Ethiopia: The Unraveling of Ethnic-federalism

August 27, 2015

by Aklog Birara, PhD

“They gave the land and we took it. This is green gold.”
Karuturi on land grab in Gambella

“The government is killing our people through starvation and hunger…We are dying here with our children. Government workers get their salary, but we are just waiting to for death.” 
An Anuak Elder to Human Rights Watch

Although I subscribe to federalism as a form of state and government, I have always been aghast at the poisonous effects of ethnic federalism in Ethiopia. At last, Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn was bold enough to acknowledge and state publicly that ethnic bigotry, arrogance and exclusion emanating from ethnic federalism has become a huge deterrent to Ethiopia’s sustainable and equitable growth; and poses an existential threat to the country. This systemic problem did not emerge out of the blue. Its socioeconomic and political foundation and culture were designed, institutionalized and imposed on Ethiopian society by self-selected elites of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the ethnic elite coalition it created. The intent of ethnic federalism was to democratize Ethiopian society through the devolution of decision-making authority to the local level. Instead, ethnic-federalism has morphed, with local and regional ethnic elites undoing the social fabric of Ethiopian society in which peaceful coexistence among various ethnic and religious groups was the norm. This tradition of mutual acceptance and peaceful coexistence had distinguished Ethiopia from the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Aklog Birara, PhD

At the heart of the current unraveling is the cumulative impact of 24 years of relentless propagation of ethnic and religious hatred, bigotry, demeaning, exclusion and ethnic cleansing narrated mostly by ethnic leaning intellectuals, academics and political leaders from each ethnic and religious group. These propagators either forgot or accepted intentionally, that eventually but surely, ethnic and or religious hatred would lead to genocide and to total collapse of the entire nation and state. In that event, everyone will lose, including the ruling party. The government of Rwanda learned from the catastrophic lessons of genocide. Wisely, it outlawed political and other organization on the basis of ethnic affiliation. Today, Rwanda is a model of peaceful coexistence and shared growth. It fares better in social and economic indicators than most of Sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia. Ghana has done the same.

For the TPLF/EPRDF, the self-made and self-propagated and systemic culture of ethnic hatred, bigotry, exclusion, cleansing and marginalization is a singular political challenge it faces today; and will face in the years ahead. Ethnic elites who have made it rich for themselves do not see anything wrong with the current system for numerous self-serving reasons. Among these is rent-seeking. In a country that is well known for bribery, nepotism and corruption, the motive of using local and regional autonomy and authority to amass wealth at the cost of the vast majority is pervasive and systemic. Ethnic cleansing is justified by demeaning, accusing, and “murdering,” expelling and excluding others on the basis of ethnic and religious affiliation. No one is held accountable. The practice of ethnic cleansing at the local and regional level is not criminalized because central authorities are able to maintain political and economic dominance by appeasing ethnic allies and by pitying one ethnic group against another.

More than three years ago, I wrote a series of commentaries on the subject of ethnic-federalism and its pitfalls. It is virtually impossible for Ethiopia to achieve sustainable and equitable growth without dealing with the pitfalls of ethnic federalism without delay. Among other things, enormous resources are being used to control the society; and are being diverted for private and group gain; and not to advance the common good. Social cohesion is literally shattered. Nothing worthy of commonality is being coveted, encouraged and institutionalized as a national glue except the popular እንጀራና ወጥ. Even if it is system-made and inflicted, Prime Minister Hailemariam is right to air the dangers the country is facing. I urge him and his government to take bold steps now before unintended consequences of balkanization, ethnic war and genocide take place in one of the most important countries in Africa and the world.

In my 2012 commentaries on ethnic federalism, I anticipated the dire consequences of ethnic-federalism in with natural resources capture including land grab. Below, with minor modifications, is the first one of several commentaries that readers may find useful and relevant.

“Anyone who has read the latest Human Rights Watch investigative report on land grab (የመሬት ነጠቃና ቅርሚት) in Gambella under the title “Waiting for Death” should have no doubt that the governing party is callous and does not place value on human life. The people of Gambella who are being moved or relocated “forcibly” are citizens and humans who deserve fair treatment like any human being on this planet. It is their citizenship that is being robbed from them and from their children by repressive ethnic elites that have aligned themselves with loyal domestic and foreign investors such as Saudi Star and Karuturi. Shouldn’t this latest report on social, economic, cultural, political and psychological violations of citizens in Gambella and other regions where similar occurrences are taking place enrage and mobilize us? If such violations do not lead to convergence, what would? My plea to the reader is this. Land and water resource transfers to domestic allies and foreign investors in the name of development that do not show immediate and long-term benefits to the people of Ethiopia, and especially to indigenous or local inhabitants is a travesty. This, in itself, should compel us to close ranks and cooperate and collaborate for justice, freedom and the rule of law. Equally, it is time to speak-up and condemn ethnic cleansing and marginalization.                                                                              sourse http://ecadforum.com/