Silent Forces behind the Addis Ababa Master Plan and the Downside of Article 49 (5) of the FDRE Constitution

By Iddoosaa Ejjetaa

Why Article 49 (5) of the FDRE Constitution was suspended for the last 20 years?

TPLF is not the only force who is pushing the Master Plan. The neo-neftenyas, neo-liberals (pretenders of individual right, borderless, diversity blinded), those who have been against multinational federalism or ethnic based federalism are silent forces behind the Addis Ababa Master Plan, which is basically a land grabbing policy disguised as integrated development plan. Although the TPLF is at forefront who is spinning the gear, this should not turn our eyes blind and ears deaf to the mischievous behavior of the neo-neftenyas or pro-Menilk Addis Ababa or pro-unitary state groups. They are one of the silent forces behind the Addis Ababa expansion and the suspension or delay of Article 49 (5) of the FDRE Constitution (1995), which provided special benefits for the State of Oromiyaa. Recently, some power-seeking diaspora based individuals as usual crying for political alliance with the old masters who had sworn to crash whenever possible the Oromo aspiration for self-determination, Oromo identity and the State of Oromiyaa. We should also say NO to such undesirable moves, but yes to the Peoples’ Alliance.

Finfinneen lafaa fi laffee Oromoo ti. Oromiyaan lafaa fi laffee Oromoo ti. Lafaa fi laffee malee hindhabataani, jedha Oromoon.

Silent forces are visible through their work. For example, the architect of the plans was based on the lessons learned from France, Lyon city. France is a unitary state who speak just French language, which means homogenous in its culture and language. But Ethiopia has a federal system of government, at least in principle. If so why? My short answer would be a dream for Menlik of Addis Ababa and unitary state of Ethiopia where Amharic the only working language.
The other evidence is the suspension of Article 49 (5) of the FDRE Constitution, which provided special benefits to the State of Oromiyaa, as follows:

“The special interest of the State of Oromia Thin Addis Ababa, regarding the provision of social services or the utilization of natural resources and other similar matters, as well as joint administrative matters arising from the location of Addis Ababa within the State of Oromia, shall be respected. Particulars shall be determined by law”

If you look at the content of Article 49 (5), the provision of social services, utilization of natural resources and administrative matters. Let’s look in turn. Social services include the benefits and facilities such as education, health care, job training, housing, community development, policy research, language services, etc. to create effective and strong communities and promote harmony, equity and equal opportunities for all residences.

One of the key elements in social services is the language service for AA city as multilingual and multiethnic groups live in Finfinnee. Without effective and targeted language services, there will be no way to achieve the goal social services listed above such as education, training, equal opportunity for all citizens. The role of government is to facilitate and protect the right of citizens or communities on equal bases. Resources would be generated form the communities who have commitments to develop their cultural heritage, identity and languages. However, silent forces who are pro-Amharic only probably the most allergic to the use of Afaan Oromoo in Finfinnee than TPLF. There is no other economic or political reasons to exclude the native language, Afaan Oromoo, the majority primary language. This a disservice to the Constitution and universal human right law. If there is any reason on can find, it is arrogance or ignorantly chauvinism. It is mind boggling to see that the fate of indigenous population is determined by late settlers, which is unacceptable to normally thinking mind.

Land is the key resource for economic development. There are at least two forces who has strong barging position over the land in Finfinnee. They are the silent forces and the voiced or visible forces, TPLF and its stooge’s officials. These forces has been clouded to maximize their economic benefits. They have three common features: operating state machinery, economic self-interest and settlement status. As operator of state machinery, the silent forces had controlled the education and employment opportunities in the past regimes and use their technical skill and experience such as administration, planning, financing, policy research, etc. to influence the decisions made by the visible force, the federal officials. Undermining the right of Oromo ownership over Finfinnee and the role regional government of Oromiyaa the result of such practices by silent forces who are engaged in promoting Amharic only language policy and the Addis Ababa Administrative status toward full autonomy. The economic collusion between the two is much stronger. They designed the land grabbing policy collaboratively with the assistance foreign agencies who also in collaboration with them for other strategic interests they may have with the country. However, the driving force behind land grab is an obsession for wealth and power. They use government machineries to benefit themselves, stooges and collaborators by evicting Oromo farmers and their families from their home and ancestral land.

As to the joint administration of Finfinnee, the Constitution in Article 49 (5) has logical problems and does not make logical sense to me. The Article supposed to provide the right to the State of Oromiyaa to administer Finfinnee directly like any district in Oromiyaa than collecting special benefits from self-governing entity outside the scope of Oromiyaa State Government. In my view, therefore, the Oromoo people question should be revised in a way that to show the legitimate right of Oromo people over Finfinnee: the Oromo question should be restated as the right to administer Finfinnee like any part of Oromiyaa State. To put shortly, the Oromoo question is about the right to administer Finfinnee but NOT to collect special benefits from Finfinnee.

Although the Habasha dictators being advised, financed, and trained by Western powers and dispatched to kill, terrorize and prison a peace loving people, the Oromo national struggle for self-determination shall continue. In the end, slowly but surely the Gadaa Republic of Oromia shall be restored and free.

Dubiin Finfinnee dubii lafaa fi lafee ti.
Finfinneen lafaa fi lafee Oromoo ti.
Oromiyaan lafaa fi lafee Oromoo ti.
Jabaadhaa Ilmaan Oromoo/ Ilmaan Abbaa Gadaa, lafaa fi lafee maalee hindhabataanii.

=>ayyaantuu

Protests in Ethiopia leave at least five dead, possibly many more

By Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's government said on Monday at least five people had been killed in protests against its plan to incorporate areas of farmland near the capital into a new zone to attract business, while an opposition figure said 30 had died.

Protesters, many of them students, have repeatedly clashed with security forces in several towns in the Oromiya region around Addis Ababa during the past three weeks over the government move that farmers say will be used to grab land.

Ethiopia has won international praise for transforming the economy, but rights groups say critics are stifled. There are no opposition figures in parliament and protests are rarely reported. Officials insist free expression is guaranteed.

Government spokesman Getachew Reda told Reuters that regional officials had so far named five dead but that this could rise as "armed gangs are terrorising civilians, killing government officials, unarmed security officers and farmers".

"If there are problems - and I do not believe they exist - they can only be addressed through consultations with the public," Getachew said.

Merara Gudina, chairman of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress, said: "The list we have shows more than 30 people have been killed by police and soldiers trying to stop the protests."

He told Reuters by telephone that most of those killed were students who had joined the protests, while a few were farmers.

Residents in the region also gave higher figures than the one cited by the government.

Ruling party politicians in Oromiya have accused opposition groups of stoking clashes between protesters and police.

Aman, a student at Ambo University, west of the capital, said police cordoned off his college and rounded up dozens of students. Aman, who did not give his full name for fear of reprisals, said some students had been beaten.

Officials say the administrative changes would create a new zone to draw investment and build infrastructure, part of a government industrialisation drive. The state has been building new roads, railways and hydroelectric dams across the nation.

Farmers and those opposed to the plan worry about land grabs. In the past, Ethiopia has been criticised for seizing property without consent for its industrialisation drive or without properly compensating those living on the land.

According to Ethiopian law, all land belongs to the state and those purchasing the land are only considered leaseholders.

(Editing by Edmund Blair and Alison Williams)

=>yahoonews