The Paradigm of Self-Preservation: Ethiopia Coming up for Air.

By Dr. Tecola W. Hagos

[Speech delivered at the conference on the Ethiopia/Eritrea Boundary Commission and on the Sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ethiopia, organized by the Ethiopian Solidarity in Seattle on 16 February 2002.]

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  My fellow Ethiopians, I am very happy to be here in Seattle with you at this trying time in our history. I specially want to thank members of the Ethiopian Solidarity in Seattle who organized this historic conference.  This is both a time of great tragedy, risk, and a time of solidarity. It is also a defining moment for all of us. We are standing shoulder to shoulder at the very juncture where our past is facing up to our destiny. Fear not, my sisters and brothers; remember this is the same route our ancestors traversed again and again fighting and winning against Egyptians, Turks, Italians, British soldiers and mercenaries of every description. We are not strangers to dangerous neighbors and biting dogs. Our present enemies have set vicious traps camouflaged in legalese and political niceties. You may feel overwhelmed with the enormity of the obstacle we must overcome. We have no choice in that�we must win, we have to; after all, we are Ethiopians. Today I feel very grateful for the chance you have given me to address you. I am particularly honored to share this forum with Professor Haile Mariam Larebo, a distinguished scholar who has been enlightening us about our history and the monumental injustice that the world is designing on us.

History is the backbone of politics. Do not listen to individuals who try to undermine the role of history in human social development, usually such individuals do not have a history of their own and suffer from enormous inferiority complex. We do not have such complex. We know who we are. And we need not prove anything for any body about our history, what is important is that we know our history.

I. Ethiopia and its place in History

 A Sumer legend narrates: � �What became of the People of Sumer?� the traveler asked the old man, �For ancient records show that the people of Sumer were Black, What happened to them?� �Ah,� the old man sighed, �they lost their history, so they died.� � This quotation, though too dramatic, tells us about the importance of history. Especially in a legal regime (international law) that draws its norms and principles to a significant extent from the conduct of states, the significance of history is quite obvious. Thus, I emphasize the proper use of history in our discussion of international law and practices in connection with Ethiopia and Eritrea. Especially, I want to impress on all people that Ethiopian history is not something to sneer at. It is up there among the ranks of a handful of the greatest civilizations in all of human history.

I see often people from Africa, the Americas, and Asia building great edifices of history out of their colonial past. Whereas, Ethiopian history is the genuine item, a great heritage to all the people of the region. This fabulous history, probably one of the greatest civilizations of the world, is discounted or marginalized by the present erratic leaders of both Ethiopia and Eritrea as if Ethiopian history is some form of myth or fiction created by some western historians or reporters in the last few decades. In truth, there are only a couple of nations in the world with a history of such great antiquity and great human beginning as Ethiopia. All one has to do is reach for the great classics like Ethiopis, Gibbon, Heisod, Herodotus, Homer, Strabo, et cetera and read and marvel how the ancients valued and respected Ethiopians. There are contentions that the reference to Ethiopia or Ethiopians by ancient sources is a general reference to all dark skinned people. That is not true, the ancient authors knew exactly whom they were writing about even if they had some difficulties describing the specific geographic areas.

The preeminence of Ethiopians was so great in the ancient world that a whole Continent was identified sometimes as Ethiopia, in the manner, for example, �America� could mean either the Continent of North America or the United States. The great ancient geographer, Strabo makes a distinction between Ethiopians, Nubians, and other black folks.  Ancient map-makers would designate, usually in larger alphabets, an entire region or ocean as �Aethiopia� and would further inscribe localities with local names of geographic areas or names of tribes, such as �Habash�, �Axume�, �Beja�, �Amara�, �Galla�, �Nubia� et cetera. If there is confusion and mislabeling it is a matter of lack of precise knowledge and skill at making maps rather than out-and-out falsehood. Thus, one must not assume an absolute conclusion based on such designations of ancient mapmakers. Both descriptions by travelers and historians of a certain people, place, government structure et cetera, and the effort of ancient mapmakers should be considered as approximations and need be subjected to comparative constructions with absolutely known factors as guides. 

 Most historians involved in writing Ethiopian history tend to start Ethiopian history with the establishment of the Axumite Empire, but that amounted to setting arbitrary limit. There was a history of the Ethiopian people long before the Axumite period, maybe even predating all pre-historic centers considered to be at the dawn of civilizations) around the world. The area that now comprises Ethiopia and Eritrea was part of the Axumite Empire from about 100 BC, the core nation around which the modern day Ethiopia was built. There are claims that a parallel city-state centered at Yeha flourished during the time Axum was in domination, in trying to prove two distinct national origins for Ethiopia and Eritrea respectively. However, that form of conclusion is not warranted since Yeha and other settlements in the area pre-dated Axum. Eritrea is only a Twentieth Century construction born out of land ceded by treaty from the great Empire of Ethiopia to Italy in 1889.

There are numerous historical documents and references in regard to the extent of the power and dominion of the Axumite Empire. Even more important is the demographic and linguistic map of the region. In terms of language, there is no difference except some slight dialect (variation) between the Tigre and Tygregna speakers. The religion, dress, food, music, in short the culture of the people in Tygrai (in the present day Ethiopia), Hamassen, Akale-Guzai, and Serie (in present-day Eritrea) are almost identical. No other culture or language in the area is as closely related as the language and culture of these groups of people that one can rightly designate all as a variation of a single culture. And further south the Amhara population of Gondar and Semien, Gojjam, Shoa, and Wollo share most of the culture and religion of the Northern people. Moreover, almost all spoken languages in Ethiopia belong to the main Afro-Asiatic language group.

For example, a far more interesting claim about the demography of the Axumite Empire and that of �Eritrea� is offered by a recent work by Abba Isaak Ghebreyesus. What Abba Isaak is claiming is that Eritrea is peopled by one of the three �Cam� Kushit tribes, and the Arab migration into the area is insignificant. The other two Kushit tribes are settled in Agew Meder (Ethiopia) and Somaliland. [Abba Isaak Gehebreyesus, Mereni�s People, Origins of Geshinashim� trans. Daniel Tesfay.] The problem with that thesis is how to account for the huge Semitic language population groups starting from Eritrea in the North and all the way to the Gurages in the South, in the heartland of the Second �Cam� Kushit group.The inscriptions left by Aezanas, who reigned from AD 325-360, recounting the exploits of one of  his expeditions under his two brothers against the rebellious Beja, "strikes a strong note of humanity and self‑righteousness as the King recounts in detail how these prisoners were treated." In fact, at one point, historians did designate this African civilization as one of the three major powers of the World along with the Romans, and the Persian empires. 

The name Eritrea was derived from the Greek word �Eyretria� meaning �red� a reference by the Greeks to the reddish tint of the Red Sea, and later designated by extension to the coastal territories of the Ethiopian Empire by historical writers and travelers. There never was a unitary territory called �Eritrea� or by any other name that remotely corresponded to the geographic area of Eritrea of our time. The Eritrea of our time is a purely colonial construct of the Italians (of 1890) from the time the Italian government succeeded in purchasing in a simple commercial transaction a piece of land from an Italian citizen who had purchased the property earlier from a local chief of the coastal Afar territories. This beachhead was the launching forum for all the problems that we suffered over a century.

The Axumite Empire was a sea-faring power with merchant fleets sailing from its ports of Adulis and Zeila up and down the Red Sea and the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean. The Axumite Empire itself is a later development in the area. Settled life started further down south about 200 miles in the Agew highlands six to seven thousand years ago, which predates the Pharonic civilization for thousands of years. Nevertheless, the people of the Pharonic civilization claimed that their origin was from that part of Ethiopia.

As part of the Axumite Empire, every sub-group (such as Eritrea) comprised of different people with their own distinct cultural and political identities. The people who are to be found in the present Eritrea were mainly the same people who inhabited the area during Axumite dominion, they were in the main the Kunamas, Ben Amirs, Bejas, Afars, and the Axumite highlanders. The Axumites were mixed people who settled the area from earlier migrations from the South seems to have extended across the Arabian Peninsula to ancient Sumer, and in a latter reverse migration from across the Arabian Peninsula and even from as far as India. As often pointed out by historians and travelers Ethiopia consists of a mosaic of colorful people each as beautiful and intriguing as the next.

Christianity that was introduced into Ethiopia (Eritrea) during Aezana reign was one extremely significant factor that was the glue that helped maintain a national identity for Ethiopians with fully developed social, political, and economic structure. In spite of the incessant battles and wars of expansion and often defense that almost every Ethiopian emperor or king conducted against the British, Ottoman Turks, Egyptians, Italians (of late), Ethiopia is the only nation in Africa, maybe even in the World, that maintained an uninterrupted existence as a free, independent, sovereign nation for all of recorded history well over at least five thousand years, except for a brief period of five years (1931-1935) where its government center was occupied by Italian forces. Even then during that brief occupation more than 80% percent of the land and the people were still under the control of Ethiopian resistance structures.

We also had our reverses and misfortunes. We have suffered not only natural disasters but also man- made destructions over and over throughout our existence. Under the influence of the Mehale Sefaries, Ethiopian politics entered a chaotic, unpredictable state leading to social breakup, and the rise of bureaucratic corruption and societal moral decay.  This monumental transfer of the power base, and as a result the very heroic and chivalrous traditional base of the society that was manifestly in its aristocratic refinement was gone. We inherited instead mediocrity, poverty, small-time tyranny et cetera, since the end of the 13th Century down to our own time.

I  recited here a very brief history of Ethiopia and its people for a purpose�to get you focused on our famous identity. Historians have wondered why and how Ethiopia with its isolationist governments, relatively underdeveloped economy, constant infighting between its princes and warlords et cetera stubbornly persisted to survive as a free nation century after century despite great adversities. For non-Ethiopians it might be extremely hard to understand the depth and complexity of organized  social life in Ethiopia. The secret for such longevity is deeply buried within the Orthodox Christian value system of the people of Ethiopia, which predated the Islamic influence and massive forced conversion during Gran Mohammed�s twelve years of destruction.     

II. The Paradigm of Self-Preservation

We have now a world with a single Super Power. The matrix of earlier relationships of all the nations of the world has completely changed with a single Super Power pulling most of the strings of power and influence. A word of caution is appropriate here. It is very easy to cast the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world as hierarchical and of utter domination. The reality on the ground is far more complex than that. It is a fact that the United States is exceedingly becoming a true miniature reflection of the world at large, a kind of a world within a world. The people living in the United States represent a rich diversity of ethnicity, culture, and socio-economic background. As a matter of necessity the officials of the United States government must be sensitive to events taking place in other parts of the world, often places of origins of such officials.

Thus, it is simply a matter of logic to conclude that the United States, as a unit, is far less partial or divisive than earlier powers of the world that tended to be homogenous in their demography. The population profile of the United States shows great diversity, with people hailing from every corner of the world. This leads me to conclude that when the United States makes a decision its decision as of necessity takes into account the needs of its entire people, which translate in existential terms as a decision far more inclusive than sectarian, and more universalistic than relativistic. This state of affairs is encouraging to us since we are also part of that rich tapestries of humanity represented in the demography of the United States. As a people we share more fundamental values with the people of the United States more than anybody else. We are a highly moral people, who had practiced religious tolerance long before the reformation movement, unheard of in the rest of the world until very recently. We are rugged individualists, but compassionate. Our sense of justice will not allow us to inflict pain or punishment on anyone by collectively blaming groups for the mistake of one or few. We are spiritual people with tremendous faith in God�s compassion and mercy. These and similar other shared values are our best features that may endeafsr us with all fair-minded people around us. 

By looking at our problems as sets of paradigms rather than as a single Hegelian developmental process, we may be able to make several objective choices. This may free us from being in a formalistic straitjacket, and at the same time we may be able to shake off the encumbrance of both dialectical reasoning and rationalism of the enlightenment period. Since a paradigm has nothing to do with increasing our absolute knowledge, we may be able to consider a wide range of possibilities without the added difficulties of achieving or seeking perfection in an inherently flawed human endeavor.