By Alemayehu G. Mariam
Rent-a-Thug Against Democracy
In a recent piece entitled “Mob Disrupts Political Meeting in Adama,” former Ethiopian President Dr. Negasso Gidada described how “an organized mob disturbed a public political meeting of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) in Adama, Oromia, and forced the discontinuation of the meeting.” Dr. Negasso explained:
Around 50 people started to disturb the meeting while Eng. Gizachew Shiferraw, Vice Chairperson of the UDJ was addressing the meeting. The disturbers were shouting, clutching and whistling from the rear of the hall. This mob came up running to the front and damaged a microphone while trying to grab it. They continued to shout: ‘This is Oromia’, ‘Oromo is our Language’, ‘You have to start the meeting by a blessing ceremony in accordance with Oromo culture’, ‘You can hold the meeting in Oromo language’, ‘If you do not speak in Oromo language, and you can not hold meetings in our country’. Several people tried to cool down the mob by promising that what is said would be translated in Oromo. But the mob would not heed the appeal. It even threatened to beat us up. Eng. Gizachew could not continue his speech. He was forced to announce that the meeting is adjourned because of the disturbance… The mob was not a spontaneous disturbing group. There were some OPDO/EPRDF cadres among the mob. I myself could recognize at least two OPDO cadres with whom I worked in the organization before I resigned from it in June 2001. It is obvious that the disturbance was an organized one.
In a separate Amharic piece on the subject, Seeye Abraha (the former defense minister and currently a member of Medrek (Forum for Democratic Dialogue in Ethiopia) who attended the Adama town hall meeting pointed to a discernable emerging pattern in the use of thugs and hooligans by the “EPDRF” to disrupt opposition meetings. He identified two other similar disruptions a few weeks earlier, one at a UDJ meeting in Debre Markos and another at an Arena Tigray meeting in Mekele. Seeye suggested that a dual strategy is being used to prevent opposition elements from having public meetings: 1) Deny meeting permits on the basis of absurd excuses; or 2) Issue permits but disrupt the meetings using hired thugs and hooligans. Seeye declared that opposition elements will not be intimidated by thugs and “vigilantes” and their outreach efforts to the people will continue. He also put the dictators and the Ethiopian people on notice that should they be victims of thug violence at such meetings, the “EPDRF” should be held responsible.
Thugs and the Triumph of Kilil-istan Chavinism (Tribal-based Ethnic Federalism)
This is Oromia… Oromo is our Language… You have to start the meeting by a blessing ceremony in accordance with Oromo culture… You can hold the meeting in Oromo language… If you do not speak in Oromo language, and you can not hold meetings in our country….
The sounds of such atavistic lyrics of ethnic chauvinism must make sweet music to the ears of Ethiopia’s dictators. It must bring them everlasting joy and ecstasy to have these divisive and truculent words become part of the lexicon of Kilil-istan chauvinism, which is the highest stage of ethnic federalism. No doubt, these words represent the purest expression of the capo dictator’s dream: An Ethiopia blinded, deafened and muted by ethnic, linguistic, tribal and cultural chauvinism. BRAVO!
For nearly two decades, the dictators in Ethiopia toiled ceaselessly to shred the very fabric of that ancient civilization and society, and sculpt a landscape balkanized into tribal, ethnic, linguistic and regional enclaves to establish their own version of a Thousand Year Reich (Reign). They crafted a constitution based entirely on ethnicity and tribal affiliation as the basis for political organization. Article 46 (2) of their constitution provides: “States shall be structured on the basis of settlement patterns, language, identity and consent of the people.” In other words, “states”, (and the people who live in them) shall be organized as homogenous tribal homelands in much the same way as the 10 Bantustans (black homelands) of apartheid South Africa were organized to create ethnically homogeneous and “autonomous” nation states for South Africa’s different black ethnic groups, effectively wiping out their South African national citizenship.
The tribal homelands in Ethiopia are officially called “kilils” (enclaves or distinct enclosed and effectively isolated geographic areas within a seemingly integrated national territory). Like the Bantustans, the Killilistans represent territory set aside for the purpose of concentrating members of designated ethnic/tribal/linguistic/cultural groups in nominally autonomous geographic areas. Ethiopia’s dictators have used a completely fictitious and ridiculous theory of “ethnic (tribal) federalism)”, unknown in the annals of political science or political theory, to justify and glorify these Kililistans, impose their atrocious policy of divide and rule against 80 million people and scrub out any meaningful notion of Ethiopian citizenship.
Big Thugs, Small Thugs and the Rule of Law
Article 9 of the dictators’ constitution provides that the “Constitution is the supreme law of the land…. All citizens, state organs, political organizations, other associations and their officials, have the duty to comply with this Constitution and abide by it.” Article 29 of this “supreme law” guarantees that “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression without interference. This right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers,…” Article 30 further ensures, “Everyone shall have the freedom, in association with others, to peaceably assemble without arms, engage in public demonstration and the right to petition.”
In Thugland, no one seems to be particularly concerned about constitutional rights. Dr. Negasso, Ato Seeye, UDJ members and the other community attendees were peaceably assembled at an authorized meeting to engage in important political discussions. They have an absolute right to conduct their meeting peaceably without being molested by thugs, hooligans, criminals, gangsters, hoodlums, delinquents and hustlers. It is the supreme and solemn duty of those in authority to guarantee that the constitutional rights of those peaceably assembled is protected from “interference” by anyone. To be sure, the authorities had a legal duty to arrest the disruptive thugs and “vigilantes” and prosecute them for their egregious violation of the constitutional rights of all those in attendance at the town hall meeting. But as we have seen time and time again, the “supreme law” of the land does not apply to thugs because thugs are above the law of the land; indeed, thugs are the law of the land!
Thugs Here, Thugs There, Thugs Everywhere!
Paraphrasing Mark Twain, one could wonder out loud: “Suppose you were a thug. And suppose you were a member of a dictatorship. But I repeat myself.” The use of rented thugs to disrupt public meetings is the oldest trick in the Book of Dictators and Corrupt Politicians. Not long ago, Robert Mugabe’s (ZANU – Patriotic Front) thugs in Zimbabwe disrupted the Constitutional All-Stakeholders’ Conference (organized to write a new constitution) at the Harare International Conference Centre by lambasting and unleashing a torrent of profanity and vulgarity against the Speaker of Parliament. They also attacked delegates and officials with plastic water bottles. In the early 1990s, organized thugs, galvanized by the political ideology of “Majimboism”, (a Kiswahili concept for “ethnic regionalism”, or “ethno-federalism”) instigated ethnic hatred against the Kikuyu. Recently, Prof. Maurice Iwu, Nigeria’s Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, reported to the Nigeria House of Representatives that the “sporadic outbreak of violence in several parts of the country [in the last election] was a fall-out of political thuggery.” The ultimate African thugs are represented by a militia known as the “Janjawid” – bloodthirsty packs of roving criminals armed and supported by the Sudanese government that have caused widespread atrocities including village destruction, massacres and rapes in the Darfur region.
Thugging it Out!
Seeye Abraha has noticed the Ethiopian people that should they be victims of thug violence, the “EPDRF” is to be held responsible. It may be overly optimistic to expect reason and respect for the law from thugs. The fact of the matter is that thugs will always be thugs; but law abiding citizens can fight back — thug it out, so to speak — by doing the right thing: Always tell the people the truth, and speak truth to thugs. Unite the people where thugs try to put them asunder. Promote harmony wherever thugs sow hatred, division and enmity. Fight to win the hearts and minds of the people wherever thugs seek to crush their hopes, dreams and aspirations. Never lower yourself to the gutter world of thugs, but capture, preserve, protect and defend the moral high ground. Never, never, never abandon the cause of freedom, democracy and human rights in Ethiopia. Always do the right thing, the fair thing, the just thing. As Churchill said, “Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Never yield to thugs! Never forget the truth that if we don’t stand up for the Land of Thirteen Months of Sunshine, thugs will gladly transform it into the Land of Eternal Darkness.
Inherit the Wind
In Proverbs 11 is written, “He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind.” Those who have wrought trouble on the Ethiopian family for the last two decades will in the end inherit a tornadic wind. That is foreordained! Their wicked efforts to destroy, dismember, deface and disfigure Ethiopia through the politics of hate and ethnic division will fail just as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow. Their diabolical plan will amount to nothing! Like East Germany, ethnic federalism will be there one day and the next day it will be gone forever. Ethiopia’s best days are yet to come because her destiny rests securely in the palms of her bright, patriotic, industrious, conscientious, humble, forward-looking and God-fearing young people.
Is it not ironic that those of us who profess to champion the cause of justice, truth and morality far outnumber those engaged in the practice of evil, yet the few evil doers seem to outdo us nearly every time. As Dr. Negasso pleaded following his confrontation with the Adama thugs: “I call on all those who stand for the respect of democratic and human rights, for peace and stability of this country and for economic development of this country do something TODAY and not TOMORROW!!” That is why we should take to heart the aphorism, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil (thugs) is that good Ethiopian men and women do nothing” TODAY.
15 thoughts on “Thugs Gone Wild in Kilil-istan!”
Oromos or others can live in their “reservations” or killil but the real power on the people of Oromia and their resources is at the had of MELES/EFFORT. Dear Oromo bothers and sisters don`t be fool Meles is nothing but a “friendly tyrant” as oppossed to the “tyrant” Mengistu and the only difference is that Meles is anti-Ethiopian and a friend of the West while Mengistu was anti-West but a real Ethiopian despite his failures (Meison/EPRP are also responsible), he did a lot for Ethiopia in terms of infrastructure, literacy, health etc. But that is no justification for killing and terrorizing its citzen. Mussoloni, Stalin and Hitler were also better road builders than MELES.
It is simply disgusting to quote former members of the crime family, namely Seeye Abraha and Nagasso Gidada, as defenders of democracy. I have said this before and reiterate it here, I have serious doubts as to their genuinity those who claim to speak of democracy and consistently attempt to rehabilitate criminals in one form or another!
Think of this way, If there is a political rally in DC, would the district people require the gathering to display a DC flag? The answer is no. Tribalistic and ethnic based politics does not benefit anyone.
If you think this is bad, just wait till Ethiopia becomes the next Somalia. This is just the beginning. When the worst comes to surface being an Oromo, Amharia or any other ethnic group will not benefit you. Unless we learn and tolerate each other to live in unity we are going up in flames. Stay tuned!
Hmm…
Corrupt Nagasso Gidada and Siyye Abraha are only opportunist power mongering creatures with no regrad for justice and nominal equalities, not to talk of any democracy.
I am not an oromo and I am for Ethiopian unity but not for such fake and vain conflict ridden unity that completely disregards the languages and cultures of the majority and tries to impose minority languuage by all means possible, thereby perpetuating the same old conflict and the same old poverty and wretchedness.
If the whole issue is only about speaking in Oromo language and opening an official meeting in Oromia according to the Oromo tradition why can’t these trouble makers just do that and even get their message better through to the people?
Sure me to wouldn’t like if a group of former disgraced propagandists just drop in to Amara city and start a major official meeting in Oromo language with out any regard to local culture and local language, especially during this time of linguistic, cultural and power relationship sensitivities.
I respect Amara language as much as I respect Oromo language, as a result of which I wish both equal and fair justice with in the prevailing context.
When people not only protest for their rights but even fight for it, calling it Thugs is tantamount to Haile Sellassie’s, Mengistu’s and now Wayane’s bad mouthing of opposion movements and calling them all as “Shiftas.” Only Wayane is more Thugish than Nagasso, siye and company. :)
3# Unity says:
You have none to threaten except yourself!
Menelik’s, Haile Sellassie’s and Mengistu’s dictatorships were Amara ethinic minority dictatorship. Pure and simple.
Now we are suffering from ethinic Tigre minority dictatorship.
Currently we are discussing if we can demicratize that Amara and tigre ethnic ridden dictatorship in to some kind of a pluralistic domecratic state where the langauages, cultures, resources, power relationships are restructured to reflect the ethnich, cultural and linguistcic, etc.diversities.
But of course you will say back to Immiyye Ethiopia of Menelik and Haile Sellassie, where amharic is the empire’s language and power to amara elits or death. No one need to be fooled by such cunning foxes. :)
I don’t get it! How is it using your own language and culture is tribalism? While using Amharic makes you Ethiopian, how is it using Afan Oromo or Somali …….language makes you tribal? Long gone equating Amharic with Ethiopia!!!
Mr.Alemayehu G. Mariam commentary is well written but very much deviates from the topic at hand and indulges on unrelated issues; in a way reveal the true persona of him.
Perhaps, this magnitude of chauvinism may well go with the 1960’s Ethiopia.
The way to build today’s and future Ethiopian is on mutual respect and equality for all, anything less does makes look TPLF even progressive. We oppose TPLF in my Ethiopia, as well chauvinist Amhara’s too. Ethiopia will be built on progressive, forward looking, unbiased system where every one calls home, not only Mr. alemayehu and his clan/tribe.
To all good Ethiopian men and women.
This kind of mob is what the Woyanes are commonly doing in order to prolong their life in power. Just to comment on a couple of things:
1. As clearly said, whatever pretext they have used, the mob is a well organized political activity against the opposition party. So, it has nothing to do with the question of Ethnic Federalism, a question that needs to be addressed in its own right.
2. It is wrong to consider ethnic federalism, with Afan Oromo as the only official language of Oromia, as if it is instituted by TPLF. We need to understand that it is one of the achievements of the struggle of the Oromo People led by OLF. This is something we can not change it. We should not deny the rights of the people of Oromia to be served in their own language.
Depending on how we behave, this may not mean that one should be an Oromo to work in the state of Oromia. The only requirement could be that an office bearer in the state must be able to speak, read and write Afan Oromo. Among the many reasons and advantages, it is appropriate and fair to require an official to work in the language of the people, instead of forcing millions to bear the cost of using translators in order to communicate with an official who uses a different language.
This does not mean also that people can not speak or use other language. The Oromos do well understand the rights of other people to use whatever language they want in activities that are not related to the state, like UDJ can conduct meetings in Amharic or Tigrigna or Guragigna.
So, good Ethiopian men and women, it is always good to try to do something to save Ethiopia, but we need to be careful not to waste our time thinking the wrong way and doing the wrong thing.
May God Save Ethiopia
I have a feeling this Hodams are going to rule for another 100 years. what is so sad is the so called “elite” in addis and abroad are acting like a buch of two year olds that raging with tantrum. One day they are EPRDF and the next UDJ etc. I was once really willing to put my life on the line and go fight, but all this internet revolutionaries are a little harder to convince when asked to sacrifice and get out of their comfort zone. I say forget all this political groups holding countless meetings to schedule another meeting and instead support those that are getting the job done with power of the barrel.
Abeba and Melaku,
Currently in Ethiopia every region’s official language is its own and not Amharic.
Stop this garbage.
Change the official language of Ethiopia (what ever this means now days) to English if you want. Amhara people don’t care and are certainly not holing you back.
If you want to attack Minilik, Hailesilase or Mengistu go back in time and attack them. Leave us out of it.
Amhara people no more want to be in a union where they are deemed the enemy and attacked for no reason than just for being Amhara.
Respect is mutual.
all the sign say weyane is on its way out no matter what method it uses to stay in power it has failed – what they are now doing under the confusion and the killing and selling of land is packing to run away
First of all, for all practical purposes every country has its primary language and in Ethiopia it happens to be Amharic (like it or not). That does not mean any of the other languages are any less important. Second of all it is beyond comprehension why Ethiopia has to be divided by ethnic groups. Instead of moving forward and having one nation, it seems that most of you would rather split the country up along ethnic lines. Tigray is only as strong as Amharia, or Oromia, or Gurage or whatever because of one Ethiopia. By splitting up you end up with nothing more than a bunch of poor insignificant nations rather than one strong, rich, and powerful nation. Look at what happened to Eritrea, how has the split benefited Ethiopia or Eritrea. If the United States split into 50 nations, there would be no super power, no wealthy nation, just a bunch of countries sharing borders. So as Ethiopians we need to stop worrying about this ethnic group vs. that and work towards building Ethiopia as the super power of Africa. A strong, rich, healthy and wealthy nation….
The writer seems to be justifying the old Abyssinian policy that all the people in Ethiopa should speak Amharic.
What is wrong if the people of Oromia demand politician-wannabees to at least speak the Oromo language when seeking their vote?
In a way, this writer’s political views as expressed in this article are more dangerous than those of the TPLF despite its genocidal dictatorship.
Let me clarify my point to Amazing…a primary or national language is the language of a country which is used for conducting all business. Same as the US where only English is used to conduct business, not Spanish or French. The whole world uses English as the language for business and that in no way discredits the individual nations languages. My opinions are based on logic and facts and no ethnic bias. To claim that there was an old Abyssinian policy that mandated all Ethiopians to only speak Amharic is absurd and defies logic. What has happened to our people and our country when we are more concerned about petty matters like what language is spoken at a meeting rather than the poverty, crime, unemployment, AIDS, that are killing us. How about we work towards electing educated, intelligent, and honest Ethiopians to office.
#12,
There is nothing wrong speaking in afan Ormo. Amharic happen to be the official language that everyone can communicate with regardless. If you don’t like to hear Amharic spoken in meetings that everyone commonly communicate with regardless of where and when, don’t be there. No one put a gun on your head. People are fighting over which language should be used to communicate with one another while Woyane is robbing and killing wherever is against them. Stop this madness and do what is necessary to get rid of the common enemy.
Johannes, it is good you attempt to clarify your point, but you have no point in comparing the US to Ethiopia and English to Amharic. Ethiopia is a poor country. Its people did not come from another place as most Americans did. Ethiopian citizens have been there for thousands of years. To believe that Amharic will be a common language among the people there is to be dreaming. If you compare Ethiopia to India or Switzerland, then you have a chance to be considered realistic and not insane. Stop pretending to want to “end poverty, crime, unemployment, AIDS” in the same line you attempt to force Amharic at people’s throats. You and I are communicating now because we are using a neutral language that has established itself as a global language of commerce and diplomacy. So, you can sell something to me if we use English, including peaceful co-existance. The minute you start speaking Amharic, you and I will not understand each other. Peaceful people in Ethiopia do not want to use Amharic as an official language. Those who push Amharic are a minority, and an aggressive one at that. This aggression is what perpetuates poverty in Ethiopia. Get it please. You would be able contribute to peace if you reason that major language spearkers in Ethiopia will not accept Amharic, i.e. Oromo-, Somali-, Tigre-speakers. Otherwise, you are contributing to continued political instability.