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In search of an identity and harmony, the
Somali people in Ethiopia should consider their collective identity,
existence and unity. The Somali Regional State has endured numerous
problems and suffered from political mayhems and disapproving
divisions. At one time, the region’s inhabitants identified
themselves with different names on the basis of the territories
under which they lived. Some territories were called ‘Hararghe’,
other territories were called ‘Ogaden’, whereas other
territories were called Haud and Reserve area. Despite their
different names and diversified geographical characters, though, the
territories symbolized one community: Somalis. Somali is the mother
tongue spoken by almost all the region’s residents.
The Somali people have lived in Ethiopia
since time immemorial and contributed to the prosperity of the
country. They have worked under harsh conditions in order to eke out
a living and contribute to the development of their country;
however, the region’s inhabitants have never been able to get
their rightful place in Ethiopia. They have been marginalized,
underserved and abandoned at some times. Indeed, to be a citizen of
a country implies that one should get every right and privilege that
any other citizen of that particular country is entitled to get;
therefore, the region’s residents are entitled to get all the
rights and privileges that other Ethiopians get, or else identifying
with Ethiopia becomes a mere claim and purposeless endeavor. Having
said this, nevertheless, the current Ethiopian system is one of the
best regimes under which the Somali people have ever lived.
The Somali people in this region have
historically maintained their collective identity by preserving the
name “Somali-Ethiopian”. In spite of the aforementioned
different territories, the region’s residents have preferred to be
called “Somali-Ethiopians”; they are ethnically Somalis and
geographically located in Ethiopia. But, when it comes to lineages,
the numerous clans that inhabit the region identify themselves with
different tribes, such as Darod, Dir, Hawiye and the like; these are
major tribes that reside in Somalia proper. Although the region’s
residents are extremely interwoven in terms of blood and
intermarriages, they have no other identity—not to mention their
respective clans—except that of being Somalis and citizens of
Ethiopia; thus the name “Somali” has bound the different clans
that inhabit the region together and enabled them to coexist
peacefully and live side by side.
When the deposed Ethiopian imperialist empire
attached the name ‘Ogadenya’ to some parts of the region, the
intention had not been to do any good thing to Somalis; the
intention had been to set fire to Somalis and hit them against each
other continually. One should not instill division and enmity into
the region’s residents by imposing divisive names on them. The
name ‘Ogadenya’ divides and disjoints the region’s
inhabitants; while this name excites the mindset of some Somalis,
this very name devastates the mindset of other Somalis. The name has
already driven people apart and damaged their relationships in a
terrible way; a shiver may take hold of someone when one
meticulously observes how the divisive name affects the
psychological well being of many Somalis and makes them stay away
from each other.
The conflict-ridden name has, to reiterate,
driven relatives apart and pit them against each other; for
instance, the name has already sowed bitter enmity among the Absame
people, people who belong to the Darod clan. Then, the question is:
if the name ‘Ogadenya’ creates enmity and severe friction
between two brothers and makes them harm each other frequently, will
it do any good to other distant relatives and common folks? I leave
the answer for the individual reader and analyzer. Of course, noting
is sadder than having relatives and brothers killing and betraying
each other routinely.
Imposing divisive names on the region’s
inhabitants is like shoving inedible food into one’s throat
forcefully; the above stated name is not palatable because it does
not serve the collective interest and identity of the inhabitants.
Moreover, the name brings about disarray, which devastates the
residents; it ignites civil wars and severe
conditions, which divide the residents; and it deprives the
region’s dwellers of their collective identity and harmonious
coexistence. In every sense of the word, this name is not compatible
with the residents’ common good and interest, and it cannot bind
them together, simply because it is not an all-encompassing one.
Simply put, naming the region after ‘Ogadenya’ is akin to naming
Ethiopia after Amhara, Tigray, Oromo or Somalis; or it is like
naming Somalia after Darod, Hawiye, Isaq, to name but a few clans.
Let unity and collective identity be the end
to which Somalis in the region strive. Unless all clan-based names
are put aside, the Somali people in the region will not work
together in the same direction; consequently, they will remain in a
state of weakness and misunderstanding. The name
“Somali-Ethiopian” works for all Somalis in the region despite
their differences and tribal affiliations. Conversely, other
clannish names such as Ogadenya, Jidwaqenya, Issenya
and the like do not work for the region’s residents and represent
them equally. Clannish names can only sensitize the region’s
inhabitants to continual conflicts and internal strife, and they
evoke futile discussions and fruitless debates. This argument might
sound a bit of bad idea for some individuals, but it is a standpoint
espoused by many people who hail from the region and from the Horn
as well. Divisive names benefit nobody but selfish individuals.
To avoid division and undesirable disputes,
the region’s people must hold fast to their collective identity
and interest. Honestly, t he interest and peaceful coexistence of
the residents are more weightier and important than maintaining a
name for the sake of its adoration. And human beings should not be
hooked up to clannish ideologies and interests to the extent that
the clannish ideologies make them oblivious to the common good.
Mohamed M. Bakayr, B.A., is a freelance
journalist and can be reached via e-mail:
E-mail: mohamedbakayr@hotmail.com
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