So if this distributed power with emphasis to individual responsibility succeeds as it seems it is, it would be an irreversible silent revolution that would dry the water for the Abyssinian sharks to come and try to reverse their fortune.
The below is what is percolating and sinking in the society that is shaping up.
“The Oromo people have their own varieties of customary practices. Among these practices they have indigenous conflict resolution institutions which are more than helping the people to build solidarity and peaceful coexistence among them. It has a gap filling role for the state made laws. They are such as Gadaa system or Abba Gadaa council, Jaarsummaa, Qaalluu institution or decision of spiritual leaders, gumaasystem, and siiqqee institution etc.Gadaa system is one of the interesting ways of conflict resolution institution and well respected among the Oromo community in Ethiopia (Deselegnetal, 2007: 148).During their long history of egalitarian culture, the Oromo developed a uniquely democratic socio-political structure known as Gadaa” (Cerulli, 1922; Hunting ford, 1955; Asmerom, 1973; Melbaa, 1991 cited in Kuwe, 1997: 116) which can be taken as a symbol of practicing collective approach. Gadaa system of conflict resolution is one that deserves attention. This institution is well respected by the Oromo society at large in the country. If this indigenous knowledge can be controlled, then it is thought that it can be a means
through which sustainable development can be achieved (Ibid).
The main aim of Oromo traditional court (GadaaInstitutionn) has been reconciliation of the disputant parties and restoration of peace and order. In this process the person or party who suffered the consequences of the offense has been compensated and the offender fined.
Sisay (2008) describes the Oromo and their gadaa system as follows: The Oromo have one of the most open and democratic cultures among Ethiopians.”
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... stitutions
