Amhara Hatred: How it Started
Asefa Zebene (Dr.)
Commentary
December 6, 2022
The essence of this commentary is the prevailing hate and genocide of the Amhara people orchestrated by the joint actions of TPLF and OLF and their respective supporters. This Amhara-hatred propaganda may have originated due to foreign influence, such as fascist Italy. A current article by Eshete (2012) titled the Origin of Tribalization of Ethiopian Politics: From Fascism to Fascism gives a clue for the marginalization and infliction of harm to Amharas. Eshete (2012) discusses the
contents of the book “Abyssinia the Powder Barrel” authored by Baron Roman Prochazka in 1935.
According to Eshete (2012), it was Prochazka who wrote about self-determination concept for the first time, with the intent to dismantle Ethiopia’s territorial integrity, and to divide and organize Ethiopia’s multiracial population according to languages spoken by the people; and thereby, create ethnic fiefdoms. This book inspired colonizers, and it was soon translated to different languages.
The Italian version of Prochazka’s book was titled Abyssinia Pericolo Nero (Abyssinia the Black Threat) published in 1935. When fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia for the second time, it followed the strategies listed down in the book, namely, and primarily; to label Amharas as threats to white supremacy in the colonization of Ethiopia and by extension Africa. As such, Italy systematically approached non-Amharic speakers (those whose mother tongue was not Amharic) and disseminated
Amhara-hatred propaganda among them.
To some extent, Italian Amhara-hate propaganda worked to influence the Galla (Oromo) from Raya and Azebo, and as a result, the Gallas took side with fascist Italian government to subjugate Ethiopia as an Italian colony. The Gallas were trained and armed by fascist Italy to fight the Ethiopian government at the battle of Maichew. As such, the Gallas killed Ethiopian minister of defense Ras Mulugeta Yegaazu by surrounding his army from behind, left; and right directions, while Italians were attacking from the front side (Eshete, 2012). As a result, Italy came out victorious, and it marched towards Addis Ababa, along with the Gallas.
Addis Ababa was captured, and Italians ruled over some Ethiopian territories for five years while constantly fighting with Ethiopian patriots, and mostly with Amhara patriots such as Belay Zeleke from Gojjam; and Asegedetch Gedle, Ras Abebe Aregai, and Hailemariam Mamo from Shoa. The Gallas (Oromos) continued
their loyalty and service to Italians, until Italy was defeated and routed out by Ethiopian patriots. Historically, the Gallas and present day elite Oromos have a sentiment of non-belongingness to Ethiopian people and especially to Amharas. Oromo elites think they were colonized by Ethiopia’s leader, Emperor Menelik II.
On the contrary, it was the Gallas that occupied the fertile lands of Ethiopia by invading indigenous Ethiopians living in the current Oromia region. The Gallas were nomadic pastoralists who came to the central parts of Ethiopia from the direction of southwestern Borana region of Ethiopia in the 16th century (Adejumobi, 2007). The timing for the invasion of Amhara land was an unprecedented opportunity for the Gallas: there was no central government because of Gragn Ahmed’s distractive war. Also, the war lords (such as Rases, Dejazmachises, and Fitawraris) fought against the king as well as with each other
leaving Ethiopia exposed to foreign invaders (Tegegne,2020).
Currently, Ethiopian government is under Oromo leadership, and the government bureaucracy is purposely marginalizing, displacing, and massacring Amharas in the most heinous way on daily basis: This atrocity is intolerable and must stop now.
Wolde Giorgis (2022) describes the atrocities committed on Amharas as follows:
Since PM Abiy took over three years ago, horrifying stories have come to light: pictures and videos of someone crucified upside down in public, lynchings with cheering crowds, butchering people into pieces, dragging helpless men and women tied behind a moving car, burning children alive in their schoolrooms, slaughtering people like animals, spearing women’s breasts, cutting off male organs and showing them in public as trophies, burning churches, identifying Christians by the symbol of the cross tattooed on their head or body and murdering them (p. 556).
Abiy Ahmed has not paid any attention to the wailing and dying Amharas. The hatred elite Oromos have for Amharas is beyond expression. The Oromo elites hate anything that represents Amhara: they hate Amhara culture, they hate Orthodox Christianity, they hate Amhara’s contribution in the making of Ethiopia. Oromo elites are trying to be unique from the rest of Ethiopian people for having a Gedda culture. Recently Shimeles Abdissa spoke in public that his government would subject Ethiopia to the 16th century version of tribal Gedda administrative system.
So, how did Amhara hatred and Amhara self-hatred start?
Obviously, Amhara hatred started from foreign invaders (Egypt, British, Turkey, Italians, Ahmed Gragn, and the Galla). Likewise, homegrown Tigre-TPLF and Oromo-OLF supporters and sympathizers hate Amharas due to foreign indoctrination that want Ethiopia destroyed. But the main reason for the basis of Oromo hate for Amhara is jealousy: Oromos have no tangible historical record scored in the makeup of Ethiopia as a country apart from other Ethiopians. On the
other hand, Amharas rich history, such as the creation of its own alphabets and the documentation of its history in chronological order; the rock hewn churches of Lalibela, and the palace of Facilidas, the Victory of Adwa; and keeping Ethiopia uncolonized, etc. makes hatemonger Oromos furious and jealous of Amhara.
To express their jealousy and hate, elite Oromos common strategical action is to massacre innocent Amharas especially the elderly, women, and children; dismantle or destroy infrastructures, disrupt the normal life of Ethiopians by inciting and exasperating regional wars, and serving the interests of foreign countries etc. For example, Abiy Ahmed invited North Sudan government to farm 260 square
kilometers of al-Fashaga fertile land inside Ethiopia from the Sudan border, simply because the land belongs to Amhara farmers. In addition, Tigray rulers have always been jealous of Amharas from centuries ago up to the present time.
In the 19th century, Tigrayan regional leader Kasa Mercha (Atse Yohannes IV) was very envious of contemporary Amhara leaders, and namely, Atse Tewodros. When the British army came to capture Ethiopia’s king Tewodros II, Kasa Mercha (later Atse Yohannes) collaborated with the British government to safely lead general
Napier to Magdala where Atse Tewodros had his fortification to fight back his enemies.
Atse Tewodros was the visionary leader who wanted to restore the war-ravaged Ethiopia back to pre zemene mesafint (Era of the Princes) status quo with the introduction of modern administrative systems. Tewodros himself participated inmanual labor to construct roads, hired the Turks to manufacture modern military weapons, established professional uniformed army with regular salaries (Adejumobi,
2007). Atse Tewodros sought for technology assistance from Europe, and that was how diplomacy was started and ended with Queen Victoria.
Due to unhealthy diplomatic relations with Queen Victoria of England Atse Tewodros jailed some British diplomats and the clergy, and consequently, Queen Victoria sent 20,000 British army under the leadership of general Robert Napier for a possible capture of Atse Tewodros (Arnold, 2019). According to Pearce (2017), the number of British army general Napier led was 30,000, and Adejumobi (2007)
had it 32,000 British soldiers while Atse Tewodros had only 3,000 solders.
As Napier was struggling to move through the ragged mountains of Gondar with loads of ammunition carried by forty-five elephants, Kasa Mercha of Tigray (Emperor Yohannes IV) extended his hand to help a foreign enemy: Kasa Mercha fed 32, 000 British troops, supplied the military expedition with transportation (Arnold, 2019).
The primary purpose for the British military expedition was to catch Tewodros alive and take him to queen Victoria. However, Tewodros did not give them the chance for what they aspired for. Instead, he took his own life, and the British were only able to cut his head from his dead body to take with them. While returning to England, the British loaded 200 mules and 15 elephants with gold, crowns, swords, altar slabs, and more than 400 manuscripts (Adejumboi, 2007).
In addition, Kasa Mercha (Atse Yohannes IV) collected and burned down Amharic books that were spared from being stolen by general Napier. Atse Yohannes massacred Wollo Amhara Muslims at Boru Meda to revenge for the deaths of Christians that Ahmed Gragn killed (Admassu, 2022).
Nowadays, Amhara haters are Oromo and Tigray elites who are organized under TPLF and OLF to inflict harm on Amharas in all possible ways: be it manufacturing false narratives for media consumption or disseminating false stories of Amhara military attacks in Wellega and elsewhere.
What is the essence of TPLF and OLF hatred for Amharas?
Elite Oromos accuse Amhara of taking their lands, including Addis Ababa. They claim Addis Ababa is an Oromo territory and by default everything Addis Ababa has belongs to Oromos. Such analogy has no historical ground: They refute the fact that all Ethiopians participated in the establishment of Addis Ababa, and Addis Ababa is a charter city.
Prior to Ahmed Grange and Gallas (Oromos) invasion of Ethiopia in the middle of 16th century, Berera City, where present day Addis Ababa is located at was the seat of Ethiopian kings and popes; foreign diplomats, and merchants. Atse Amdetsion from 1314 to 1344, Atse Dawit from 1382 to 1413, and Atse Zerayakob from 1434 to 1468 ruled Ethiopia from their capital city Berera (Tegegne, 2020).
Berera city was destroyed by Ahmed Gragn, and then what remained of it was burned down by the Gallas. Addis Ababa city was established at the ruins of Berera city by Etege Taitu while King Menelik was at Harer, restoring Ethiopian border. The Oromos have no historical right to claim back the historical and ancestral Amhara land and city, Addis Ababa, as theirs and change the name Addis Ababa to Finfine.
The fanatic Oromo elites lie big time. They don’t and will not have any
justification for saying that even Oromia region is theirs. Who did Oromia region belong to prior to Oromo invasion of Ethiopia in the 16th century? Or simply put, who did the so-called Oromia region belong to some 50 years ago during Haile Sellassie and Mengistu regimes? The answer is, there never existed an Oromia region. The only thing that changed during Mengistu Hailemariam regime is the
tribal name Galla to Oromo.
The Oromo anarchists don’t have the guts even to read their own history written by their own Oromo historians such as Ato Yilma Deressa, Dr. Taddesse Tamirat, Dr. Merid; Dr. Mohammed Husein as is suggested by Wolde Giorgis (2021).
Ethiopia’s territorial integrity and its border demarcations were always secured by Amharas, and all foreign invaders like Egypt, Derbush, Turkish, Italians, and Gragn Ahmed were defeated by Amharas along with other Ethiopians.
Fanatic and ill-conceived Oromo elites are currently destroying and dismantling the very fabric Ethiopia is made of, such as destroying orthodox Christian establishments, destroying Muslim mosques; dismantling government establishments, changing educational infrastructure, burning down historical documents; abolishing
historical monuments, changing school curriculum such as sorting out and destroying Amharic language literature, and removing Ethiopian history and geography from college 101courses etc.
Oromo elites are power hungry, and after assuming power, they resort back to mismanaging the very organizations they get assigned to run. Corruption, theft, violation of the rule of law; and incompetency are some descriptors of their management style. Oromo elites have assumed practically all offices in government, but service is not rendered as it is supposed to be.
Private citizens must pay bribes starting from the very first person they encounter when coming into any organization to seek service. Legal institutions are symbolic only, it is up to the police or the prime minister to determine the fate of persons illegally detained.
Besides, Oromo elites suffer from Amhara fear just like Woyanes do.
The Amhara people have been targeted as an enemy of the people by the Woyanes and now by Abiy government. The Woyanes killed the Amhara people and displaced them from their ancestorial lands. Millions of Amharas were either displaced or killed In Welkait, Tegede, Tselemet; and Raya. The Woyanes annexed these Amhara lands by force and labeled them as Western Tigray. Through recent
battles with the Woyanes, the Amhara people have claimed back their ancestorial lands from the Woyanes (TPLF).
In addition to the Amhara massacre committed by the TPLF, Amhara women were sterilized in TPLF occupied Amhara territories in the name of vaccination against waterborne diseases. Melinda Gates developed the vaccination to be taken through injection (Arnold, 2019). As a result, many Amhara women were not able to conceive babies.
Starting from 2009, the TPLF government of Ethiopia conducted mass sterilization on Amhara women to prevent births and purposely infected Amharas with HIV. Also, Amharas between age 18 and 49 were vaccinated in the name of prevention from trachoma and tetanus infection, and as a result, the vaccinated Amharas suffered from severe fever, abortion, impotency…and death (Kassaye, 2014).
Besides developing vaccinations, Melinda and Bill Gates are interested in decreasing world population, and especially, the population of poor countries in Africa: They are promoting the production of genetically modified organism (GMO) seeds to be sown in Africa. Since GMO is a cross breed from animals (even human) genes, microbials, and plants, consumption of GMO is reported to cause obesity, cancer, and infertility (Endale, n.d.)
Practically all African countries have opposed the introduction of GMO seeds in Africa, to which Ethiopia had been a pioneer in the opposition. However, to the surprise of Ethiopians and Africans, Abiy Ahmed dismissed the opposition and allowed GMO to genetically change indigenous Ethiopian seeds including Teff without the knowledge of the Ethiopian people and parliament.
The USDA (US department of agriculture) praised Abiy for allowing GMO to be grown in Ethiopia. One other issue is that farmers cannot use the harvested seed from corn, cotton, etc. again: They must buy anew GMO seeds. This makes Ethiopia dependent on Bill Gate’s company, because as the saying goes, whoever controls food, controls people. The question is, where will these seeds be grown and who would consume it: probably in Amhara region by Amharas.
How did self-hatred start with coward Amharas?
The first Amhara who introduced self-hate was Walleligne Mekonnen through his infamous article titled Self Determination of Ethiopian Nationalities up to Secession. This article prompted secessionist ideas to flourish in the minds of tribalists, such as OLF and TPLF, and mobs of students within and outside of Ethiopia backed up by invisible foreign hands. A paragraph of Walleligne article as put by Eshete (2012) reads:
To be a “genuine Ethiopian” one has to speak Amharic, to listen to
Amharic music, to accept the Amhara-Tigre religion, Orthodox Christianity and to wear the Amhara-Tigre Shamma at international conferences. In some cases, to be an “Ethiopian”, you will have to change your name (para. 5).
Of course, Walleligne Mekonnen was a 24-year-old and a 4th year student when he introduced his article. By today’s standard, a 4th year college student will not write about such unfounded and childish narrative (or article) just because one hates Amhara. At this age of our time hate against humanity is intolerable and discouraged by all stakeholders in society. First of all, what is a genuine Ethiopian
and what is the standard to be Ethiopian? Do all Ethiopians speak Amharic? Were Ethiopians limited to listen to Amharic music only? Were all Ethiopian people Orthodox Christians? Was there such Amhara-Tigre Shamma worn like pants and jackets? What names did Ethiopians change to be Ethiopian?
It seems Walleligne was very green and very immature, and he had no clue about what he was writing about. One thing is clear, he hated Amhara, and by syllogism he hated himself for coming from Amhara parents. On the other hand, he might have written the article just to please Anti-Ethiopian and anti-Amhara students of his time. The other piece of Wallellegn’s article is self-determination and secession.
Zewdie (2018) argues how little Ethiopian students knew to relate
Stalin’s doctrine about self-determination within the historical and psychological make up of Ethiopians regarding the territorial integrity and unity of the people:
He asks how a handful of elites could demand the right to secede when they have no mandate from the Ethiopian people. It is sad, the Walleligne student generation futile political stance has passed on to
this current generation at Ethiopian colleges and universities. Most students at these institutions are ignorant of what self-determination means. This generation is a victim of uneducated educators teaching in the so-called institutions of higher learning. At Ethiopian colleges and universities, the medium of instruction is English. Most students don’t read books written in English, as they have no proper training to read and write English, and so are their instructors. Even Abiy Ahmed
is a product of uneducated educators.
Recently Achamyeleh Tamiru (2020) did a fact check on the educational status of prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. His finding reveals that Abiy did not finish high school and his graduation with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Micro Link Information Technology in 2001 is questionable. It is questionable, because the Micro Link Information Technology walked its first-degree program graduates in
2005 but not in 2001.
It is paradoxical that Abiy really earned an undergraduate degree. Abiy earned two master’s degrees between 2011 and 2013, and a PhD in 2017 from Institute of Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University. First, a prerequisite for enrolling to a graduate school is to have a bachelor’s degree, and logically, Abiy does not have it. Another commentator about Abiy’s PhD degree is Alex Dewaal, who helped craft course work requirements for PhD program at the Institute of Peace and Security Studies of Addis Ababa University.
Dewaal (2022) said that the thesis Abiy Ahmed presented for his doctoral degree may be sufficient for an undergraduate paper. Dewaal’s assertion of Abiy’s academic preparation is indicative of how doctoral degrees are awarded to powerful government officials from institutes of higher learning within Ethiopia.
Another conspiracy recently revealed is the so-called interview Abiy had held with the Atlantic Magazine in 2016, regarding local and international affairs which was posted on You Tube. The interview was fake, but the answers he uttered for questions he was asked were plagiarized from previous Henry Kissinger’s interview
(Wolde Giorgis, 2021). Abiy received his military credentials of a captain and then a Lt. Colonel without having to go through formal military training (education) or mandatory service years required for promotion (Tamiru, 2020).
A question arises how Abiy could earn a captain military credential straight from
a private soldier (promotion from private soldier to captain). Comparatively, in the US, military promotion starts from army officer. After 18 months of commission, an army officer earns first lieutenant status, and then after 48 months of service, promotes to captain.
Abiy pretends to be all knowledgeable, and that is why he goes to parliament and at public events to give a teaching lesson on an agenda of his choice. He is rewarded with clapping and forced laughter from the majority ignorant parliamentarians, as well as from his confidential and ignorant party members. He is unconcerned about other public issues such as the current Amhara genocide committed under his watch.
According to Wolde Giorgis (2021), prime minister Abiy sent condolences to victims of house explosion in Beirut, while at the same time, he did not express any sympathy for Amharas slaughtered by ethnic Gumuz members in Benshangul Gumz region. The prime minister did nothing when Amhara genocide was
committed in Tole village, Wellega on June 18, 2022. After the massacre of Amharas, the administrator of Tole village, Mr. Negatu Ummeta confessed that he was told by Gimbi district administrator Mr. Bulcha to massacre Amhars in collaboration with the Oromo liberation Army (OLA) for eight continuous hours starting from 8:00 am on Saturday, June 18, 2022.
Now, massacring Amharas has become a normal occurrence, and by default, the primary architect for Amhara genocide is Abiy Ahmed. Enablers for Abiy Ahmed to become a dictator, and to subjugate Amharas to live in misery are the Hodam Amharas (selfish, greedy, and opportunist Amhars) who are paid handsomely, and appointed for ministerial level positions in his so-called Ethiopian government. In addition, Abiy compensates them with material benefits for loyalty and for doing every ugly assignment he orders them to do, even to the extent of insulting; jailing, displacing, and killing fellow Amharas.
So, what should Amharas do to Live as Amharas?
Amhars should not expect protection and assistance from Abiy’s government, such as from arbitrary killings, revitalization of war destroyed economic infrastructures; freedom of movement and the right to live and work in other regions of Ethiopia. Abiy hates Amhara and he would do anything in his power to make Amharas suffer from inferiority complex and genocide.
The first thing Amharas can do is to organize themselves under Amhara
associations. Luckily, Amhara organizations are being established in the diaspora, and their numbers could reach hundreds in the very near future. Second, Amharas should exhibit resilience for any attacks coming from local or federal government officials. Resist by any means available, whenever your safety and your right to move, live, work; and raise family is questionable.
Amhara associations should jointly establish a head quarter that comprises of representatives from each member association. The headquarter will give direction to member associations and will follow up their activities regarding assigned duties.
Third, establish all diaspora Amhara bank, that members could deposit to every month. The money in the bank could be used for facilitating and implementing major decisions.
Fourth, reach out and help Amhara organizations in Ethiopia financially,
strategically, politically; or for any incidence that prevails. Fifth, engage Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church to protest time and again,
against the massacres of members of the clergy and parishioners by government sponsored killers. Six, educate Amharas not to comply to any obligatory duty given by Amhara leaders elected by Abiy and serving his directives, such as recruiting Amharas for military service. Rather, encourage and facilitate possibilities for those who want
to join Fano.
Seven, oppose any warrant for your detention, and resist any attempts for your arrest. Do not expect justice from Amhara or federal kangaroo courts. If you are armed, get organized and resist. Eight, make any information about Amhara, such as detention, mass killings and
mass arrests public by any means possible. Nine, research the historical American policy on Ethiopia and regarding Amhara.
Ask if there is similarity between the policy of colonizers (such as dividing Ethiopians according to the languages they speak to fume hate and disunity) and American policy on Ethiopia. For example, in1969 Esayas Afeworki was recruited by the CIA chief Richard Copeland, to secede Eritrea from Ethiopia. And at the same time, the CIA approached the Gallas to instill Anti-Ethiopian propaganda
under the moto of self-determination up to session (Eshete,2011).
During Italy’s second invasion of Ethiopia, the USA collaborated with Fascist Italy, France, and Britain by stopping firearms shipment to Ethiopia to help Italy win the war (Spencer, 2006). Similarly, in 1977, when Somalia invaded Ethiopia, President Carter refused to release two F5 fighter jets to Ethiopia. The fighter jets were paid off by Emperor Haile Selassie’s government before he was ousted from power. On
the contrary, USA armed the Somalia government with all military equipment. Somalia needed to attack Ethiopia in 1977. Ask why the US sympathizes with TPLF and OLF and ignore the prevalent Amhara genocide. Understand also, your legacy and pride not to involve yourself in servitude of foreign interests at the cost of Ethiopians. This stance of yours is not liked by foreign neocolonialists and local
renegades. So, look for other means to make Ethiopia undivided and independent country as your forefathers Emperor Tewodros and Emperor Menelik did. But first you have to free yourself from the grips of your haters to save Ethiopia and your fellow Amharas.
References
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