Mereja Forum

It's high time Dr Abiy starts the process of redrawing Ethiopia's domestic map and replace the 10 ethnic based regions with new regions numbering around 25 whereby each of these new regions I propose are 1) named after its most important city/town, 2) are multiethnic [no more monoethnic regions] and 3) are banned from having their own set of symbols such as flag, anthem, emblem etcetera etcetera

No more ethnic federalism, it's time for civic federalism

And if a majority of the oromo, somali, afar, do not want this, then what? more wars?

Sadacha Macca wrote: ↑

10 Sep 2021, 18:25

And if a majority of the oromo, somali, afar, do not want this, then what? more wars?

What's wrong with following the example of neighbouring Kenya which follows devolution with non ethnic regions. The borders of Oromia are illegitimate IMO

BigBreak wrote: ↑

10 Sep 2021, 17:49

It's high time Dr Abiy starts the process of redrawing Ethiopia's domestic map and replace the 10 ethnic based regions with new regions numbering around 25 whereby each of these new regions I propose are 1) named after its most important city/town, 2) are multiethnic [no more monoethnic regions] and 3) are banned from having their own set of symbols such as flag, anthem, emblem etcetera etcetera

No more ethnic federalism, it's time for civic federalism

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I wholeheartedly support your idea except I do not buy your idea of twenty-five regions. I hope Abiy Ahmed will not again betray the Ethiopian people by going back to his ethnic enclave.

BigBreak wrote: ↑

11 Sep 2021, 09:50

Sadacha Macca wrote: ↑

10 Sep 2021, 18:25

And if a majority of the oromo, somali, afar, do not want this, then what? more wars?

What's wrong with following the example of neighbouring Kenya which follows devolution with non ethnic regions. The borders of Oromia are illegitimate IMO

We are NOT Kenya. We have a completely different history, political situation, etc. You can feel our borders are not legit, but Oromia is here to stay, we can compromise on many things, for the sake of all of us living in peace, but the day they try to take any form of autonomy away from Oromia & other states, is the day Ethiopia goes bye bye. You are looking at it from the perspective of an Amhara Unionist, which is fair, but you are not taking into consideration the views of the others; the Oromo, the Sidama, etc.

BigBreak wrote: ↑

10 Sep 2021, 17:49

It's high time Dr Abiy starts the process of redrawing Ethiopia's domestic map and replace the 10 ethnic based regions with new regions numbering around 25 whereby each of these new regions I propose are 1) named after its most important city/town, 2) are multiethnic [no more monoethnic regions] and 3) are banned from having their own set of symbols such as flag, anthem, emblem etcetera etcetera

No more ethnic federalism, it's time for civic federalism

እንከፍ ነፍጠኛ! ይሄ የሚሆነው በህልምህ ነው።
የቀን ቅዠትህን አቁም! ልጋጋም ተስፋፊ!

EwnetYashenifal wrote: ↑

11 Sep 2021, 10:03

BigBreak wrote: ↑

10 Sep 2021, 17:49

It's high time Dr Abiy starts the process of redrawing Ethiopia's domestic map and replace the 10 ethnic based regions with new regions numbering around 25 whereby each of these new regions I propose are 1) named after its most important city/town, 2) are multiethnic [no more monoethnic regions] and 3) are banned from having their own set of symbols such as flag, anthem, emblem etcetera etcetera

No more ethnic federalism, it's time for civic federalism

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I wholeheartedly support your idea except I do not buy your idea of twenty-five regions. I hope Abiy Ahmed will not again betray the Ethiopian people by going back to his ethnic enclave.

የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ ማለት የአንኮበር እና ምንጃር ሰፋሪ ብቻ አይደለም ። እንቅልፋም ነፍጠኛ!

Why is it that only Amharas (possibly Gurage and a few small ethnicities) by and large don't have an ethnic consciousness about them but only put the country first. Everyone should be like Amharas

Amhara tend to associate Ethiopia with Amhara culture, language, etc, because it (the Ethiopian state) was created or molded in their image. When they think, or anyone, thinks of Ethiopia, they tend to think of someone who wears white shammas, speaks Amharic, is an adherent of the Orthodox faith, and so on. This is why they identify with Ethiopia more than Amhara even though the two are interchangeable. Amhara nationalism is a recent phenomenon, because they saw it as a necessary thing to mobilize their people for any cause. Traditionally they've identified more with their province, i.e. Gojjam, Wollo, Gondar, etc, than an overall Amhara nationalism, this is why you saw shoan Amhara and shoan Oromo fighting gojjame Oromo who were Amhara-ized and Gojjame Amhara, for power, land, resources, (the battle of embabo).

You saw the Silte wanting their own region in the dark days of the EPRDF, this is because of their sense of ethnic nationalism and Islam, being what they felt differentiated them from many Gurage. (I am part Silte by the way, my great grandmother is full Silte).

oromo in gojjam is not even 1% of Gojjam population. In fact there is more Welayta in Gojjam then their is Oromo. The Gojame Amhara and Shewa Amhara began to move southwards after winning battles in Welega and Shewa. The Amhara kingdoms would recruit Oromos into its army. The kingdom of Gojjam during the 1800s spanned all the way to Kaffa Province. The kingdom of Gojjam fell to the Kingdom of Shewa which had a more stronger bigger and modernized army then Gojames. The kingdom of Shewa would also recruit many gurages into its army.

The Amhara kingdoms did not act ethnically that is why many Oromo southerners gurage joined the armies. Because it was not based on ethnicity but on Individualism (Sewenet). As we value people for who they are not by culture or where they come from. This is why we didn’t care about ethnicity instead we focused on nation building. This is why Haile Selassies government had Eritreans Oromos gurage and tigrays. If Haile selassie was so racist he wouldn’t have made a national university. There also would be no Addis Ababa without Tayitu.

Ethiopia would be a very boring nation like kenya/Uganda without its multiculturalism

As we saw the Europeans colonize the rest of Africa we began to find ways were we can flourish without being colonized by whites. This is why Menelik defeated them then they gladly joined Menelik later on. To defend our nation instead of wasting time killing each other. We had a peaceful Ethiopia until Dergs destroyed it in 1970s

Even tho I know that you're a Tigrayan, I'll address your points.

The Oromo in Gojjam have been Amhara-ized. They look like Amharas there, speak Amharic and are Orthodox Christian. You wouldn't be able to distinguish between them and the pure Amhara (who, are a minority, they themselves admit this). All you had to do was accept Orthodox Christianity, speak Amharic, eat doro wat (which is great) lol and you were an Amhara. This was the policy of Sahle Selassie, the grandfather of Menelik,... to amharaize his more numerous and military stronger Oromo neighbors and let them join the expanding Ethiopian state. This way he could have more soldiers, more land, and etc. It worked for the most part.

There were no battles in Wallaga , the Oromo rulers submitted after agreeing to pay a yearly tribute. Unless you're referring to the battle of Embabo, which did take place in northwest Wallaga

They, the leaders of Wallaga, submitted through an Oromo general, Ras Gobana, a Shawan Oromo allied to Menelik.
Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam was in direct competition with Menelik of Shawa for access to resources in the rich Oromo and non Oromo lands of the south. So, Gobana as leader of Meneliks forces went to fight, and who was one of the main ones who led the Gojjame army? Another Oromo, named Ras Darasu.
Yes indeed it was less about ethnicity then and more about provinces and interests. But things change, of course.

The only Oromo in Gojjam are documented to have crossed the Abay River during the 17th century today’s Baso Liben district. The Oromos who lived in Gojjam lived on the lowlands of Abay River. While Amharas lived on the Mountians. If you want to be historical there also was Selale Amhara of Shewa or Shawa. Living between Mugar River and Jema River as well all the way south to Entoto had Amhara populations today these Shawa Amharas are Oromos speak Oromo and identify as such. Just as Oromos in Gojjam became Amhara. Many Amhara in Shewa became Oromo

Your idea is not bad. But it is easier to bring back the provinces we had 30 years ago and it should be fine. 13 provinces since we lost Eritrea. If oromia doesn't want to go back to provinces, then let there be fight between Arusi and Wollega or Kefa and illubabure to become one big Oromia .

BigBreak wrote: ↑

10 Sep 2021, 17:49

It's high time Dr Abiy starts the process of redrawing Ethiopia's domestic map and replace the 10 ethnic based regions with new regions numbering around 25 whereby each of these new regions I propose are 1) named after its most important city/town, 2) are multiethnic [no more monoethnic regions] and 3) are banned from having their own set of symbols such as flag, anthem, emblem etcetera etcetera

No more ethnic federalism, it's time for civic federalism

Educator wrote: ↑

13 Sep 2021, 23:09

Your idea is not bad. But it is easier to bring back the provinces we had 30 years ago and it should be fine. 13 provinces since we lost Eritrea. If oromia doesn't want to go back to provinces, then let there be fight between Arusi and Wollega or Kefa and illubabure to become one big Oromia .

BigBreak wrote: ↑

10 Sep 2021, 17:49

It's high time Dr Abiy starts the process of redrawing Ethiopia's domestic map and replace the 10 ethnic based regions with new regions numbering around 25 whereby each of these new regions I propose are 1) named after its most important city/town, 2) are multiethnic [no more monoethnic regions] and 3) are banned from having their own set of symbols such as flag, anthem, emblem etcetera etcetera

No more ethnic federalism, it's time for civic federalism

That doesn't even make sense. why would we Oromos fight each other to maintain an Oromo state? We would unite and fight any threat to our state. I know you as an individual wouldn't dare try the Oromo lions anyway, you want did someone else to do it. Lol.