Sudan’s Bashir in Gambella to participate in Ethiopian all-tribes cultural celebration
December 9, 2015 (GAMBELLA) – President Omer Hassan Al Bashir of Sudan on Wednesday participated in the Ethiopian all-tribes cultural event in Gambella town, capital of Gambella regional government in western part of Ethiopia where he praised Ethiopians for their unity in diversity.
Bashir who spoke in Arabic and translated in Amharic at the opening of his speech as the Guest of Honour for the event, addressed tens of thousands of participants from all over Ethiopia. The Sudanese president turned the crowd wild when he made his greetings in Nuer language, one of the ethnic groups in Ethiopia who constitute the majority population in Gambella region.
“Maale, maale mi goaa. Yien a thin,” he said, which translates ‘how are you, how are you doing’, a similar greeting language spoken by South Sudanese Nuer across the border.
He was earlier received at Makot Airport in Gambella by the governor of Gambella region, Gatluak Tut Khot, whose regional government hosted the event.
The Sudanese leader is also expected to conduct bilateral talks with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Dessalegn on Wednesday evening to discuss issues of mutual interest after he and his counter-part returned to Addis Ababa from Gambella.
“The two presidents will meet to discuss issues of common concern and [President] Bashir might also meet with other guests. This is a good occasion to renew contacts between the leadership of the two countries at the highest levels,” announced the Sudanese ambassador to Ethiopia, Osman Nafie, on Tuesday.
Senior officials from other African countries also participated in the event. South Sudan was represented by the speaker of the national parliament, Manasseh Magok Rundial, who said he represented president Salva Kiir who could not come in person to Gambella for the celebration.
More than 80 different ethnic groups of Ethiopia participated in the cultural event, displaying their respective cultures at the Gambella stadium.
Nuer and Anyuak cultural groups, the host communities, had been welcoming the guests with their respective traditional dances, dressed in traditional dresses. Symbolic traditional villages of Nuer and Anyuak have been built outside Gambella town for show to the guests from other regions.
EVENT COMMEMORATES CONSTITUTION
The constitution established the federal democratic republic of Ethiopia which is based on ethnicities and referred to as the ‘Nations and Nationalities’ grouped into administrative regional governments across the country.
Ethiopia is the second-most populous nation on the African continent after Nigeria with over 100 million inhabitants who are distributed among 83 nationalities or tribes, with largest tribes such as the Oromo and Amhara having their own regional governments while smaller tribes are grouped into other regions.
Gambella region is inhabited by five ‘nationalities’ with the Nuer and Anyuak ethnic groups being the majority in the area. They also share cultures and languages with their South Sudanese communities on the other side of the border.
The Ethiopian federal government has also encouraged the development of ethnic languages in schools. In Gambella currently, the Nuer and Anyuak languages are being taught from primary to secondary school levels and with further intention to introduce it into colleges in Gambella region.
The cultural day served as an important forum for nations, nationalities and peoples to show their respective cultures; learn about cultures of other ethnic groups and show unity in diversity as Ethiopians and strong solidarity for peace.
The event is also an opportunity to implement development projects in a particular regional town where an annual cultural event takes place.
Almost all main roads inside Gambella town and leading to the other neighbouring regions including to the South Sudanese border town of Pagak have been tarmacked, some constructed years ago while others shortly before the cultural event.
(ST)