Thanks to the free media, especially internet communication, we can draw certain conclusions from events of the popular revolts and protests in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya. While the Libyan people are struggling to force the dictator to relinquish his remaining strongholds, we cannot be sure at this moment whether the tenacity of the heroic protesting Tunisian and Egyptian youth has paid off satisfactorily. In both countries, notwithstanding the euphoria, the pillars of old regimes are still in place in the military and civilian state organs even though the dictators are out. The Western media encourages the notion that real changes have taken place there.
But the most important thing in these countries is the ability of their peoples and their opposition groups to rally around a minimum program of change, which means the protest can be repeated using even possibly more advanced methods and techniques if necessary.
Now when we look at the reaction of the groups in the Diaspora opposed to the regime in Ethiopia, the chorus of those who call for similar protests to dislodge Meles Zenawi is becoming louder with every passing day at least from what I see mostly from the websites, chat rooms, newsgroups etc. Some well known subscribers to the Ethiomedia.com supply us with long statements showing and prescribing in detail how it all can be done peacefully. See, for example, an article under the heading ‘Non-violent struggle, Ethiopian exceptionalism?, February 28, 2011 by Jawar Mohammed. While living abroad in relative safety urging people at home to initiate the protest is in itself interesting reflecting what kind of intellectuals we have. It is partly based on the assumption that people are too willing to believe what they are told: credulous. The aim of this article is to say be aware of misleading propaganda.
What is the big idea? The motives are of course varied. Some Amhara cliques believe they can ride a popular protest to reach the palace. They think they are better prepared than all others. To some extent this may not be untrue in case a disorganised mass revolt unseats the Tigrean regime. As for others, for example, take the OLF, the old Oromo proverb comes to my mind: ‘Qululluun baajii jalaan bishaan dhuuydi’ which means literally translated: ‘The hornless cattle bends down to the horned to reach for water’. Objectively seen their arguments are certainly implausible. Yet there are many who are gullible and who take them seriously in the twinkling of an eye. Basically what they are saying is all opposition forces in Ethiopia should forget their basic differences, without discussing and solving them, in order to overthrow the regime. There are no two ways about it. The dominant Amhara opposition groups do not even recognise the existence of oppressed nations and nationalities to say nothing of their right to self-determination and yet they call on us all to accept their leadership to overthrow the regime.
In an article posted in Ethiomedia.com entitled ‘ Ethioipia, protest and the danger of ethnic conflict’ February 18, 2o11, Eskinder Nega writes From Finfinne: ‘ In the seven decades since the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in the mid-thirties, the issue of ethnicity has had a place in the national discourse with varying degree of intensity. It was Italians who first introduced it, albeit as champion of what they described as the “disenfranchised non-Amhara majority.” Then Eskinder Nega ends the paragraph by saying valiantly: ‘And with the expulsion, at their behest, of thousands of Amharas from what are now Oromo and Southern regions in 1936 and 1937, a new and dangerous precedent was set’. A likely story! Eskinder, pull the other one! Ethnicity introduced by Italy to Ethiopia? How daringly ignorant is our heroic journalist from the Derg era. The Haile Sellassie generation is gone. But the generation of collaborators with the facist Derg , who became suddenly democrats when woyane seized power – these are the most dangerous species of men and women in present day Ethiopia apart from woyane. They stand at the forefront of the unrepentant Amhara cliques- being oblivious of others, constantly blowing their own trumpets and wanting everybody else to sing their melodies, under the agenda of so-called democratic and unity forces.
They use every trick in the book to mobilise certain section of Oromo people and intellectuals, especially those who collaborated with the Derg.They misuse inter Oromo problems which their ancestors created long ago, giving us types of human beings who are their carbon copies.. They are experts when it comes to fishing in troubled waters. Most of us are still in our infancy compared to them when it comes to intrigues and conspiracy. Definitely they cut no ice with people of integrity who are conscious of their essential humanity and refuse to bend to terror, upholding lasting human values. They will be swept away in due course. It is a matter of time and development in human awareness. Then I will have no problems protesting with the Abyssinians against dictators. I believe it when I see it. When the time comes, the great majority of the Abyssinian peoples, whether Amharas or Tigreans, will be forced to recognise the right of the oppressed nations and nationalities to self-determination, including full independence. They will have to confront their past, apologising for what their political and military elites have done to others. We are unfortunately not there yet. That will be the end of messianic infantilism of feudal Ethiopia and the beginning of new communities of equals.
Self-appointed emperors such as Minilk and Haile Sellassie became the darlings of millions of Abyssinians by allotting to them Oromo lands thus ending the age old disunity of historical Abyssinia at others expense. Mengistu Haile Mariam and Meles Zenawi wanted to do it on a grand scale. But the times are changing. Their problem is they are facing masses of people whose self-awareness has reached a point of no return.
If these masses overcome the curse of their Abssinianised petty intellectuals, giving birth to and fostering genuinely democratic and revolutionary political elite, they can say goodbye to age old misery and oppression.
Our dilemma is compounded by the double standards in the politics of powerful international circles. While upholding the protests of youth in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya, for example, we see them pampering illegitimate regimes elsewhere. Ethiopia and Somalia are in my opinion the most flagrant and shameful cases.