Further Demasking Amara: Take Off Their Shirt (Amaranet) as Was Already Done with Their Coat (Ethiopiawinet)!
BY Fayyis Oromia*
The OLF, which has effectively infiltrated the Biltsigina party of the triple-hybrid Dr. Abiy Ahmed, is doing a commendable job—slowly but surely. It has already managed to strip away the external mask (the Ethiopiawinet coat) of the so-called Amara elites. No Amara elite can now deceive the nations of Ethiopia by hiding behind this seemingly inclusive identity. They have been exposed and are now rallying behind the Fannô movement to fight what they perceive as their main enemy—Oromummà. The OLF should now go further and remove their internal mask—the Amaranet shirt.
In reality, the people of Gojjam, Gondar, Shoa, and Wollo are either Agaw or Oromo. These populations were gradually Amharanized after the 1270 rise to power of Yekuno Amlak, who overthrew the Agaw-led Zagwe dynasty. Over time, they adopted the Amharic language and began identifying as Amara. It is time to reveal their original identities and promote a process of re-Agawization and re-Oromization. This would logically lead to either renaming the Amhara region as Agaw Region, or dividing it into smaller, ethnically reflective regions such as Wolqait, Agaw of Gojjam, Qemant of Gondar, North Shoa, Lasta (Himira), and Wollo (Oromo).
Among all narratives in Ethiopia, the one I find most compelling is that Ethiopia is originally the homeland of Cushitic peoples—particularly the Oromo and Agaw. The Agaw are either a sibling nation to the Oromo or a subgroup that differentiated over time. Today’s Amharic and Tigrinya speakers in Abyssinia are originally of Agaw and/or Oromo descent. It is essential to educate the common people in these regions about their true ancestral identities and lost languages (Agawigna and Oromiffà).
The time is ripe to empower the Agaw in both the Amhara and Tigray regions. Genuine Agaw nationalists must take leadership positions and reestablish Agawigna as a primary regional language. Oromo nationalists should support this movement to revive and promote Agawinet. This is the best way to confront the pseudo-identity of Naftegninet currently dominant in the Amhara region. In this process, a future “Agawia” could emerge as a redefined Abyssinia—a northern neighbor to Oromia. Through this, the region’s Habeshanized Agaw and Oromo populations can reclaim their ancestral identities.
There is no doubt that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has been instrumentalized by pro-Amaranet elites to assimilate the Oromo, Agaw, and others into Amhara identity. Much of North Shoa, Wollo, Gojjam, and Gondar were originally Oromo territories before the process of “Solomonization” (Amharanization) began in 1270 with the fall of the Zagwe dynasty. This identity shift spread from the Oromo region of Shoa to the Agaw of Gojjam, Lalibela, and Gondar. Today, these three zones are inhabited by Amharic-speaking Agaw and Oromo people. Regardless of their current language, it is vital to support their return to their original identities.
The Agaw people in these provinces deserve their own Agaw Kilil and an independent Orthodox synod that operates in Agawigna, much like the Oromo have done recently. Both Agawinet and Oromummà must be liberated from the ongoing dominance of Amaranet, which has weaponized both Ethiopiawinet and the Orthodox Church. The pro-Amaranet elites must no longer be allowed to conceal their political agenda behind Ethiopian unity or Orthodox religion to maintain their cultural hegemony.
This is an opportune time for Oromo politicians to engage in smart, strategic politics in northern Ethiopia. We must support the revival of two lost identities—Agawinet and Oromummà—in this region. People in the Amhara and Tigray regions have lost their Cushitic heritage over the past 3,000 years due to a process of de-Cushitization and Amharanization. Agaw has been the primary victim in this historical transformation. The majority of people in Tigray, Gondar, and Gojjam are of Agaw descent, having lost their language and culture over time.
This process must be reversed. Agaw nationalists should take the lead in reclaiming and governing these regions. The Agaw language should be regularly taught, and power must be returned to Agaw nationalists. Oromo nationalists must stand in solidarity with the Agaw cause. It’s time to accelerate the revival of Cushitic Ethiopia, guided by Oromummà and Agawinet.
Currently, Amhara and Tigrayan elites are engaged in a cultural dispute over two versions of the same internal mask: Amharanet vs. Tegarunet. But beneath these cultural identities lies a shared ancestral identity—Agawinet and Oromummà. These groups are, in fact, the same people, now divided by language. All Abyssinians today are Amharic or Tigrinya-speaking Cushitic ABASO peoples (Afar, Beja, Agaw, Saho, Oromo). They need support in reconnecting with their Cushitic origins.
A relevant comment from another observer highlights this truth:
“The true history of the Agaw people, and of Ethiopia in general, has been documented by neutral scholars from the West and Middle East. For instance, Hetzron (1969) conducted his Ph.D. research on the Awigni language of the Awi people. Initially interested in the origins of the Jewish people, he hypothesized a link to Ethiopia and studied the culture of the people living near the source of the Abay (Blue Nile) River in Gojjam. He discovered that the people in Seqela—where the river originates—are Awi, a subgroup of the Agaw. His research revealed that the Agaw once lived across North and Central Ethiopia, and were gradually Semitized, losing their original languages to Amharic and Tigrinya.”
Today, remnants of the Agaw people can be found throughout the region: the Bilen in Eritrea, Xamta in Wollo, Qemant and Quara in Gondar, Awigni in the Awi Zone of Gojjam, and other isolated areas. Hetzron even found traces of Agaw presence near Addis Ababa. Thus, the questions posed in the article The Review of Agaw_Awi Family Tree demand serious consideration:
Where are the Agaw people who once lived from Central Shoa to Eritrea?
What caused the discontinuation of Agaw civilization?
Has Ethiopian historical literature been impartial?
When we think of Ethiopia, we remember Lalibela and Axum—both UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Sites. These works are often cited as symbols of national pride. However, they are actually the legacy of the Agaw people. Isn’t it our collective responsibility—both as Ethiopians and as global citizens—to investigate this history and support the revival of the Agaw culture and its remarkable contributions?
Galatôma!
Read more: https://orompia.wordpress.com/2023/02/0 ... ox-church/