I. Back Ground of Abyssinian Empire and its Colonial Subjects since the Conquest.
During the scramble for Africa’s German summit of 1884, Abyssinian colonisers have taken part to plan their strategy on how to conqueror, systematically enslave, subjugate and civilise their prospective subjects (the slogan of colonisers’ under the pretexts of Commerce, Christianity and Civilisation-known as triple ‘C’, heinously concealing the fourth ‘C’ which was their ultimate motto –the ‘Conquest’. With regards to Abyssinia, during its pre and intra-colonial occupation, there were wars of varying degrees in the entire regions of the South, West, Central and East which is lingering to this date seriously overshadowing the prospective of peace and stability. The term I used as an ‘Intra –Colonisation’ is to show the fact that the nations and nationalities of Abyssinian Empire are under similar occupation to this date.
The subsequent war of Abyssinia’s colonial masters with its Italian counterpart in its Adwa war in 1896 has involved over 100, 000 well-armed personnel with modern European weaponry, therefore, has outsmarted the enemy, decisively annihilating it’s over 20,000 highly mechanised counterpart. Over two decades and a half subjects’ slave trade obtained money lavishly equipped Abyssinian King Menelik II to record the said victory over European power -which can only be comparable with its European counterparts’ such as Great Britain, France, Spain and Portugal. During the said period, defeating such a highly armed and trained European army needs certain degree of technical sophistication and tactical organisation of the forces, therefore undoubtedly qualifies the Abyssinia’s King Menelik II to be one of the few colonial masters of the entire global colonial powers during his era.
Ia. The colonies were obliged to take part in Adwa war
The heroes and heroines of subjugated nation’s and nationalities were obliged to equally take part at the said war of Adwa to defeat Italians, besides, the whole aspects of war and its objectives wasn’t representing their interests. Its’ objective was about purely defending the colonial assets of Abyssinian King Menelik II and sustaining its domination and exploitation of its subjects. This was and is the case with British colonisers’ adopting similar methods under the pretexts of ‘Common Wealth Countries’ to use their colonial subjects to defend their global interests. Tens of thousands are recruited from their former colonies to fight along the actual British infantries all over the globe. Such actions of colonisers’ deceits and manipulations under various pretexts unites both Abyssinian and British colonial masters with their intents; systematically undermining the identities of their respective subjects. The British de-colonies to date allow their fundamental rights to be continually crushed and their wounds persistently ooze reminding them of their actual subjugation and enslavement. How the latter’s perceive their freedom under such anachronism remains.
However, the above example unequivocally shades lights on sceptics’ attitudes & ditches the arguments of Abyssinian King’s successors’ who claim that the Adwa war was being fought by the entire colonial subjects, therefore it was of the entire peoples’, in Armageddon. Therefore, for this particular piece of article, the theme of my discussion isn’t about condoning the victorious Abyssinian Menelik’s army or belittling the defeated Italians. My objective however is something timely, relevant and pervasive needing serious attentions of both antagonising parties; the colonisers and the subjects.
II. The Theme of this Article
I’m not going to argue and deny the fact that the current Ethiopia’s regime and its 130 year predecessors’ are just and fair to others nations and nationalities of the Abyssinian Empire which was crafted by their king Menelik II. And I’m not defending the actions of both culprits with further emphasis on eithers’ being good to others subjects other than 56 South’s’. I’d rather argue that both cousins are brutalising the subjects under various justifications and definitions since the subjects’ became their victims. I’m going to discuss this as follows.
The former has completely denied peoples of nations and nationalities of their fundamental rights to identities involving disallowing them from mentioning their personal and collective identities. All peoples of nations and nationalities were often groomed and ultimately coerced to glorifying their being Ethiopians’ without mentioning their own both identities such as being an Oromo, Sidama, Ogadenia, Wolyta, Kambata, Gedeo, Hadiya…..& others, the actions fully assimilated most peoples of their colonies.
The latter ironically allowed nations and nationalities to artificially claim their both identities, however remote controls the subjects through its surrogate conformists who are all groomed to these positions under the pretexts of representing their own nations and nationalities- by superficially propagating their own distinctive nationhood; strict preconditions are placed on their shoulders and harsh penalties are added to the former if the renegades act out of these orders.
Those enlightened nationalists of the subjugated nations and nationalities who genuinely attempt to claim these rights are automatically regarded as an anti-peace, anti-security and anti-development elements-the slogans of the current authoritarian’s regime to use its military muscle to silence any person (individual rights) or groups of people’s (collective rights). The former used both covert and overt marginalisation and subjugations to enforce its subjugating rules through the slogan of Ethiopianism; whereas the current has crafted beautiful document under whose name it brutalises the subjects; by telling them that it has emancipated them from the century old colonisation for the first time since the conquest. It further claims that it has brought them excellent privileges enshrined in the constitution; in practice without allowing the nations and nationalities of the empire to exercise them.
Therefore, it rules as its’ predecessors’ are based on enforcing the well-established colonial systems adopting similar methodologies of systematically enslaving and denying fundamental rights of people to their basic rights. The rules of the current mainly focuses on economic exploitation, political marginalisation and socio-cultural subjugation; all acts of brutality characterises both the current and its predecessors.
III. Further Injustices and Subjugation on already existing slavery on 56 Nations and Nationalities of South Ethiopia (the direction).
It’s morally deeply repugnant, intellectually inadmissible and politically incorrect to silently observe both the current as well as its predecessors’ using the entire south Ethiopian’s 56 distinct nations and nationalities as their virtual commodities and systematic slaves in the 21st century. The aforementioned 56 nations and nationalities of the south are brought to be imprisoned in such a manner that as if they all were Godly presents to all Abyssinia’s successive rulers (including the current) on whom they can do whatever they wish- from generation to generation. In front of our eyes, today as always, the entire nations and nationalities of the south are depersonalised and systematically dehumanised by the current regime.
Therefore, majority peoples of this particular regional are driven to accept an artificial identity imposed on them by conquerors’ since the conquest; therefore most subjects appear to be in a compete identity crisis- without hope and directions. I’m inclined to saying this simply because most of the subjects lost hope/aspiration and obliged to remain docile and inactive. Otherwise expecting complete subservience whilst their very being is seriously compromised in the 21st century can’t have another explanation. All Abyssinian rulers & their successors strongly believe that south Ethiopia’s nations and nationalities are God-given rights to them; as it was the case with attitudes of European colonialists when they first saw Africa and believed that it was barren land readily awaiting to be sliced and partitioned between them like pieces of cakes and loafs of breads’; totally ignoring and at times considering the legitimate owners of the lands as virtual commodities to be purchased and exchanged.
None of Abyssinian intelligentsia, religious leaders and the wider members of elite groups utter a single word about this fact. Whenever they criticise the current regime for its gross violations of fundamental rights of Amhara ethnic nationals with aim of undermining the rule of their cousin as they try to reclaim their rule, they choose obliviousness for the fact that if they were in position to reclaim their lost power, they endorse these enslaving rulers as they have done for the past 130 years. Therefore, the claimants of their lost hegemony deliberately undermine the quests of forcefully imprisoned 56 distinct nations and nationalities of the Empire. A good example could be drawn from the example of current their Diaspora Medias such as Ethsat (Radio and TV) which remain silent and agree with the regime in power on this sole agenda of enslaving 56 nation and nationalities.
III a. The Biggest Question!
Is it calling and reinforcing the previously Abyssinian King Menelik II created misnomer of the southern Ethiopian’s 56 distinct nations and nationalities with ‘Direction-South’ in the 21st Century is justifiable? Does any person with genuine humanitarian beliefs believe that the region which has been violently created & maintained with violent means to this date should be left unchallenged to eternally continue? It is obvious that the Empire they call it theirs was crafted with crushing natives, causing genocides against the peoples of indigenous nations and nationalities. The current incumbent is reinforcing the former with the same means adopting slightly different methods of implementation. Don’t we all have moral obligation to reject the continued denial of fundamental rights to 56 distinct Nations and Nationalities of the direction’s peoples? Since the Conquest and subsequent Domination of original Ethiopian nations and nationalities by the Abyssinian Conquerors whose residue deny this fact, the said dehumanisation and subjugation remain active and on-going.
Numerous historians wrote on the fact that the motive, the action, attitudes and practices of Abyssinian conquerors isn’t different from their European counterparts under whatsoever definitions. Persistent conflicts that stained the history of the whole Empire on one hand, the continued plights of subjugated nations and nationalities on the other darkens the whole issues surrounding this matter needing final remedy. Not only has the situation become serious about subjugated nations and nationalities of the direction south; but also the subjects are misled into believing these deep rooted beliefs based on relentless propagandas about the status-quo’s being their own mistakes. They are also coerced to believe that the unfolding tragic situations are the responsibilities of all stakeholders without actually allowing the subjects to manage their own affairs without the involvements of colonial residues.
IV. Conclusion
It’s becoming crystal clear that the entire south as well as others subjugated nations don’t have option other than demanding for their total emancipation from the 130 year’s old colonial occupation with its enslaving systems and concomitant abject poverty, misery & deprivations it has brought. To avert the inevitable eventuality of the said tragedy awaiting to shake the Empire, the current regime must unconditionally release the entire 56 nations and nationalities of the south from their prisons in particular, others colonial subjects in general. Equally, we call upon all humanitarians to denounce and reject the continuations of 56 nations’ imprisonments and their misnomer the south. These people’s all aren’t direction- but are nations and nationalities with distinct identities, cultures, ways of life and needs and interests and ultimately with capability of managing their own affairs. And these nations and nationalities were during the periods of pre-conquest have effectively managed their own affairs, the rights which must be unconditionally reversed.
Finally, the subjects must wake up from their deep sleep and the regime in power must behave humanely to address the needs of its subjects in a manner that is compatible with 21st century. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire for the empire and its rulers.
