LETTER TO THE EDITOR
FEBRUARY 1996
Tecola Hagos stated that Tygreai is fully under the feet of the TPLF. I agree on that as it is true to other regions, as well. But he went on saying that “… on the balance, Tygreans have lost more than any body in Ethiopia in terms of their human and democratic rights.” Ato Tecola, I would be glad if you consider my piece of advice: If you desire to gain respect for your upcoming book Syndicalism and your personal judgement, you better come up with factual findings. On your way to hunt for true stories, please don’t forget to visit the Afar, Ogaden, Harerghe, Gonder and other regions of Ethiopia.
Berhanu Engidawork
Baltimore, MD
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PAUL HENZE said in his article that the glass is half full and not half empty in Ethiopia (ER, September 1995). He rightly insisted that “Ethiopia has plenty of problems to overcome, but its present leaders are not compounding them.” If so, is it the Ethiopian in a Diaspora that are compounding its problems?
Indeed, Ethiopia’s transition from communism, when compared with the experiences of other former communist countries, it can certainly be viewed as a success story. It may one day be considered a model case study.
The acknowledgment of Ethiopia as the only African nation that withstood the scramble for Africa has been difficult to accept by Western historians. Similarly, this “post communist transition” as a success story might be unacceptable by many dye-hard individuals and groups. Henze should be congratulated for giving credit to the resiliency of Ethiopia.
Ethiopians in the Diaspora who believe Ethiopia’s problem can be solved in Washington are only compounding its problems.
Ethiopia, be it an “invention” or federated on ethnic bases, does and will continue to exist for it has a formidable mechanism to withstand the vicissitude of time and historical adversities. I believe Henze has fully accepted this enduring characteristics of Ethiopia.
Prime minister Meles Zenawi admits some miscalculations and Henze gives him credit as being visionary leader willing and ready to admit mistakes and learn from the mistakes. I hope Meles will be able to transform the “unchanging bureaucracy of Ethiopia” that has developed a crocodile mode of operation and has created administrative swamp environment where survival becomes the main concern.
The development of an entrepreneurial bureaucracy that focuses its attention on results, that is able to reduce its bureaucratic procedures, that reduces its numbers to the bare minimum and that is able to promote competition both inside and outside government should be given top priority.
Seyoum Gebregziabher
Brooklyn, NY
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I RECENTLY READ Zenaye’s article, “What National Question?” that was published a while ago (ER, July 1995). The highlight, “…I have come to the conclusion that there is no distinct and pure ethnic entity called the Oromo nation,” invited me for a glance. To assist Zenaye in his limited knowledge about the Oromo, I will answer in brief the question “where is the Oromo nation?”
Oromia is located in the Horn of Africa, in what is today Ethiopia, between 20 and 1200N, 340 and 4490E. The Oromo are Cushitic people who lived in this region since ancient times. Cush of the upper Nile was at times referred to as Punt or Ethiopia. Around 100 B.C. the Abyssinian occupation of Cush started with the rise of the Aksumite kingdom. Around 350 A.D. Ezana, king of Abyssinia, destroyed Meroe, the capital of Cush. Around 1000 A.D. renaissance of the Cush started led by the Agew who defeated the Habesh tribe and established the Zagwe dynasty in Lasta. Around 1200 A.D. Shoa fell to the emirate of Zeila (a Moslem Semitic group from the east). About the same time Zagwe was dominated by the flux of Abyssinians. In 1245 A.D. the emirate of Zeila was defeated by Zagwe and half a decade later the Abyssinian dynasty was established in Shoa. In 1886 A.D. the entire Oromo land fell to the Abyssinian dynasty (led by Emperor Menelik), except the southern tip.
The Oromos invented a unique socio-political system known as Gadaa. It is a highly developed democratic system based on age-group, similar to the Grecian Polis.
There are many archeological evidences that trace Oromo history to antiquity. The Oromo calendar is one such case worth mentioning here. In 1978, Lynch and Robbins published their discovery of 19 basalt pillars in Namortunga, a megalithic site in the Borona region. The configuration of the basalts represented the alignment of the stars and constellations (known as Urjii Dhaha to Oromos) used to compute accurate calendar. The Namortatunga findings were carbon dated to about 300 B.C.
Uonaf Sagada
Chula Vista, CA
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