By Geresu Tufa
“A man who denies his past is a man who truly denies himself a
future, for he refusesto know himself, and to deny knowledge of oneself
is to stumble through life ashandicapped as the blind mute.” Tobsha
Learner
Last week I partook in a panel discussion about
the ongoing Finfinne/Addis land grab with my fellow Oromos on OMN TV. I
believe this time is very critical for all peoples in that country to
stand together and condemn the injustices inflicted upon poor farmers
surrounding Addis. Therefore, most of the talks focused on the impact of
Addis expansion to neighboring Oromia region on our farmer's
livelihood, healthy environments and overall political-economy of Oromia
in Ethiopian Empire. As to any sensible discussion, I gave a little
introductory remark about the background of Addis expansion starting
from its foundation.
All of us are products of
particular historical process. If we want to understand cleary what is
happening today, we need to put it into appropirate historical context.
In line with this indisputable fact of life, I could only be right for
mentioning major historical factors that have contributed to place us
where we found ourselves today. Instead of condemning both historical
and ongoing injustices on our farmers, I am surprised to see the
reaction of a few individuals that come out of their shell to deny
historical injustices in the aforementioned area. The intention of this
short pieceis not to divert public attention from focusing on current
injustices or to wrangle over the past that is gone, it is only to
undress this denial politics with some historical facts and give a
rationale behind this kind of mindset.
Inquiring the
sources of these historical facts is very healthy and should be a way
forward for our future dialogues. This kind of evidence-based argument
is very essential to save us from making/being evidence-nude society
that bases arguments on eitherof ‘hearsay’ or ‘I think’ or even the
worst ‘I am sure’ kind of argument without citing any credible source of
information. Therefore, I praise those who asked for my evidences that
are deliberately kept away from public consumption by elites who harvest
various kinds of profits from the politics of denial. It appears that
those people who deny historical injustices will obviously do the same
or worse if they happen to mastermind the atrocities thatwe see today in
the name of development. For those groups, it is not the cruel action
that matters much, it is who do those cruelties to whom. If they do
it,it is a norm and the order of our time, if others do it, it is
fascism,apartheid, racism…you name it. It is a sad reality, but it is
what it is. If anyone thinks about convincing those groups by logic, it
could only be futile effort that will never bear a fruit. This piece of
evidence about the atrocities during and after creation of
Finfinne/Addis Ababa is written for sensible minds only.
As
to the characteristics of atrocities that happened in Finfinne, I am
shocked how people easily and conveniently forget or distort the recent
Ethiopian political history. In case one forgets the quest of Oromos and
people in the Southern nations which led to 1974 Ethiopian revolution
was a struggle to reclaim their land that is appropriated to settler
Neftegnas by reducing them into tenants and servant on their own land. I
hope no one forgets Land to Tiller. Oromo farmer’s land grab by
settlers did notstart during the Hailesilassie regime as some people try
to convince us, it has deep roots in the formation of the modern
Ethiopian empire. Of course the intensity increased where the settlers
establish themselves in the form of cities. Finfinne/Addis is a case in
point.
Herein under, I enlist
some of the major historical facts and policy guidelines thatwere put in
place to execute an eviction of Oromo farmers for the last century with
evidences so that a reader can have his/her own judgment.
Fact 1.
As
an oral society, Oromo folk living in and around Finfinne has very
popular song in which they narrate most of the happenings they see/hear.
This song has been in public memory for the last 150 years,
Afaan Oromoo
Inxooxoo dhabatanii
Caffee gad ilaalun haafe,
Finfinnee loon geessani,
hora obaasuun hafe
Tullu Daalatti irratt
Yaa’iin Gullallee hafee
Gafarsatti dabrani
qoraan cabsuun hin hafee
Hurufa Bombi irratti,
jabbilee yaasuun hafee
Bara jarri dhufani,
Loon keenyaas ni dhumani
Edda Mashashan dhufee
Birmaadummaan hinhafee.
(Source: Wolde Yohannes Warqineh and Gammachu Malkaa: Oromiyaa: Yetedebeqew yegif Tarik, 1994)
(English translation
No more standing on Intottoo,
to look on meadows blow,
No more taking cattle to Finfinnee,
to water at the mineral springs.
No more gathering on Daalattii,
where the Gullallee assembly used to meet
No more going beyond Gafarsaa,
to chop firewood.
No more pasturing calves,
on the meadows of Hurufa Bombi.
The year the enemy came
our cattle were consumed.
Since Mashasha came,
freedom has vanished.)
Fact 2.
“The
Chronicler of the reign of Menelik states that Menelik quoted his
grandfather the Negus Sahle Selassie: Oland today, you are full of
Gallas but one day my grandson will build here a house and make of you a
city; About 1886 large areas of land on the site were distributed; the
recipients among others were the Empress, Rasmkael, Ras Darge,Afe Negus
Nasibu, The Echege, Dejazmatch Girmame, Balambaras Mekonnen ete:-
andareas were set aside such as that for the quarters of the place
guard”. Richard Greenfield Ethiopian New Political History 1965, Page
102
Facts 3.
‘‘In 1843 Sahle Sellasie went onone
of the predatory raids, he usually conducted twice and often three times
ayear, into the Tuulama Oromo territory bordering on kingdom of Shawa.
Major W.C. Harris, who was sent on a diplomatic mission to Shawa leading
a British delegation and followed Sahle Sellasie on several of his
raiding expeditions against the Oromo during the 18 months he stayed in
the country, reported whathe witnessed in his book The Highlands of Aethiopia (1844, Vols. I-III).”
“Hundreds
of cattle grazed intempting herds over the flowery meads [meadows].
Unconscious of danger, the unarmed husband man [herdsman] pursued his
peaceful occupation in the field;his wife and children carolled blithely
over their ordinary household avocations; and the ascending sun shone
bright on smiling valleys, which, long before his going down, were left
tenanted [occupied] only by the wolf and the vulture.”
Harris
noted that, after conferring for a while with an Orthodox priest acting
as his father confessor,Sahle Sellasie ordered the expectant army to
“carry fire and sword through the land.” What followed was exactly what
the king ordered his forces to do.
“Rolling on like the
mighty waves of the ocean, down poured the Amhára host among the rich
glades and rural hamlets, at the heels of the flying
inhabitants—tramping under foot the fields of the ripening corn, in
parts half reaped, and sweeping before them the vast herds of cattle
which grazed untended in every direction. When far beyond the range of
vision, their destructive progress was still marked by the red flames
that burst forth in turn from the thatched roofs of each village; and
the havoc committed many miles to the right by the division of Abagáz
Maretch, who was advancing parallel to the main body, and had been
reinforced by the detachment under Ayto Shishigo, became equally
manifest in numerous columns of whites moke, towering upwards to the
azure firmament in rapid succession.”
The Highlands of Aethiopia (1844, Vols.I-III). Vol. II (p. 185-198) of Harris’ book
Fact 4
What
Tedla Haile, who was a minister of Education in late 1920 proposed at
early 1920 as it quoted in Bharu Zewidie“Tedla goes back to Classical
Rome to demonstrate how the army has always been a factor for
assimilation, be it through the intermarriage of garrison troops with
local women or the recruitment of subjects people into the imperial arm.
Likewise, all other facts of government policy- adminstration, justice,
economic organization- should be regulated by the policy of
assimilation. Provincial boundaries need to be redrawn to facilitate the
policy. Oromo numerical predominance in the southern provinces should
be tempered by a policy of Amhara settlement. Tigreans, too should be
encouraged to settle in the southern provinces, as they are great
assimilator by virtue of their religious fervour and their inherent
weakness in learning non-semtic language.”
Bhiru Zewede Pioneers of Change 2002 Page,132-133
Fact 5:
Ethiopian Constitution of 1931 1
Chapter I
The
Ethiopian Empire and the Succession to the Throne Art. 1. The territory
of Ethiopia, in its entirety,is, from one end to the other, subject to
the government of His Majesty the Emperor. All the natives of Ethiopia,
subjects of the empire, form together the Ethiopian Empire.
Fact
6: The imposition of Amharicon non- Amharias and the Amharization
strategy became an almost open government policy in 1955/6. It was
enshrined in the statute to establish the Ministry of National Community
Development and Social Affairs. It is clearly stated in Article 7 of
the statute that members of the police and security forces should be
recruited from the Amhara ethnic group and those assigned to conquered
regions should be provided with special privileges “”The details ofthose
privileges are listed in Article 15 as follows:
“በመንግስት
ሥራ በጸጥታ ጥበቃ በአገር አገዛዝ በፖሊስነት ወደነዚህ አገሮች የሚሄዱት አማሮች በዚያ አገር ውስጥ ለመኖርና
ለመቆየት ምክንያት እንድኖራቸው በጠፍነት የሚለካው የጋላ መሬት በየአቅራቢያቸው እንደመንግስት ችሮታ መጠን
ኢንድያገኙና ለማልማትም የሚረዱበት ልዩ ዘዴ እንድደረግላቸው።”
Getahun Benti Addis Ababa Migration and The Making of A Multi Ethnic Metropolis1941-1974, Page 176
Now, I leave the judgement for someone who reads and understands what is presented here.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
Carl Gustav Jung
Thanks!
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