Is Merara Thinking Addis Ababa is At the Mercy of Oromo Region?

Borkena
November 23, 2019

Merera Gudina has been involved in Ethiopian Politics for nearly fifty years now.

As a young man, he was a member of All Ethiopian Socialist Movement (Meison in Amharic) and was imprisoned for seven years.

In the post Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam era, Merara immersed himself in ethnic based politics and has emerged as a leader in that political tradition.

He is the chairman of Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC). Some known him as a wise politician with unwavering stand for the cause of Ethiopia even while leading an ethnic based political movement.

For others, Merera has become a perplexing political figure to say the least. From the interviews he had at different times, it has become clear that he is more into ethnic politics.

In an interview with Nahoo TV, he is clearer as to where he stands in Ethiopian politics. The way forward, for him, is to democratize existing ethnic federalism.

He even went to the extent of saying that Addis Ababa should not he in a collision course with Oromo region. In essence, what he said is that Addis Ababa is at the mercy of Oromo region.