by Dubale
Ethiopians from various parts of the country have been fighting to do away
the woyane oligarchy who is implementing the hegemony of the Tigre ethnic
group. The people of Ethiopia have been fighting for the most basic democratic
rights such as having freedom of speech and writing, increasing the limited
opportunities in the economy, fighting against social discrimination, having
equal access to the legal system, and preventing denial of justice in court
rooms.
Neither woyane nor its supporters seem to understand the consequence of ethnic politics. The propaganda woyane is spreading among its supporters wrongly paints Tigre’s hegemony is everlasting by subjugating other ethnic groups through economic and political means. That view is very shortsighted at best and destructive at worst. As one of the minority ethnic groups, Tigres should otherwise be very concerned about ethnic politics in Ethiopia. Whatever economic, social, and political benefit Tigres are enjoying at present is transient and will last only if the balance of power remains heavily tilted to woyane’s side for long.
Two stratagems, in tandem, have been working in favor of woyane. The first one is divide and rule and the second is a growing trend of self-subjugation. Many writers in various forums have addressed the former stratagem but the latter stratagem has not been addressed adequately. For careful observer, self-subjugation in the current Ethiopian politics becomes quiet evident as a sad consequence of the unprecedented oppression the people of Ethiopia and the opposition parties are forced to endure. The opposition parties themselves have unconsciously played an active role of self-subjugation and undermined their own role as a prime fighter against the dictatorial rule of EPRDF and ethnic hegemony.
The current Ethiopia is formed not with ethnic equality but with notions of inequality and discrimination favoring the hegemony of Tigre. The term “ethnic equality” in woyane’s government has turned to the operative term of folly of subconscious disdain fulfilled by a discriminatory action on the work place, interaction among ethnic groups, in courthouses, and higher education institutions. Self-subjugation stems from learned response to these discriminatory actions of government institutions. The subdivisions of Ethiopia to different ethnic kilils have reinforced prejudices and discrimination and produced self-subjugated generation and culture.
After woyane lost the election in 2005, it has recruited over five million people to join EPRDF. All these new recruits are willingly or otherwise joining EPRDF primarily to get access to economic opportunity and get promotion in work place. There is unwritten rule that any of rank and files Tigre have an upper hand over all of other ethnic groups in all of the political apparatus within the organization of EPRDF. The individuals have to demonstrate their loyalty to any Tigre in the structure by subjugating themselves to the perceived higher social rank of Tigres.
Neither woyane nor its supporters seem to understand the consequence of ethnic politics. The propaganda woyane is spreading among its supporters wrongly paints Tigre’s hegemony is everlasting by subjugating other ethnic groups through economic and political means. That view is very shortsighted at best and destructive at worst. As one of the minority ethnic groups, Tigres should otherwise be very concerned about ethnic politics in Ethiopia. Whatever economic, social, and political benefit Tigres are enjoying at present is transient and will last only if the balance of power remains heavily tilted to woyane’s side for long.
Two stratagems, in tandem, have been working in favor of woyane. The first one is divide and rule and the second is a growing trend of self-subjugation. Many writers in various forums have addressed the former stratagem but the latter stratagem has not been addressed adequately. For careful observer, self-subjugation in the current Ethiopian politics becomes quiet evident as a sad consequence of the unprecedented oppression the people of Ethiopia and the opposition parties are forced to endure. The opposition parties themselves have unconsciously played an active role of self-subjugation and undermined their own role as a prime fighter against the dictatorial rule of EPRDF and ethnic hegemony.
The current Ethiopia is formed not with ethnic equality but with notions of inequality and discrimination favoring the hegemony of Tigre. The term “ethnic equality” in woyane’s government has turned to the operative term of folly of subconscious disdain fulfilled by a discriminatory action on the work place, interaction among ethnic groups, in courthouses, and higher education institutions. Self-subjugation stems from learned response to these discriminatory actions of government institutions. The subdivisions of Ethiopia to different ethnic kilils have reinforced prejudices and discrimination and produced self-subjugated generation and culture.
After woyane lost the election in 2005, it has recruited over five million people to join EPRDF. All these new recruits are willingly or otherwise joining EPRDF primarily to get access to economic opportunity and get promotion in work place. There is unwritten rule that any of rank and files Tigre have an upper hand over all of other ethnic groups in all of the political apparatus within the organization of EPRDF. The individuals have to demonstrate their loyalty to any Tigre in the structure by subjugating themselves to the perceived higher social rank of Tigres.
