Transformation of Ethiopia from Assimilative Amapia to Accommodative Oropia!
By Fayyis Oromia*
There is no question that Ethiopia, as it has existed until now, has been dominated by Amaranet/Amarigna, making it de facto Amapia—an Ethiopia defined through Amhara terms. This is why Amhara elites often proclaim their love for Ethiopia and its integrity: as long as this dominance persists, they have no issue with anyone leading the country, as long as the leader serves their interests. The monarchs, the Derg, the Woyane, and now Biltsiginna have all served the interests of Amhara elites. I hope Dr. Abiy and his Biltsiginna party will be the last to uphold this Amapia.
Slowly but surely, genuine Oromo nationalists in the OFC, OLF, and OPP will prevail and transform Ethiopia from the current Amapia into a future Oropia—an Ethiopia led by Oromummaa and defined in Oromo terms. The mechanism for this transformation is the achievement of freedom from the dictatorship of Biltsiginna, followed by the establishment of Gadaa democracy. In such a system, Afaan Oromo should take its rightful place as the primary working language of all federal institutions—palace, parliament, cabinet, judiciary, military, and security. An Ethiopia that speaks Afaan Oromo as its official language will, in practice, be Oropia.
There is no such thing as a neutral Ethiopia. The country’s future lies in either remaining an assimilative, dictatorial Amapia using only Amarigna, or transforming into an accommodative, democratic Ethiopia with Afaan Oromo as the primary language. In essence, Ethiopia will either continue as Amapia, or transform into Oropia. A transitional, rainbow Ethiopia—where both Amaranet and Oromummaa co-exist—is merely a stepping stone in the journey toward this transformation.
The evolution of Ethiopian politics is, indeed, fascinating. The Ethiopiawinet that has been dominated by Amaranet—what we might call Athiopiawinet—is slowly dying. Oromo Prosperitans led by Abiy Ahmed are trying to delay this natural process. Meanwhile, Oromo republicans are pushing to accelerate it by using a transitional, rainbow Ethiopiawinet led by Oromummaa as a bridge to a new Ethiopiawinet—Oropiawinet—where Oromummaa replaces Amaranet as the central identity.
To achieve this transformation from Amapiawinet to Oropiawinet, Oromo republicans must strive to take power in the Finfinne palace and promote Afaan Oromo as the country’s primary working language, replacing Amarigna. Once this is achieved, Ethiopia—operating in Afaan Oromo—will be de facto Oropia.
There is no doubt that Abiy Ahmed’s Biltsiginna is committed to preserving the Abyssinian empire, dominated by Amaranet/Amarigna. An earlier attempt by Obbo Leencoo Lataa to influence the current regime into transforming the empire into a union of free nations has already failed. Now, a new alliance is needed: one that includes federalist forces such as Oromo fronts, Tegaru forces, and other national groups—to accomplish this overdue transformation.
Oropia (Ethiopia = Cushland), with its “glorious” 8,000-year-old history, has been in deep political crisis until April 2018. Its future seemed uncertain. Its people, composed of diverse nations and nationalities, suffered under both economic and political oppression. The incumbent regime failed to bring about the expected democratic change. Instead, it has become desperate to cling to power—particularly by marginalizing and persecuting the Oromo, the region’s largest nation. It continues to oppress nearly all citizens and nations demanding both individual and collective freedom. All previous Ethiopian regimes have ruled by force, suppressing dissent at gunpoint. But Biltsiginna appears to be the most fascistic regime the empire has ever known.
Almost all pro-freedom and pro-democracy forces are working to bring down this fascist regime. What is most lacking is the appropriate cooperation and coordination among opposition groups—both peaceful and armed—to pool their resources and use them effectively against tyranny. The main obstacle is the absence of a shared purpose and a common vision for the journey toward freedom. To my understanding, the OLF and OFC recognize the roadmap: the first phase is to fight for freedom from Biltsiginna fascism and establish a transitional Ethiopian union on the grave of the Abyssinian empire; the second phase is to build democratic institutions that allow all parties and their programs to be judged by the people.
I have tried to help clarify this freedom journey for all stakeholders who seek to consolidate a broad, inclusive alliance against fascism and ethnic apartheid. Leaving the broader historical context of Cush nations to historians, I focus on the recent past, the present, and the future. My choice of this topic was inspired by a series of articles published on Gadaa.com, particularly under the title “The Bergen Meeting Revisited”, to stimulate political discourse among the Oromo and broader Ethiopian polity, and to explore a new political alternative for Oromo Ethiopians.
One article, written by Obbo Daawud Ibsaa, stood out. He writes:
“… The new World Order has made sovereignty and territorial integrity less absolute. We saw nations determining their affairs and forming new states. The right to self-determination, which used to apply only to countries under colonial rule, is now recognized as a universal right of all nations and peoples. Consequently, the map of the world is being redrawn. On the contrary, with the formation of unions like the EU, state sovereignty has become more symbolic than real. Countries joining such Unions voluntarily sign treaties that undermine their sovereignty to avail their people of social and economic benefits from a larger pie. We are encouraged by both trends…”
Taking these two trends into consideration, we—all nations in Ethiopia, the Horn, or Cushland—should identify a common cause and a shared roadmap toward a unified future. The common cause is a prosperous, harmonious, stable, and peaceful region—what we might call Oropia. The feasible path to that goal starts with dismantling the oppressive centralism of Biltsiginna and the Abyssinian empire. The next steps include:
Establishing a true ethnic federation, where all nations enjoy genuine autonomy.
Facilitating national liberation through self-determination, including referenda.
Building a union of free peoples—a federal political union based on equality and consent.
The East African Community (EAC) model offers a clear parallel. Its member states—Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda—are working toward a customs union, common market, and eventual political union. Ethiopia already has these economic structures. Why not use them to build a similar political union in the Horn—on the grave of the old empire?
Even so-called “multi-national” parties like Dr. Berhanu’s ECS now recognize that freedom must come before multi-national democracy. These parties must also come to understand the importance of national freedom alongside individual liberty. If they do, they will find themselves aligned with the views of Obbo Daawud. In that case, there will be no fundamental conflict between the ECS and national liberation movements like the OLF.
I see no reason why other OLF factions or Oromo liberation movements should oppose this strategy. This offers a solid foundation for an inclusive alliance against fascist Biltsiginna. Once that alliance is in place, even democratic federalists like Medrek could coordinate efforts—openly or covertly—against the regime.
I therefore recommend that all pro-freedom and pro-democracy forces agree on this shared roadmap: from the oppressive, temporary Abyssinian empire, through a true transitional Ethiopian union, and toward the independent statehood of Oromia and other nations—ultimately forming a voluntary federal union of free peoples.
This innovative strategy could even, in time, attract countries like Eritrea, Djibouti, Somaliland, Puntland, and Somalia into the regional union. Let us unite under this shared vision and journey—toward national freedom, regional union, and multinational democracy in our common home: Oromhorn, the Horn of Africa, where the Oromo from Meroë to Mombasa can once again be united.
Galatooma!
Read more:https://orompia.wordpress.com/2023/02/2 ... o-othopia/