Habtamu Kebede
habtamukebede423@yahoo.com
Summer has arrived, bringing with it a multitude of exciting social activities such as graduations, weddings, and getaways. It is wonderful that we are taking advantage of these opportunities to maintain our social connections. However, let us also remember to be mindful of those who may be intentionally isolating themselves or feeling unwanted, and therefore avoiding social gatherings.
The past six years in Ethiopia have been marked by a series of violent and tumultuous events, leaving a deep and bitter impact on our society. Countless individuals and families across the country and beyond have been devastated and traumatized by this turmoil. While organized institutions may have been responsible for causing this damage, it is our collective responsibility to come together and find ways to heal and rebuild our communities in the aftermath of this tragedy.
One way to begin addressing the impact of the conflict is by reaching out to our friends, families, and fellow community members from the Tigray region. It is crucial to actively listen to their experiences with empathy and understanding, and to take practical steps towards healing the wounds caused by the destructive forces. Let us work towards restoring our sense of interdependence and our shared love for our culture, traditions, and history as Ethiopians.
It may seem surprising that I am using the past tense when discussing the conflict, while a full-scale war is currently raging and spreading like wildfire in the Amhara and Oromia regions. I have been closely following the devastating events unfolding in the Amhara and Oromia regions. I am fully aware that weapons of mass destruction, such as warplanes and drones, are being used to cause widespread destruction and indiscriminately kill innocent civilians and combatants, similar to the atrocities that have occurred in Tigray.
According to reports from multiple credible sources, millions of Ethiopians are currently facing dire conditions, while the ruling elites boast about double-digit economic growth and predict that Ethiopia will become the second largest global economy in the coming decades. This stark contrast between the reality and rhetoric of those in power is outrageous and demands immediate attention. Furthermore, while they brag about economic growth, exporting surplus wheat and constructing luxurious lodges, the truth is that vulnerable citizens are suffering from acute hunger and malnutrition. This discrepancy between the reality and rhetoric of the ruling elites is alarming and highlights the urgent need for action.
The ruling elites are also in the process of ratifying a law that would grant them the authority to nationalize private assets from individuals who are unable to provide documentation proving the sources of their wealth over the past ten years. This law primarily targets those in the private business sector, as well as expatriates and members of the diaspora community who rely on remittances from abroad.
Additionally, they are considering measures to devalue the national currency, the birr, in order to meet the requirements of global financial institutions and qualify for loans and grants. These measures will plunge the struggling middle class into poverty and exacerbate the already deteriorating economic conditions, causing chaos and turmoil.
Furthermore, even professionals with advanced degrees and a strong work ethic struggle to afford basic necessities. As a result, they are forced to seek refuge in religious places to suppress their hunger during meal times. Some even hide their financial struggles from family members and colleagues, and are forced to sneak into their workplace to sleep under their desks without informing anyone. In some cases, professionals, including college professors, have been reported to take on menial and odd jobs in order to supplement their income and make ends meet.
The purpose of this piece is to encourage readers to engage in meaningful discussions about the root causes of our society’s problems and explore potential organic solutions. Our destinies are intertwined, and it is crucial that we work together and cooperate to create a sustainable, equitable, and just future for all Ethiopians.
Grassroots movements and person-to-person interactions can create lasting and meaningful change to heal the wounds and restore the scars caused by the horrific and traumatic events. When we unite, we have the collective power to bring about positive change in society and shape a better tomorrow. This gives us a stronger voice to promote peace, justice, and rebuild our community.
We must not let this dark period define us, but rather use it as an opportunity to unite and create a better future for all. May we come together as one united community, just as our forefathers have always been.
Any call for a dialogue for peace should be taken as a good start. In all conflicts raging in the old country, there will be no winners but only dire consequences. Tens of thousands of young people will lose their Allah blessed lives and tens of thousands have already lost their lives. Tens of thousands will be left with lifelong bodily and emotional injuries and there are ten of thousands of such injured people already. Hundreds of thousands and even millions will be driven out of their domiciles and there are millions of internally displaced citizens already. The destruction of property and infrastructure we see now is unimaginable. Peace and stability have departed that gem of the colored in certain parts of Oromia and Amhara. With all these calamities that have befallen that country, there are among us here in the Diaspora who have been fanning the flames of war in their hideous scheme of profiting from it. They send their children and loved ones to schools here but they encourage and incite the youth both in Amhara and Oromia regions to March into an awaiting raging flame. These are the after births that country produced since 1974.
Meanwhile I tell this to the military man who announced the government is ready for a negotiated truce. I suggest the following to make any dialogue for sustained peace and stability possible.
1). The government should stop arresting civilians on dreamed up or trumped up charges.
2) Release all political prisoners with no preconditions
3) Declare official amnesty to those who are aimlessly roaming the wilderness now.
4) Invite outsiders like the former president of Nigeria, Brother Obasanjo to arrange meetings for peace agreement between you and both the armed groups in Amhara and Oromia regions.
5). Repatriate those citizens displaced from both regions regardless of their ethnicities.
On the fighting group sides:
1). They should declare cease fire now.
2) They should release all prisoners of war they are holding now.
3) They should abandon this wild and impractical idea of founding a separate republic. It ain’t gonna happen.
It is quite that simple for those who decide to seek peace and stability. Oromos and Amharas, Oromia and Amhara regions are Allah gifted backbones of that Blessed country, if they are in disarray the whole country and the Horn of Africa at large would be in disarray. Then we will see the entire 135+ millions of people will be on the move in all directions. These wise aleck bigots here among our Diaspora know that and that is why they will keep fanning and blowing the flames of war and utter destruction from their comfy and safe homes in Minnesota, Toronto, LA, Michigan, Scandinavia and Down Under. Some of you even have the audacity to tell us that Ethiopia never existed and it is in an irreparable state of decay. The last person who claimed that was none other than Mussolini in 1936 and we all know who decayed hanging upside down. You know who you are. I wish you were not even born.
Peace y’all!!!