From: hxh0650@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Ethiopia: Blowing a Golden Opportunity
Reply-To: hxh0650@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 23:13:00 GMT

Although many think that ethnicity is the curse on africa in general and 
on ethiopia in particular, the fact remains that the curse is our failure 
to understand the dynamics of ethnicity as a positive force which can, if
judiciously harnessed, be put toward a worthwhile cause. 
If there exists any one trait that is universal about human nature it is 
our constant search for identity and belongingness. Human being tend to
have a multitude of identities at a given time, and he invokes the one
which in his mind will help him realize whatever he holds dear. We need to
appreciate the terrible feeling one expreriences when we sense that we 
are left out. Nothing is worse than having to be forced to abandon ones
identity, so much more so if we feel that the rationale behind the 
application of the force is shaky and unfair. 
As far as ethiopia is concerned, we can trace the roots of today's 
tragedies to our history. I hate to raise this issue because we seem to
have over played this "history" thing so much so that it is no more
"intelligent" to talk about even those events which we all agree upon.
To begin with, successive ethiopian rulers attempted to destroy the 
ethnic fibre which held us together for centuries not by replacing it 
with an alternative identity but by emphaiszing the "superiority" of
one group and culture over another. In the absence of a non-ethnic
national identity which is acceptable to all constituent elements in the 
country, the majority of the people, both learned and others, resorted 
to their natural identity. It is at this time that extremism took the 
place of compromise and dialogue. When it became difficult, if not
impossible, to live comfortably under the resultant identity crisis, 
people began publicly declaring their allegiance to their nationality,
in the absence of "the nation". At this particular time I strongly feel
that attempting to down play the issue of ethnicity will exacerbate rather
than water down ethnic militancy. 
Thus the only viable course is to accept the reality and try to channel it
in such a way that it will no more become an issue. In order to accomplish
this we need a real power-sharing mechanism whereby day-to-day political,
economic, educational, legal, and judicial activities are taken care of 
not by the center but by locales. If this is done we will have less to
fight about and much to do to uplift the people from povery and chaos.
Otherwise the whole process will be one of playing the same game over
and over again. 
When the EPRDF took control of Addis I really believed that putting aside
their communist rhetoric and arrogance, things take the right course. 
Unfortunately EPRDF could not learn from its predecessors that exclusion 
of any one group, no matter how small the group was and no matter what
the rationale for the exclusion was, would do nothing but breed violence,
resentment, militancy and consequently the polarization of the society.
This tragedy became worse when EPRDF began to compound its arrogance 
and contempt for others by monopolizing power and enforcing its wills
not by the power of argument and political persuation but by intrigue, 
a phenomera which is part and parcel of the tradition of the "abysinain"
state. EPRDF claims that it has already shaken the roots of the old 
doctrine of racial oppression, nevertheless the fact remains that they are
in fact more adept at it. Mengistu blew our hopes of a beter ethiopia and
now EPRDF is blowing our hope for the existence of the entity itself. 
I differ from those who claim that EPRDF was wrong to address etnicity at
all. My problem is with its failure to be genuine and even-handed in 
its treatment of others which do not in any way feel represented by EPRDF.
EPRDF seems to be in an illusion, they think that the mere fact that they
ousted Mengistu entitles them to monopoly over power. Even if the question
of power is marginal to me, the real problem with this government is its 
wanton human rights violations. So long as they stick to their belief that
ruthlessness and deceit are "democracy", we will see no peace, and
by defintion no economic progress. 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african