Being Kenyans, I guess we should pay attention to the current crisis facing our long-time ally and friend since we struggle with questions of national unity as well, on account of our tribalism.
Also, you would have thought that since Ethiopia was at a certain juncture ruled by a communist dictatorship, they would have effectively suppressed potential ethnic antagonisms and other ethno-national aspirations - like what Tito did in Yugoslavia, or Nyerere in Tanzania.
muafrika una shida nyingi sana sijui time ya kufikiria ya wengine unatoa wapi
The Last Emperor Haile Selassie was rejected by the Tigray people because they say he was not the bloodline of Solomon and Sheba and they refused to bend the knee.
The Tigray people have always been Ethiopia’s rulers. The city of Askum was one of the greatest cities in those ancient times. When the Amharic emperors took over the first thing they did was divided the people up north. And then move the center of power towards Addis Ababa.
When the Emperor tried to reconcile with the people he then ignored the people and infact allowed famine and disease to kill hundreds of people, he also ensured that education wasn’t available to the people and that even build irrigation canals was unknown and people were just tribal.
Flash forward to today the Tigray people now have access to modern things like phones and internet. And they’re again awakening the sleeping lion. The PM abiy has not only escalated the violence but we could see a civil war brewing.
If I was Abiy I’d address the issues of the people by reconnecting north and south Tigray, built hospitals, roads, and bring life back to the north. And this will bring peace.
Many Talkers are wise enough to know that a huge country like Ethiopia going to a full blown civil war will have huge negative consequences for the region; think of proliferation of guns along our shared border, and the influx of fleeing refugees. We may even be forced to choose sides when war breaks out thereby creating diplomatic crisis of epic proportions with ethnic warlords and the central government.
Most likely, Kenya will not be a diplomatically neutral party in this scenario. This is because Kenya will always support the Ethiopian central government like it did during the Somali Ogaden cause and the Oromo conflict. (I maybe wrong on this one, but I doubt Kenya will change its course)
That is why as a pan African, which I suspect you are not, I become very concerned when the diplomatic capital of Saharan Africa is confronted with such an internal crisis.
The Tigrayan are used to power by now. They have been in power in recent past and have had a chokehold in many if not all of the govt. high ranking jobs. fast forward, the guy in power is from oromo region. His policies seem not to align properly with the power that be from Tigray region.
That said, I hope they pull through this. It is one of the best countries in Africa.
I give up.
You are right on only one thing in that huge prose: I am not african
From 91 till the time Abiy took the mantle, Ethiopia had been under the Tigray leadership, why didn’t they address the issues you have raised in the 20+ years?
Since oromia is same ethnic group with borana. Why don’t they have a referendum and join Kenya. Kenya government should admit them on conditions of intermarriage with local. Sindio @uwesmake. If we intermarry with the we will erase hio gene ya vita.
Infact the only way to neutralise alshaitan ni intermarriage. Ukioa wargess ukizaa kijana anaitwa john. Hivyo ndivyo tutamaliza alkebab.
They did, you can see signs of that. Irrigation canals were built, schools and education was brought, some roads were built with extreme difficulties since huko in mountainous kabisa. Agriculture is thriving, they even have a railway passing huko…
Abiy has calmed down the Oromia front now he has to deal with the TPLF. The two sides need to be brought to the table and old injustice be hashed out.
Is Ethiopia really a friend of Kenya given the crazy things they have been doing to us is Somalia, including downing of Kenyan civilian aircraft? Karma is a beach!
This is Egypt
Watching from the sidelines.
Heheee you seem to want to dissociate yourself from everything African - there is nothing wrong with that. But what are doing on a Kenyan forum where most members are African?
Maggots for brains.
if you carefully look around Africa,it seems most conflicts revolve around power, resources and each community past history and traditions, believing they are superior than others.
alot has been said about power and resources but something interesting is community past history and traditions conflicting with state hood. The Tigrays are trying to reclaim a tradition, but that tradition will be in conflict with nationhood creating a country called Ethiopia…where does communal power end and state power start.
They also attacked us at the Moyale border. Sometimes I wonder if Kenyans really know what’s going on next door. 10, 20 years from now they’ll read shit in the New York Times and realise they knew nothing. But let me keep my mouth shut. I’d hate to ‘mislead’ talkers with my crazy angles.
Apart from a few incidents that occasionally make diplomatic relations between Kenya and Ethiopia grow occasionally cold, the two countries have no choice but to be strategic allies. They even have a defense pact since just like Kenya, they have had historical problems with the Somalis within their borders…
Swafi sana elder, eritrean ladies warihusiwe tujoin hii 3some,
Wanna see an empire about to crumble? It goes around making enemies everywhere, in Kenya, Egypt, Eritrea etc. Don’e forget Ethiopian PM is a Nobel prize winner.
Mnachukiaje madem wenu hivi hadi mnatakanga wa wengine Sana hivi