For the last three days, I was deluged by the news of the prime minister of Ethiopia Abiy about misinforming his people with phantom history. The notorious war in 1977 between Somalia and Ethiopia is utterly and completely reprehensible and thinko. Because, each country lost limb and lives. But, the ludicrous think is, Abiy obtusely claimed that his country wins the war while he was delivering speech last Thursday where hundreds of Ethiopians in commemorating the 42nd anniversary of Karamara which left an egg on his face. That was surely false and self-defeating statement. Because, Somalia was leading the victory before several other countries intruded the war with the favor of Ethiopia. In terms of infantry, Somalia was the top dog. But, the problem was, when Somalia’s president at that time decides to dislodge the Russian ambassador from Mogadishu. That was political suicide committed by our government at that time. Because, Somalia’s troops captured the whole (Ogaden region), currently (Somali region). But, when Russia was fired from Somalia, plenty of countries started supporting Ethiopia including, Cuba and others. But, at the beginning, Somalia trounced Ethiopia.
Somalia’s troops occupied almost 90% of the Ogaden region, then Cuba under the leadership of Castro sends 15, 000 soldiers to fortify Ethiopian troops. So, Abiy sermonizes and root outs the written-history which triggered a public backlash among the Somalis across the region. The last two years, there was several meetings among the horn of Africa top leaders to hammer out the bad blood among them. But, this new instigation emanates from Somalia’s adjacent dilutes and dwindles the incremental peace negotiation among the neighboring countries. The horn of Africa is knackered, tarmacked and fed up further war and conflicts, but Abiy’s reckless utterance ignites a fresh hostility.
Abiy, the prime minister of Ethiopia who wins Nobel Peace Prize a few months ago, tends mostly capricious and perfunctory. And his latest one, was clear abnegation of the Somalis’ history. And this naked aggression created public furore from the Somalis across the earth. Mustafa Omar, aka Cagjar, the president of the Somali region, who used to be sycophant to Abiy unexpectedly pushed back Abiy’s denial of the Somali’s history. Abiy’s melancholic sentiment is inane and was adding an insult to an already festering wound. And besmirches the blossoming relationship among the two states. And this will be new rancorous enmity among the Somali ethnic. The martyr Somali people are respected and mentioned in the history. They sacrificed their blood for posterity’s sake.
Abiy, as an Oromo ethnic, but has the mentality of Amhara’s supremacism ideology tends hypocrisy. He hoodwinks the public with his Obama’s smiling. But, he is really silent-killer.
Moreover, politicians are mostly ignorant about the history, so that is why Abiy is trying to re-write the history. But, he is clueless about how Somalis are resilient, and can’t accept any form of humiliation and belittling. Abiy wants to downgrade and the Somalis status in the region, but he will remorse and regret ultimately his temerity and hell-bent.
Farmajo’s deafening silence: Milquetoast or stone-cold?
I am quite perplexed and skeptical why president Farmajo yet didn’t response such humiliation from Abiy? The president of Somalia used to be nationalist figure who believes populist ideology. But, his long-silence makes me skeptical and gloomer. There is no way to remain silent like this landmark time which all the Somali people are waiting strong statement which disproves
Abiy’s fiddling for the written-history. Because, his speech is ominous, and as a quid pro quo, we need strong countervailing punch from the highest leadership of the country.
Abiy’s speech was thoroughly flagrant, and drastically needs counter-reaction.
Anwar Abdifatah Bashir (Freelance Journalist/Horn of Africa Geopolitics Analyst and Independent Researcher)
Email: anwarcade100@gmail.com
