There may not be a country called Ethiopia after Meles’ regime-Part II
By Magn Nyang
July 14, 2009 — In the first part of this article about a year ago, I argued that if a new leader should come after Meles’ demise from power and reverse article 39 (which calls for self determination) and centralized the power in to the Federal government in Addis Ababa, then, today’s Ethiopia will cease to exist as we know it. Individual ethnic groups would secede from it and thereby resulting in its total disintegration.
In this article, I would like to argue that after Meles’ demise from power, failure to deliver freedom, equality, and liberty by new leaders to all Ethiopian’s ethnic groups, will result in a total disintegration of Ethiopia.
There I was, on Saturday July 12, 2009 at Ginbot 7’s meeting, face to face with Dr. Berhanu Nega (for the second time) and Andargachew Tsige. The speeches by these two men were impressive. Especially, Dr. Berhanu Nega impressed me once more again. He delivered, what I now call, his trademark speeches (speeches about freedom, equality, and liberty to all Ethiopians) one after another. To me, the meeting was a success.
I first met Dr. Berhanu in 2007 when he came to Minneapolis together with then the leader of Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), Birtukan Mideksa to meet Ethiopians in Minnesota. At the meeting, since he talked very eloquently about the issues facing us in Ethiopia, I directed my questions to him and his answers to my questions were impressive.
Due to long history of oppression and neglect imposed by Northern and Central Ethiopian leaders on minority Ethiopians like my own people, I do not usually trust any politician from this group of people. Since the birth of modern Ethiopia, the elites from North and Central Ethiopia have led the country one after another. For centuries one Northern or Central leader is replaced by an alternative leader from the North or the Central. However, the fact that they are framed as alternatives, only served to reinforce the dominance of the status quo. And as a result, we kept seeing leadership failure after failure in Ethiopia.
These Northern or Central leaders refused to encourage the equal participation of all Ethiopians. And over the years, they developed a view that there is only one truth; and that they alone hold that truth. This led them to think that they alone know the truth, and therefore; why waste their time to even attempt to listen to minority Ethiopians on how to better lead the country. These leaders and their supporters developed an attitude that says: we are the strongest, therefore we are the best; and our way, which is right, works for us, therefore it must work for you too. And if you do not see that, we may have to help you, perhaps even force you to see things our way. This attitude by the Northern or/and Central leaders and their supporters toward minority Ethiopians led to continues killing of the Anyuaks (my own people) of Gambella, the Southern people, and the Somalia of Ogaden region and to the absolute exploitation and domination of the country by current regime in Ethiopia.
These leaders are less incline to listen to others because they believe that they are better, wiser, and more advanced. They impose their own views of the world upon others not knowing that their perception of their rightness is merely a reflection of their own socialization within their cultural contexts. They do not know that individuals socialize in different contexts of reality and truth. They do not know that what they see as their own reality and truth may not be relevant to others.
Therefore, when I heard in 2007 that CUD’s leadership is coming to Minneapolis, MN, I was ambivalent at first to whether or not I should attend the meeting. I was telling myself that CUD’s leaders are just there to reinforce the dominance of status quo. Then, a friend of mine who kept a grocery shop in Minneapolis gave me a DVD that content a recording of the CUD’s meeting in Washington, DC. I took the DVD home and Listened to the speeches. There, sitting in my own living room, I was impressed by Dr. Berhanu’s speech. He sounded different- Very progressive and visionary. He sounded like a leader who is ready to break away from the status quo. There and then, I decided that he was worthy of my time and volunteered myself to attend the meeting.
Since that meeting in 2007 I have read and listened to Dr. Berhanu’s speeches. This man, when he speaks, he doesn’t simply talk about unity in Ethiopia, he emphasizes the need to have every Ethiopian treated equally. He is about the only opposition leader that I know who discusses that in the new Ethiopia there will be a break away from outdated attitudes of the old days by having leaders who will immerse Ethiopians fully and exclusively in a radically different perspective that will challenge the so-called “Northern or central ideology”. He speaks of having leaders who will challenge the status quo and leaders with desire to understand and honor all existing cultures in Ethiopia, while supporting exchange of ideas and views of all Ethiopians. He speaks of having leaders who will strive to understand other’s (not only of so-called “mainstream Ethiopians”) perspectives and who will be prepared to be flexible in their leadership style to accommodate the masses.
To me, Dr. Berhanu seems to understand that as long as we live in association with others, and as long as we accept that our lives are better without constant conflicts and disputes, then understanding each other’s viewpoints or/and not imposing ones viewpoint upon others is required. He seems to know that understanding each other’s viewpoint is very essential to our existing together and crucial barrier against the total collapse of Ethiopia.
He seems to understand that as people we can claim to be engaging in democratic process only when we learn to come to agreement. He seems to understand that good democratic process depends on everyone contributing, on everyone having the fullest right to voice his/her opinion, and on everyone being accepted as equal.
Now, my question is not who understands what needs to happen in Ethiopia after Meles or who delivers the best speeches? Dr. Berhanu fulfills that for me. I have no delusion about that. My question is: can Dr. Berhanu delivers what he preaches when time arrives. Or, for that matter, can anyone of the opposition leaders deliver freedom, equality, and liberty for all Ethiopians after Meles? Today’s Ethiopians, minorities in particular, are more educated and more aware of their God given rights then their fathers’ generation. And therefore, anything short of delivery of freedom, equality, and liberty to them by the next leaders is equal to an assault on Ethiopia’s sovereignty. The sovereignty of Ethiopia will not be kept at the expense of the minorities once we get rid of Meles. Only freedom, equality, and liberty to all Ethiopians will protect the sovereignty of Ethiopia.
In conclusion, I would like to say that we have so many leaders running around today trying to be alternatives to current regime in Ethiopia. I hate to break their heart, what we need in Ethiopia today is not just an alternative leadership. We need a leadership that will bring challenge the status quo (mainstream’s ideology). Therefore, I call on all Ethiopians who hope to see a prosperous Ethiopia to learn to distinguish between propagandizing and a genuine statement of deeply held views, or to recognize those times when apparent truthfulness masks coercive intent from each of those leaders wannabe (alternatives wannabe) before lending them support.
Magn Nyang is a son of Gambella and can be reached at [email protected]