IHMS COMMENTARY
Defeat of the Queen of Silent Genocide
The Victory of Minorities in Ethiopia
by Professor Abdi Khalil
Ethiopia’s political sickness boils down to numerical power politics, false singular national identity and ownership. However, as Trevor Cole puts it eloquently, “Every ethnic is treasure of humanity. Diversity is natural and real, but debasing it, is undemocratic and inhuman.”
Over the last two weeks there was an attempt to strangle the rights of Hararis to vote for their constituencies, suffocate regional state parliamentary election and thereby eroding the existence of Harari Regional State and minority rights in Ethiopia. The Chair of the National Election Board of Ethiopia, Ms. Birtukan Mideksa (ብርትኳን መዲቅሳ) who unconstitutionally decided to cancel the rights of Hararis outside of Harar to vote for their representatives. Ms. Mideksa, dubbed as the Queen of Silent Genocide among minorities, is a well-known political figure in the last decades advocating against and denying the rights of minorities in Ethiopia. She was a member of a political party, known as Kenejet (ቅንጅት), which advocated the dismantling of Federal Constitution and paving ways to go back to the hegemonic imperial system. She is one of extreme Neftegnas who promotes one flag, one language, one culture, one religion and unitary governance system. With such political mind-sets and abusing her profession as a lawyer, she single handedly propagates social injustice against minority rights by declaring and limiting regional states’ power and constitutions.
However, Tuesday, 27 April 2021 is a victory day; not only for Hararis but also for the minorities and diverse peoples of Ethiopia since the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia had ruled against her ill-fully conceived voting decision, and the rights of Hararis. Generally, her abuses and harassments amount to silent genocide of minorities in Ethiopia. Equally, Ethiopia’s House of Federation had also previously condemned and ruled against her actions, and highlighted that she unconstitutionally and illegally acted in the name of National Election Board of Ethiopia, which has no mandate to interpret, modify, improve and delete constitutional laws of the land.
Having heard of the good news, it is also time to understand openly why the Federal Constitution enshrines the rights of minorities, and supports autonomy of minorities as regional states. Here are some facts related to Harar as an example.
It is undeniable fact that the four enumerated large ethnic groups in Ethiopia are Oromos, Amhara, Somali and Tigray. Similarly, in the Harari Regional State, the majorities are Oromo followed by Amharas and Hararis. The establishment of the Harari Regional State was not solely based on numbers only as numbers are not the only determining factor in establishing a state, a regional administration or any administrative entity be it in Ethiopia or elsewhere in the world. Historical facts, indigenous people, socio-economic contributions and affirmative, as well as, reviving dwindling social groups due to systematic ethnic cleansing and centuries repression were the prominent factors in establishing the Harari Regional State. Some details and concrete facts are presented next to retain and protect Harar as autonomous part and parcel within Ethiopia.
- Historical Facts
Referring to many national and international historians and documented facts, Harar is an ancient metropolis of once mighty race, the only permanent settlement in Eastern Africa, the reported seat of Muslim learning, a walled city of religious sites, millennia old houses, possessing its independent chief, unique administrative structures, its peculiar population, its known language and its own coinage; the emporium of the coffee trade and the great manufacturer of cotton cloths. The list is endless. Before the rise of Addis Ababa and Nairobi, Harar was the only city worth of the title in East Africa between the City of Axum, and the Arab city of Zanzibar, on the east Africa coast island.
It is impossible to write the history of Harar and Harari people in few paragraphs. Its people exhibit distinct cultural and traditional values. The city itself composes many world heritages and protected sites; some even call Harar a living museum. It was a hub for education, agriculture and trade with its own currency. Its dynasty enumerated seventy-six known Amirs (Kings), from Amir Habuba (969-1000) ending with Amir Abdullahi (1885 – 1887). Sadly, because of geo-political pressures and invading forces, it is reduced from a sovereign country used to stretch to Zelia (east coast of Somalia) and north to Eretria to its current tiny state with physical surface area of 356 square kilometers. Wouldn’t these facts suffice to protect and preserve Harar from unjustified and illegal attacks?
Hararis have never given up and will never give up on their natural rights to govern themselves. They have withstood the brutal and dictatorship rules of Menelik, Hailesilase and Mangistu regimes. In 1948, the Harari people organized peaceful movement (Khulub) for self-determination. Unfortunately, this movement was crushed by the tyrant regime. The leaders of this movement were exiled, and many were sent to Debra Markos, Jemma and Gore notorious prisons. Generally, Hararis were displaced within Ethiopia and most immigrated to foreign lands since then. However, as most Ethiopian ethnic groups or nations and nationalities were liberated in the 1990s, the Harari Regional State came to light within the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, as well.
2. Indigenous people
According to UN sources, the covenant of the League of Nations, indigenous peoples are referred to non-self-governing or colonized peoples as “indigenous” peoples. In the 1950s, ILO began referring to the problems of “indigenous populations in independent countries,” which is to say culturally and geographically distinct communities that were non self-governing, marginalized and colonized inside the borders of independent states.
The terms “indigenous people,” “indigenous ethnic minorities,” and ”tribal groups” are used to describe social groups that share similar characteristics, namely a social and cultural identity that is distinct from dominant groups in society. United Nations human rights bodies, ILO, the World Bank and international law apply four criteria to distinguish indigenous peoples:
(a) Indigenous peoples usually live within (or maintain attachments to) geographically distinct ancestral territories.
(b) They tend to maintain distinct social, economic, and political institutions within their territories.
(c) They typically aspire to remain distinct culturally, geographically and institutionally rather than assimilate fully into national society.
(d) They self-identify as indigenous or tribal. Self-identification as indigenous or tribal is usually regarded as a fundamental criterion for determining whether groups are indigenous or tribal, sometimes in combination with other variables such as “language spoken,” and “geographic location or concentration.”
By all accounts or any UN definition and convention, Hararis are indigenous people! The indigenous people criterion alone is more than enough to protect, uphold and retain the rights of Hararis and the Harari National Regional State. The majority’s code of conduct towards indigenous people is a litmus test whether they are in control of their power, democratic principles or upholding the rules of law, as well as, how different they are from dictatorship and genocide monsters.
3. Minority rights and Self-determination
Various human and minority rights studies point out that national and international concerns for the protection of minorities predates the modern state system. It can be traced as far back as to the ‘Constitution of Medina’ drafted by Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the spirit of the Quranic laws of tolerance towards the people of other faiths, especially those of the Bible. As a result, the protected minorities, especially Jews and Christians, were granted religious and cultural rights and were governed by their personal codes. Non-Muslims living under Muslim rule were treated with tolerance and many of them rose to the highest positions in the state and made notable contributions to the growth of Islamic civilization.
In the 20th century civilization, the UN Declaration on Minorities in its first article affirms that governments shall protect the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and shall encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity. Along with minority rights, the doctrine of affirmative action attempts to redress the harmful or inhuman practices of past racial or social discrimination and to correct current socioeconomic inequalities. The aim of affirmative action is always equity and equality. Affirmative action always maintains that it is intended to remedy years of discrimination and it is compensatory. This compensatory protection of the minorities is illegally attacked nowadays in Ethiopia. Positive measures by governments may also be necessary to protect the identity of a minority and the rights of its members to enjoy and develop their culture and language and to practise their religion, in community with the other members of the group. Thus, Harar and Hararis did qualify under Ethiopia’s constitution in establishing the Harari Regional State in the 1990s. According to UN conventions, self-government rights devolve powers to smaller political units, so that a national minority cannot be outvoted or outbid by the majority on decisions that are of importance to their culture, such as issues of education, immigration, resource development, language, and family law.
Underlining these evidences, the historical facts, affirmative action, indigenous rights, minority rights and human rights, all significantly prove that the establishment of the Harari Regional State is not anomalous as some intend to claim and attempt to distort the facts about Harar. Its restoration is legal and abides all national and international laws. Based on Ethiopia’s Federal Constitution, the establishment of a separate regional state for the Hararis also emanates from the covenant of the League of Nations referred to Indigenous Peoples and Diversity. All the facts presented here show that Harar and the Harari people perfectly fitted all the political categories, criteria, principles and the UN conventions, and thus, unequivocally the restoration of Harar and the Harari people as a State in the 1990s is justified. Harari Regional State within Ethiopian galaxy is not only minority rights but also human rights, as well as, upholding multiculturalism and diversity within Ethiopia. All in all, the case of Harar and the cases of minorities in Ethiopia are suffice to build peaceful federal democratic Ethiopia.
4. Ethiopia where to? Way Backward or Forward?
What on earth is happening in Ethiopia today? Specifically, there are ill political signposts in all regions of Ethiopia. More than ever, it appears that it has become directionless and destructive. Instead of way forward, going backward with repression, abuses, harassments, and inhumanity using different political forms and formats as perceived and practiced by some extreme forces and political parties.
Way backward!
A broken Alliance or promise has manifested itself in the name of enumerated majority denying minorities and multinationals their constitutional and inalienable rights! The extreme party officials tyrannizing the minorities just as a single ruler is inclined to do in a dictatorial regime. As James Baldwin puts it, “Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy, justice can have.” For example, here are also some additional outstanding enemies of multiculturalism, multinationalism and the Muslims of Ethiopia.
- Some Party (Ezema) leaders such as Berhanu Nega, who is full of anti-Islam rhetoric and Muslims’ activities in Ethiopia. This Professor of Islamophobia has recently promised in his election campaigns that he will scrap Islamic Bank in Ethiopia, and limit Muslims’ involvement in social and economic development the next day, if elected. In addition, he is an avid supporter of anti-Islamic laws and Muslims’ segregations in France. Just wondering a person whose intentions are anti-social and inequality, happen to claim as the leader of Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party (Ezema)! Hypocrisy at its best! Where is the social justice, if he is against the majority of Ethiopia’s population, the Muslims? His inequality intentions are real and tangible. The Muslims have to condemn and shun out such enemy of Ethiopian Muslims.
- Vision Ethiopia, an entity founded and run by extreme Amhara intellectuals and elites whose aim is to re-establish imperial Ethiopia with hegemonic political agenda. They have unique and deep hate for Muslims and Oromos in Ethiopia; and of course for multinational and multicultural Ethiopia. Their vision is to resurrect imperial Ethiopia’s political landscape through expansionism, marginalization and assimilation; thereby emulsifying diversity into one religion, one Neftegna flag, one language and one culture. They are misguided group of so-called Amhara intellectuals with enumerated power politics, and imperial (or Neftegna) vision in violating the basic and inalienable rights of indigenous minorities, 80+ diverse ethnics, and the Muslim population of Ethiopia. Their recent declaration on Ethiopia’s politics tantamount to declaring war against Muslims and Oromos of Ethiopia.
- Equally, some Ethiopia’s Federal Democratic Government officials have chosen to ignore in protecting and guaranteeing the rights of minorities throughout the country. Rather, they are directly or indirectly encouraging the few misguided parties to use illegal and unconstitutional political means and tactics, creating constant threats among minorities and Muslims of Ethiopia. Deacon Daneil Kebrat, an advisor to the Prime Minster, always propagates Amhara and Orthodox supremacy. He hallucinates to Amharize everything and every ethnic in Ethiopia. Also, he is a well-known fanatic religious and political figure against Ethiopian Muslims. Another example is Ethiopia’s National Election Board Chairwoman, who happens to prove herself as a flagship of silent genocidal and minority cleansing character. She is supposed to work impartially and in non-partisan manners, but she has opted to work with striking opposing resemblance to what Thomas Jefferson stated, “It is of great importance in a republic, not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part.” She is now the symbol of social injustice and a parcel of partisan politics!
In a nutshell, within chronic current Ethiopia’s politics, the forces of evil abused human and group rights, the forces of extreme mono-tribalism battered minorities, and the forces of deep state are re-creating merciless expansionism, marginalization and assimilation of diverse peoples of Ethiopia. Recycling ill ideologies are abound to take Ethiopia backward, if not disintegrating it. Sadly, it is a recurrent phenomenon in Ethiopia, the forces of evil always demean diversity, mortify minorities and demonize Muslims.
Way forward!
Multinational and multicultural advocates and entities should wake up, organize and fight back such insensitive political parties. A repeat of repression and oppression under the banner of unitary systems cannot happen. The 80+ ethnic Ethiopians can co-existed as humans. All ethnics including Amharas should collectively work to uphold the integrity, rights, freedoms and historical facts of multinational and multicultural Ethiopia. Especially, the extreme Amharas (or locally known as Neftegnas) should come to terms that the geo-politics of 1880s marked the loss of glorious height of peace and prosperity of diverse people of the Horn, West and Southern kingdoms. Amhara supremacy or any political extremism has no place in current Ethiopia, and thus any extreme groups have to come to terms to embrace diversity, equality and inclusiveness.
True Ethiopians feel and understand the agony of 80+ ethnics and the silent genocide committed in Imperial Ethiopia, and thereafter in authoritarian regimes. We need to humanely support each ethnic to be free, respected and united in a diverse nation called Federal Democratic Ethiopia. In line with UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, of course, consolidating and establishing democratic multinational Ethiopia is the only way out to have equity and equality without repeating some of the political pitfalls in the last centuries. Upholding the essence of democratic federalism or multinationalism in a true sense is the way forward. Not mono-cultural identity, but multinational federalism is collective national identity and ownership. Not only multinational federalism (though not fully implemented yet) is the recognitions of ethnic languages and cultures, but also the recognitions of indigenous rights to land and natural resources, as well as, running their own affairs in freedom.
Let me wind up my messages for all Ethiopians to stop internal bleeding by quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, who said that we must learn to live together as brothers, or we will perish together as fools.
Also, IHMS sincerely congratulates the Harari National Regional State officials, the Harari Youth, all Hararis at home and abroad for coming together in defeating such extremist and abusive government official! Al-hamdulilah, no matter how long it takes, Justice and Truth always prevail. It is high time to get organized with assorted resources, and actively participate in the upcoming election to mitigate such political genocide in unwarranted Ethiopia. By grace of Allah (SWT), the City of Peace and Saints will continue to exist.
Aselam Aleykum