Paper for Issue

POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC SPECTACLE OF DESSIE, 1917–1991

Abstract

Based on available written and local oral sources, this article revisits the political and socio-economic scene of the city of Dessie, South Wollo, Ethiopia, after the Battle of Segelle. The main objective of this historical study is thus to re-examine and explain how the unlimited intervention of the central government in the immediate after years and in the ensuing decades following the defeat in 1917 of Negus Mikael at Segelle deprived Dessie of what it should have managed to obtain and to develop itself as one of the potentially thriving urban centers in Ethiopia. The ill-fated Segelle debacle, which was a turning point in the history of Wollo’s short-lived political ascendancy, had had far-reaching economic and political consequences throughout the Imperial period. The study focuses particularly on how the political leadership at the national and provincial levels thwarted, if not totally blocked, the development of the town. With the exception of the Italian interlude and the unrelenting effort of the business community, the development of Dessie with its geo-political and economic advantages was not meaningfully enhanced even after the replacement in 1974 of the Imperial regime by the military junta or the Derg that ruled the country up to the start of the last decade of the twentieth century.

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX TEWAHIDO CHURCH AND ITS LINK WITH STATE: A HISTORICAL REVIEW

Abstract

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (hereafter, EOTC) is an ancient Church that has passed through several progresses. This review article describes brief historical accounts of the origin and development of the Church in connection to Ethiopian states. When organizing the paper, published and unpublished sources from religious and historical fields were critically reviewed. Sources from Amharic versions were carefully translated to English; and yet Amharic versions were directly used where it is difficult to find equivalent English version. Despite all the efforts made to use the sources cautiously, the reviewer honestly alleges that the data in this review article is by no means exclusively indisputable. There are significant inconsistencies among writers. The sources of the variation could attribute to the authenticity level of the sources and long-established stories the writers used, as well as to the personal and religious prejudice and subjectivity of the writers. To minimize the inconsistencies of facts and figure (dates), maximum efforts were made to follow the most reliable sources and the most accepted traditions. The reviewed sources indicate that the Ethiopian state system and Christianity had been functioning in strong harmony since their inception to the half of the 20th century. As far as the history of introduction of Christianity to Ethiopia is concerned, several hypotheses are put forward, both before and after the Christ Era. The coming of Jews with Menelik I in the 10th century B. C. and the arrival of the two Syrian boys in the 4th century are the most overwhelming traditions. It was also reviewed that the Christological dispute that emerged among Christian theologians in the 3rd and 4th century was finalized dividing the theologians into Orthodox and Roman Catholic horizons. Further, it was described that EOTC had been under the Patriarchate leadership of Alexandria, Egypt for 16 centuries until the diplomatic effort of Atse Haile Silassie made it possible to have local Patriarch in the mid-20th century.

POST-1991 INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS IN SOUTHEASTERN WOLLO: THE OROMO AND THE AFAR

Abstract

The article deals with inter-ethnic tensions between the Afar and the Oromo in southeastern Wollo following the introduction of the new federal form of government in Ethiopia. The region Southeastern Wollo has been historically inhabited by the Afar, Oromo, Argobba and Amhara ethnic groups. These ethnic groups had been interacting for the last several centuries. Before 1991, there were changes in the territorial restructuring of this region for administrative convenience and for easing tensions that erupted from time to time. The communities inhabiting this region had lived peacefully except with some intermittent conflicts due to their competition for grazing and agricultural lands. The situation had been largely changed with the introduction of the new ethno-linguistic regional administrative structure in 1991. Data for this study was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Besides consulting written materials, valuable data from field work and archival sources of the various administrative offices of the Oromia special zone in Amhara region have been closely examined. In addition, knowledgeable oral informants were also interviewed to collect information pertinent to the issue under consideration.

BÊTE AMHARA: THE PRE-OROMO RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL LANDSCAPE OF WOLLO

Abstract

Wollo, formerly called ‘Bête Amhara’, refers to a region of Amharic-speaking Christians in Ethiopia. It was one of the oldest provinces in Ethiopia; located in the north-eastern part where the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Sudan, and Central and Southern Ethiopia meet. Its geostrategic location has made it a focal point of historical dynamics in Ethiopia. Several writers of the medieval period referred to Bête Amhara as the “center and the heartland of the Abyssinian Empire.” It served as the political and cultural center of the Ethiopian Empire during the medieval period. As the political center shifted to the Lake Tana area following the expansion of Islam and the Oromo towards the region, the centrality of Bête Amhara came to an end. In spite of its historical importance, the political and religious backdrop of Bête Amhara has been neglected by scholars. Putting the geographical and historical developments in context, the central argument of this article is aimed at verifying how the medieval province of Bête Amhara had served as a political and cultural center of medieval Ethiopia. The methods employed in this research were principally qualitative, extensive reading of relevant literature, and field observations made in the different districts of Wollo Province between 2016 and 2017.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN ETHIOPIA: A HEYDAY OF FRENCH

Abstract

This study examines the first four decades of the one-hundred-and-twenty years' sociolinguistic roles of the French language in Ethiopia. The study covers the period from 1897, when the first bilateral agreements between King Menilik and the then representative of France, Lagarde, were signed, to 1935. It is noted that in this period, which is the heyday of French in Ethiopia, missionaries from France and diplomatic relations between France and Ethiopia had played significant roles in popularizing French in Ethiopia's education system and print media. The French language and culture also played pivotal roles in moulding emerging urban and elite culture in Ethiopia. French's influence may also be observed in the positive attitude, which the Ethiopian urban people had towards the language.

THE PLACE OF GENDER EQUALITY, ACCOMMODATION OF DIVERSITY AND CIVILIZED SOCIETY (ENLIGHTENMENT) IN CLASSICAL ETHIOPIAN PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

Civilized Society/Enlightened community is a community where development and common affairs are participatory of all, entertaining better opportunities and choices for life. Such community gives proper place and recognition to the views and voices of children, women, the elderly and other historically excluded members of the community. Furthermore, such social fabric entertains diversities pertaining to religion, culture, history, and worldviews. Based on such assumptions, this study is a critical assessment on classical Ethiopian philosophy. The focus is given on participatory development related to gender equality, accommodation of diversity and enlightenment as portrayed in translated philosophical texts of the book of the wise philosophers (16th C) and original treatises of 17th C Ethiopian philosophers, Zara Yacob and Wolde Hiwot. As a philosophical reflection, the study uses qualitative research method. Accordingly, we can extract and take lessons for our contemporary aspirations of gender equality, accommodation of diversity and enlightenment from classical Ethiopian philosophy. Genuine development should entertain both material and spiritual aspects. As such, the development projects of certain society are expected to achieve healthy intergenerational communication, common aspirations for common good and desirable intercultural communication (where diversity is a challenge). Therefore, policy makers, practitioners, researchers and all concerned in Ethiopian desirable future need to consult indigenous knowledge systems besides foreign ideas, modern science and technology. This will save us from producing “educated community” who is detached from the self for the sake of embracing the identities of others.