Ethiopian Review
April 1992
We began our journey north on the highway leading out of Addis Abeba. Sultan Ali Mirha, the septegenerian leader of the Afar people had agreed to grant us an interview. As we left Addis Abeba we witnessed the scars of war on the rural landscape. Tanks and various other military vehicles destroyed in the Derg’s
unsuccessful campaigns littered the countryside. It was a pathetic sight!
We arrived at Debre Birhan after several arduous hours of driving. The town appeared deserted. There was little activity but we spent the night there. From Debre Birhan we planned to travel to Dufti, the main assembly point for the Afar people. This leg of the journey was exceptionally difficult. The temperature was extremely hot. We had limited supply of water and other necessaries.
Upon arriving at Dufti we sent a message to the Sultan asking to be granted an audience. He was ready to see us and without delay we proceeded to his residence with escorts.
Sultan Ali Mirha is the religious and traditional leader of the Afar people. At age 70 he is in remarkably good physical shape. He lives in a traditional house which is surrounded by a stone wall. Traditional Afar emblems are displayed on the walls. Guards were also posted outside carrying rifles and proudly displaying the traditional Afar dagger from the waistline.
We were ushered into the receiving room. The Sultan was seated on a throne-like chair clad in traditional attire. He had an imposing presence. We exchanged greetings and after a short while began the interview.
We began by talking about the geographical boundaries of the Afar area. The Sultan paused reflectively and began his description: “Indeed, while the land of the Afar people has certain geographic boundaries, it should be noted that these boundaries are meaningful only in the larger context of a united Ethiopia. To clarify, when we speak of a united Ethiopia, we are talking about national unity in a democratic society in which the principles of equality are observed.
“Having said this, let me say that the land of the Afar people is bounded as far as Massawa (to the northeast) and Harer (to the southeast). The Afar people have struggled to keep their land with their blood. They have made great sacrifices. No one can take their land away from them. The Afar people have every right to self-determination.”
The Sultan has been a powerful force in directing the energies of the Afar people towards national unity and local self-improvement. In fact, in a major conference of the Afar people held in Dufti several months ago, Afar leaders passed resolutions pledging allegiance to Ethiopian unity and the strengthening of the bonds of friendship between the various peoples of Ethiopia. The conference also condemned ethnic division and resolved to struggle against any form of dictatorship.
I followed up with another question asking what the people of Afar thought of Ethiopian unity. The Sultan smiled broadly and said: “Certainly, the people of Afar have no desire to infringe upon any other group or territory. However, the people of Afar are determined to do their part and struggle against anyone who seeks to break up the country. Some self-appointed leaders in our community are seeking disunity but they are acting outside the will and desires of the Afar people. They do not have the best interests of our people.”
This view was echoed by Sultan Ali Mirha’s son, Ato Hanfre Ali Mirha who is the Chairman of the Afar Liberation Front. Last July Ato Hanfre publicly stated that the representatives of the Afar people were participating in the Conference on the basis of Ethiopian unity. He also stated that the people of Afar will continue struggle to maintain the unity and integrity of Ethiopia.
Sultan Ali Mirha has recently undertaken considerable efforts to avoid division among the people of Afar and provide unifying leadership to his people. When asked about his role in maintaining unity among the people of Afar, the Sultan said: “The people of Afar like any other Ethiopians are proud of their heritage and history. We are one with all Ethiopians. No one can make excuses and take this identity from the Afar people. Our people will never accept a separate identity. Only those forces who are anti-Afar people will make claims of separation. We will not hesitate to expose them for what they are. This must be done for the unity of our Ethiopian people.” The Sultan regards the Afar leadership installed by the Derg as artificial and irrelevant. He points out that with the fall of the Derg also fell its lackeys in the Afar.
Sultan Ali Mirha has been leading the Afar people for fifty years. He is a man with a keen sense of history and a vision of Ethiopia. He spoke softly but there was solemnity and sincerity in his words. He was reflective and thoughtful. He exhibits a unique appreciation of the larger social and political processes. His words express deep concern for the future of Ethiopia and the people of Afar. He is open minded and willing to consider alternative viewpoints. His words aim to develop consensus and cooperation. But his resolve was undoubtable. He urges the ways of peace than war. He pleads for reasoned communication and avoidance of confrontation. He wants to build bridges for people to know and understand each other. The Sultan pleaded, “leaders must help forge the bonds of unity, cooperation and respect between peoples. Only when these conditions are present that Ethiopia will live in peace and prosperity.”
The Sultan related his frustrations about the poverty and hardship his people face everyday: “The people of Afar are pastoralists. In the past we have been unable to build cities or modern institutions. We have no factories or industries. We don’t even have schools.
“But the past should not dictate our future. Indeed, the past imperial and military governments have largely ignored us. They have done little to bring modernization to the people of Afar. The tragedy has been that the Afar people have been misdirected from enjoying the benefits of modernization and forced to choose a life of war and hate. This can never be forgotten.
“On the other hand, there are some now agitating for division among the Afar people. These individuals want to create animosity and confrontation with other Ethiopians living in the area. Many Amharas, Oromos, Somalis and others have lived
among us. There is no reason why they should not continue to live with us.
“It is a fact that the imperial government overtaxed us and the Derg tied us up in slogans. Today, we have nothing and still live in poverty. Our people lack food and shelter. Even when nature turned against us, no one bothered to help us and many of our people had to become refugees. Our people perished from famine and starvation rather than beg. Many did not even reach their destination. When their camels died they tried to cross on foot. They did not have a chance.”
Despite these words, Sultan Ali Mirha remains remarkably optimistic about the future. He continued: “Things must change for the better. Our land which stretches from Massawa to Harerghe must be developed and improved with roads and modern facilities to bring about a basic change in the lives of our people. Let it be clearly understood that our land is not just ours but the whole of Ethiopia. Its development benefits all of Ethiopia.
“Of course, our economic problems are two numerous to list. But the basic ones must be addressed. Today, most of the world benefits from advances in medicine and technology. Most of the people of Afar do not even know about the existence of these wonderful medicines let alone use them. We have no clinics or even the most basic health care services.
“This cannot go on much longer. Within our resources and limitations means must be found to give our people basic services. To achieve this we must use everything from our camels to the natural resources that are hidden in our soil. Our rivers that pour out into the sea should be harnessed for agricultural development. Roads must be built and communications improved.
“The cotton farms at Tendaho are a good example. These farms support the textile industry in Ethiopia. Similar projects can be developed in our area to improve the lives of our people.
“The natural resources buried in the soil should be examined by modern methods and technology. The land in which the Afar people live in is traversed by the Great Rift Valley. With modern technology and methods it may be possible to extract oil and other resources and help improve the lives of our people. There is also plenty of potash that can be exploited. In fact this resource can be exported to provide immediate support for our people. Wise use of resources can bring modernity and progress to our people. They will help us overcome ignorance, disease and poverty.
“There is another important dimension to all this. At a time when the popular slogan declares `The people of Afar have the right to self- determination,’ many things can be done. On our coastline which extends from Massawa to Djibouti, we can develop a fishing industry on the Red Sea. This can produce substantial revenues and help in other areas of growth and development. In this regard, self-determination becomes a mechanism for local growth and development.
“Of course, when we say this, it should be understood that the Afar people will not benefit separated from Ethiopia. This is not and can never be. Our unity will remain as it always has. It just means that resources locally available will be used for local projects. But it also means that we can share our growth and development with all of Ethiopia as a single united nation.
“Unity is our collective strength and no artificial lines can be drawn to split us apart. To be sure, our unity cannot even be questioned! We, the people of Afar, have as our cherished hope the unity and stability of Ethiopia in which the people of Ethiopia hold for each other love, caring, respect and concern. We will never stop struggling for this goal. We are confident that this goal will be achieved.”
Despite the Sultan’s remarkable optimism and foresight, he is also deeply saddened by the seventeen years of Marxist misrule and the resulting social dislocation in Ethiopia. He finds nothing redeeming about the Derg’s economic and social programs. He attributes his people’s impoverishment and social breakdown on the Derg’s misguided policies and futile efforts to restructure Afar society in the ways of socialism. He is particularly critical of the Derg’s attempts to install Afar leader’s who neither have the support of the people nor have any basis in traditional authority to play leadership roles. The Sultan points to the fall of Derg appointed Afar leaders last year after the fall of Mengistu as evidence of their lack of support in the Afar community.
The Sultan says that he never had any contact with the Derg officials. Apparently, the Derg did not also seek to enlist his support.
The Sultan is far more charitable to the present regime. He appears to be satisfied with developments to date. He does not have specific policy differences with the regime although he is quick to underscore his views on Ethiopian unity and the need for democratic institutions to insure peace, stability and progress in Ethiopia. In the abstract he is not particularly against the ethnic apportionment although he does not wish to see Ethiopian unity thwarted by ethnocentric politics.
In evaluating the transitional government’s performance over the past year, Sultan Ali Mirha is cautiously optimism. He credits the government for striving to bring peace to the country and for attempting to introduce and maintain democratic institutions particularly in the context of the last seventeen years. But he advises that a great deal remains to be done and that the leadership in and out of government must cooperate to establish peace and begin the task of national reconstruction and reconciliation.
Sultan Ali Mirha says that his people have not been under military pressure from the new government. The government has also not attempted to politically interfere in internal Afar matters. He says he has not faced any governmental opposition in his efforts to organize the Afar people for national political participations. The government has not kept him from disseminating his views among the Afar people or other Ethiopians. He also says he has no problem getting access to the government controlled media.
The Sultan says that he has received only limited aid from the government to aid the Afar people. But he also cautions that the government itself is financially strapped. He foresees increased assistance once the economy revives and foreign assistance becomes available.
The Sultan also appeared to be conciliatory towards the EPLF. He says the EPLF has not placed him under military, economic or other pressures. He says he is in contact with EPLF leaders and does not foresee any significant problems. He hopes that relations will improve with time and regards any strains that may exist between himself and the EPLF as “misunderstanding”. He says he will do everything to overcome these misunderstandings.
On the question of Eritrean secession and the possible reaction of the Afar people, the Sultan says it is premature to comment now. He says the most important questions involve unity and equal rights for all individuals regardless of ethnicity. He says our collective aim should be unity with stability. The Sultan does see dangers that can interrupt the movement towards democracy and perhaps even rekindle another civil war. But he is optimistic that all Ethiopians will opt to avoid war and work for peace. He reflects: “Indeed, history offers the best lessons. The history of Armenia is an object lesson. So is the history of our neighbors the Yemenis. The people of Yemen who had lived together in peace for generations were divided by those self-interested leaders who pitted Yemeni against Yemeni and shed a lot of unnecessary blood.
“Fighting brings only death and destruction and never understanding and love between people. We must make every effort to eliminate hate. We must always strive to promote respect for each other, observe each other’s rights and work to strengthen our traditions.
“The foundation of democracy is for leaders to embrace the people and for the people to embrace and trust their leaders. In this regard, the people of Afar know their leaders and the leaders know and respect the people. The leaders abide by the people’s wishes and decisions.
“When we say the Afar leaders respect the people, we also mean that they respect Ethiopian unity and all those who promote better understanding and cooperation among the peoples of Ethiopia. Our people stand for Ethiopian unity and they
will shed their blood to insure that.
“In African history, the name Ethiopia has great historical significance. Ethiopia is a great symbol of freedom for all of Africa. All of you young educated people should do everything in your powers to find ways and means to teach the people about the values of unity and the power of the people.”
With these words of encouragement, Sultan Ali Mirha ended the interview. I left completely overwhelmed by this great leader. Here is a man of vision and deliberation, a leader with foresight!
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Reported by ER special correspondent in Addis Abeba. Additional information compiled by ER staff in the U.S.