Visit the new AsenaTv Website

https://asenatv.com

Ethiopia: being build up or breakup? The AST Solution

By obo arada aba shawl alias Wolde Tewolde August 5, 2018 Who builds a nation? Is Ethiopia a nation? This question has been asked for half century. But there seems no clear answer. Political scientists and philosophers

By obo arada aba shawl alias Wolde Tewolde

August 5, 2018

Who builds a nation? Is Ethiopia a nation? This question has been asked for half century. But there seems no clear answer. Political scientists and philosophers of all ages agree on certain ideologies, the role of a leader and his followers. In other words, nation building depends on both agreement of the leadership and its nationals though the consent must be depended on legitimacy of power.

How did the legitimacy of power come into play after the Great Ethiopian Revolution? Herein lies the key to Ethiopia’s buildup or break up question. I will briefly attempt to explain as follows: –

The beginning

Until 1972, Ethiopia was considered as a nation with its nationals. But the nationals were not citizens. By citizens we mean a position of choosing one’s identity to be sustained by the voting rights.

All Ethiopians had no identity card except their facial and their physical location. They can travel from Moyale in the south to Assab in the east to Karora in the north and to Kurmuk in the west, i.e. MAKK. To travel from one point to another was not of any problem.  No ID was needed. The only problem was lack of modern transport. Otherwise everyone used to travel domestically as he/she was being treated as a national of Ethiopia.

On the issue of travelling abroad, a travelling document known as a passport was needed, even then all Ethiopian nationals could go abroad without a visa. Here is how. All the 14 provinces except for 3 have links to the outside world. They were known as the AST regions of Ethiopia. And they are the provinces of Arussi, Shewa and Tigray.

Apart from these three nationalities, all the rest residents of Ethiopia had/has the perception if not the actual access to go abroad peacefully or escape through these routes without notice. (see map of Ethiopia without ክልል

I have done this myself without any passport or visa.

The middle – the Revolution

The Ethiopian Revolution was about citizenship not about leadership. But habits die hard, as the saying goes. Ethiopian nationals flock to the outside world. Only three Ethiopian nationalities stuck with mother Ethiopia. The Arussans, the Shewan’s and the Tigran’s aka AST became the cause for revolution and counter revolution.

If anyone wants to understand the real cause and counter cause of the Derg revolution, it was about AST. In AST, there was economic, political and national question mixed up. The Mengistu regime with its advisors and members exploited Arussi province for economy; massacred the residents of Shewa for political purposed and suppressed the Tigrian nationalities for national agendas.

It was on this basic premises of revolution that thousands of Ethiopians have left their country. Political, economic as well as cultural history had devasted the community and societies of all Ethiopians. It is sad to say that the Weyanes followed the same pattern of the DERG. Let us hope that the Aby, the Isaias and the Debretsion would not repeat the same pattern of struggle.

Ethiopia’s future

Gone are the days for Ethiopians to travel without ID or passport. The Shewan want to participate in all aspects of politics of the country, the Arussans want economic liberalization and the Tigrians want citizenship status.  In other words, all Ethiopians are currently demanding political participation, economic liberalization and equal citizenship.

The question is whether the Aby and Isaias agenda will align with these demands of the people.

There are active actors and participants to implement the AST program or the Aby & Isaias agendas. Both programs are necessary and doable. But who will coordinate them and that is a big question!

The answer lies on Coordination and Organization i.e. Company.

To be continued …

aseye.asena@gmail.com

Review overview
23 COMMENTS
  • Hagherawi August 8, 2018

    Is the author of the article an Ethiopian ?
    If he is an Eritrean, it seems he is one of those ‘medemer’ followers.
    Would you please keep Ethiopian internal issues for them ?
    Let’s talk about our own problems and find solutions.

    • Ermiyas August 8, 2018

      Arebawi aka 100% moslem nefaHito, which part of Arab do you belong?
      Are you a kondaf saHsaH Arebawi, it seems you are one of those ‘medemer’ with Arabs stooge.
      Would you also keep away from Eritrean internal issues and just concentrate on your Arabs shit.
      Leave the Eritrean problems or issues to real dekebat Eritreans who would find their own solutions

      • Hagherawi August 8, 2018

        Ermiyas anta kirdad, meninet albo !!

        • Degoli August 9, 2018

          “medemer” is another word for peace and reconciliation. “medemer” is not burning and hating Eritrean languages of Tigre Tigrinya and hating once own history and identity to Arabize Eritrea and to act like an Arab Abeed.
          Tell me who burned Tigre books to Arabize Eritrea and who hated himself? Look yourself in the mirror.

    • Asmara Eritrea August 8, 2018

      Frankly, I could not care if Ethiopia is a nation or not – although they seem to be doing pretty well at holding their nation together and they have seen 2 relatively smooth handover of leadership in the last 25 years. That is 200% more than in Eritrea!

      We, Eritreans, should worry about our own problem and let others warry about theirs. If we do not focus and work together to remove the brutal beast and his cliques from power, there will be no Eritrea left soon. Isaias is ready to sell our country to the highest bidder. That should be the priority of concern for us rather than Ethiopia.

      Eritrea forever, death to dictatorship.

    • Michael Tesfamariam August 9, 2018

      I am baffled too, don’t really know what the author want to say. He must be a toddler, trying to show off his depth of knowledge about Ethiopia to his nursery teacher. Well done!

      • Ghirmay August 9, 2018

        Show off or show us your depth of knowledge about poor/sick Eritrea then! Once you proved your knowledge is sufficient we’ll recommend you to a better psychiatric ward rather than to a better nursery school. The author is a brilliant man and some of us can’t wait for his second article, your nursery teacher probably fed you with so many fictions.

        • Michael Tesfamariam August 9, 2018

          Ahh,,,of course he is “brilliant”, according to your own limited outlook, but I can now see why the author was able to post such senseless and flawed article. He seems to have been cajoled though by pompous folks like you into waffling about a topic which he is not up to it.

          • Ghirmay August 10, 2018

            You have been sucking the white man’s cook for far too long that you won’t be able to recognize a “brilliant” article. Just limit your normal sucking to the lowest level of your limit and outlook, in other word, don’t over do it otherwise you’ll end up back at your nursery school.

  • meretse August 8, 2018

    I understand you article is not completed but that reason alone is not enough to prevent readers from raising some valid questions. Under the sub title, Ethiopia’s future, second sentence you stated: “The Shewan want to participate in all aspects of politics of the country, the Arussans want economic liberalization and the Tigrians want citizenship status.” You might have ample reasons to explain your reasons later but, until then what do you mean when you say the Tigreans want citizenship status? I hope your source of information is not based on the 19th century provincials insulting jokes about Semien provinces. “He who has nothing to eat is content with broccoli: he who has no country is content to Smeien” ኢዱ ዝሓጸሮ ሓምሊ ድራሩ “ዓዲ ዘይብሉ ሰሜን ሃገሩ” I hope this joke has nothing to do with your scription. I am curious to see where your complete article lands.

  • Haben August 8, 2018

    Wolde is old EPRP(Eihaba). He wrote an artilce in this site over two weeks. I made some comments on it.
    I think he is trying to sell and maket EPRP to both Ethiopians and Eritreans. I suggested to him, his parrty has to try its luck in the coming Ethiiopian’s multi-party election. Eritrea is a non-starter and advised him to forget it as the country.

  • Wolde August 8, 2018

    It doesn’t matter whether the writer of the article is an Eritrean or Ethiopian. What matters is the issue or the idea. If you need I can tell you who I am.

    All we need is a dialogue and a debate. AA have opened the pandora box. We all need to participate in the debate and discussion.

  • Genet-Original August 9, 2018

    This information is may be informative for Ethiopians. Regardless who wrote it, why is it posted here? Don’t we have more serious and emergent issues about our country Eritrea and people? Do we not count? Why do we get destructed from the main issue that matters the most.? Please, Eritreans brothers and sister, can we focus on our issues? We have been lethargic for the past 27 years. Now, we are in a big trouble. Please, let us be alert and oriented for our peoples sake.

    • Hagherawi August 9, 2018

      Selamat Genet-Original

      We missed you for long time.
      Welcome back to Assenna.com

      • Ermiyas August 10, 2018

        Hagherawi (Arebawi) aka Asmara Eritrea, Amanuel, Sol, Aba thimmer, keshi mars and …
        In short, the ROOTLESS CANCEROUS Muslim Arab slave dog & 1oo% muslim nefaHito.
        Wedi savage evil Halima, gual “warda” Seraye bitch doesn’t like to be welcomed by a kondaf saHsaH mushmush “warda” Yemeni nomad saHab gimel! So find your Yemeni FaTima!

        • Ermiyas August 10, 2018

          addition: so find your own dirty “warada” Yemeni FaTuma! Gual “warada” Seraye bitch Genetu is only reserved for her old Amara and Oromo PIMPS.

      • Genet-Original August 11, 2018

        Thanks Hagherawi. Sometimes life happens. But it has been all good and productive.
        It is good to be back.
        I think we Eritreans and our country are in a crossroads and we need to think hard and fast. I am scared for our people and country more than ever. I believe anyone who identify herself or himself needs to step up the effort to make peace with our brothers and sisters with different view. Now, it is not about PFDJ VS justice seekers. it is about the most important issues of our life. Leaders come and go, but people and country stay. Let us not give up on our people and country. After observing DIA in Addis pounding his chest with happiness, I am convinced that he think he completed his journey of betrayal. Now, the question is Now what? what is our response? Silent is not an option.

    • Deglel August 10, 2018

      Brother Ermiyas, you’ve been very kind and very considerate in calling this “warda” Seraye bitch just a Genetu! She has been going around calling us all Gebretsadik and so on and we should really pay her back her complements by calling her ugly dirty old cow Ginitu or Letetsadikan gual “warda” Seraye! She must have also been in a coma in a stinky “warda” Seraye hospital to come out and tell us we are in a big trouble, where the hell has she really been in the past 27 yrs, could we assume then that her Amara and Oromo lovers have been hiding her in their undergrounds???

  • Dawit August 10, 2018

    The title of this great article is ‘Ethiopia: being build up or breakup? The AST Solution.
    My answer to the above question would be I very much hope Ethiopia is being build up for the future.
    Now, assenna moderators know very well that the author is talking about Ethiopia only not Eritrea or China.
    Those idiot Arab slaves/Abeeds who are allergic to Ethiopia then they should just bloody wash their camels instead.

  • keshi mars August 10, 2018

    Hello Assenna,

    this guy tried to give explanation to his level best why Ethiopia is the way it is today. But he forgot in his calculus (is it a derivative? or an integration?) the Wello province, which was a landlocked. So, the result should be WAST not AST.

    Well what is happening behind the fog of trio politics (Ethio-Eri-UAE), it is not clear. And anybody can interpret it his/her level best. Here is my 2 cents interpretation of the situation. Dubai WP (UAE) has been investing in our region going back some years now and is bring Ethiopia into the picture for protection of Dubai’s interest in the horn..As example;- the failed contract with Djibouti, the undisclosed contract of Assab with the dictator and a $442 million with Somaliland. Dubai gave Ethiopia a 19% share in the Berbera port keeping 51% for itself the remaining for the Somaliland, no country recognised and the Federal government of Somalia publicly nullified the contract. Why Ethiopia is willing to partner with Dubai in such an illegal contract? Is the $3 billion dollar from Dubai the price for Ethiopia to get engaged in such illegal contract?

    Well what about the deal with Eritrea? How much is Dubai paying Ethiopia to safe guard the Assab port? For how long?

    In not too long Ethiopia paid heavily, more than hundreds of thousands of its sons in the 30 years of failed conquering Eritrea and repeated the same mistake in the war of Badme. So, what is the agenda behind PM Abiy? I was among the first group who admired PM Abiy until his hidden agenda with the dictator.. But now it was hardly his agenda. He is playing the security guy behind UAE contract of the horn of Africa.

  • Haben August 10, 2018

    Keshi,
    What many commentators are overlooking is the fact that both these countries are proxies.
    As for IA, Eritrea is his personal property, while Abi lacks leverage. The country is about to go bust due to lack of hard currency. The Arabs are playing the Master-slave role as they always have done in the past..

  • meretse August 11, 2018

    Since you have not written your part III article, let me connect the dots and guess where your article finally lands. I hope I am wrong, but, from my understanding, you are trying to tell us Ethiopia is heading to the Feudal Era (zemene princes). BTW anyone of us have full right to think left or right, to go back and forth in time, and make an assumption based on our thoughts. All Ethiopians as well as regional countries know that the young PM’ resume is impressive except lack of exprience. For the last 3 months we have seen him pleading right with every person he encounters (of course that includes dictators too). We have seen Abiy swearing at every meeting he holds that :– the Ethiopian sky had never been blue) saince day one. For so, he pleading to his people the time has come to change their hardships. Abiy, surrounded by young Oromo prophets and healers is set to show us his miracles. What is needed from us only to follow him and his magic healers. “Trust in Me”, he says. Everything would be fine including Eritreans, except dasking dared questions are allowed. To accomplish his vision, Abiy had to make one sacrification, and that is denounce tplf. He pledged to his public tplf was not different from derg, HS, and other notrious feudals. That I can tell u, he said. In order to make me a great leader, just awaken from your sleeping and join me, join the peace march inside Ethiopia and beyond. You have right! Abiy.

  • meretse August 11, 2018

    correction as usual at least read; ..except not asking daring questions..

Post a Reply to Haben Cancel Reply