By Haimanot B. Atinkut

1. The Derg’s Iron Fist: ‘If It’s in My Hand, It’s Mine’

The Derg was a regime of clenched fists and silenced mouths. After seizing power in 1974, it nationalized land and erased dissent. Amnesty International’s archives bear witness to a Red Terror that left tens of thousands dead. The people’s suffering was state policy, wrapped in revolutionary slogans.

2. The Tigrayan Grasp: ‘If I Like It, It’s Mine’

For nearly three decades, the TPLF controlled Ethiopia through the EPRDF like a child hugging a favorite toy. It didn’t matter that Tigrayans made up just 6% of the population—what mattered was control. International Crisis Group and Human Rights Watch show how the TPLF monopolized the military, economy, and intelligence structures.
What’s more, TPLF rule weaponized the past. Through education, propaganda, and political narrative, it cast the Amhara as historic oppressors to justify its own authoritarianism. The irony: while claiming to liberate Ethiopia from Amhara imperialism, it became a new imperial force, shaping the nation in its own image.

3. Abiy’s Takeover: ‘If I Can Take It from You, It’s Mine’

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inherited a crumbling system and rebranded it. The EPRDF was gone; the Prosperity Party was born. But the DNA didn’t change. Reports from The Africa Report and Al Jazeera confirm that his consolidation of power alienated former partners and fueled the Tigray conflict.

Under the banner of unity, Prosperity Party’s Oromo wing embraced aggressive land politics. Entire communities, especially Amhara and Gurage, were labeled ‘settlers’ and displaced. Witness reports and local documentation expose elderly citizens beaten, homes torched, and neighborhoods razed. For Oromo elites—regardless of ideological divides—land politics is sacred. No dissent. No compromise.

4. Echoes of the Empire: ‘If I Had It Before, It’s Still Mine’

Amhara communities are caught between past power and present persecution. Used as a historical scapegoat by the TPLF and now targeted by Oromo ultra-nationalists, they face ethnic profiling, forced evictions, and killings. In areas like Oromia, Amhara civilians are labeled as intruders in towns they’ve inhabited for generations. Entire villages have been emptied in silence.

5. Ethnic Walls, Not Bridges: ‘If It’s Mine, It Can’t Be Yours’

Ethnic federalism under the EPRDF began as a vision of autonomy and ended as apartheid by another name. Each region built its own walls, guarding history, language, and land. EHRC and UNHCR reports confirm that mobility and mixed-ethnic living are now dangerous acts. Oromo, Tigray, Somali, and Sidama regions all claim exclusive ownership of space.

6. Development by Displacement: ‘If I’m Building It, It’s All Mine’

From Addis to Arsi, ‘development’ has often meant eviction. Prosperity Party-linked developers, backed by regional governments, have displaced thousands—without compensation or warning. Human Rights Watch (2012) documented such acts in the past; new victims keep appearing, especially in Sheger City and surrounding Oromia zones.

7. The Identity War: ‘If It Looks Like Mine, It’s Mine’

Cultural heritage and history are not shared—they are claimed. Who owns Addis Ababa? Who speaks for Meskel Square? In today’s Ethiopia, identity is battleground, not bridge. Attempts to rewrite or regionalize national symbols continue to fuel resentment.

8. Blood-Stained Boundaries: ‘If I Saw It First, It’s Mine’

In Welkait, Raya, Metekel, and Oromia’s frontiers, land claims aren’t legal—they’re lethal. The IRC and UNOCHA (2023) report over 4 million displaced due to ethnic cleansing tied to these land wars. The victims are mostly Amhara and smaller minority groups who have no protection, no militia, and no media voice.

9. Seizing the Moment: ‘If You Put It Down, It’s Mine Now’

Whenever federal authority weakens, militias and local politicians move in. When Tigrayans retreated, Amharas advanced. When Amharas stumbled, Oromos surged. BBC Africa (2021) aptly calls this the crisis carousel—each power vacuum is someone’s opportunity.

10. Eternal Blame: ‘If It’s Broken, It’s Yours’

No one accepts fault. Derg blamed feudalism. EPRDF blamed the Amhara. Prosperity Party blames TPLF and ‘settlers’. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens—especially from Amhara and other minority groups—bear the punishments: evictions, killings, marginalization, and cultural erasure.

Development or Dispossession? The Dark Side of Ethiopia’s Mega Projects

In Ethiopia today, development is marketed with sparkling lights and slogans like ‘Gebeta LeHager’ and ‘Corridor Expansion’. But underneath the gloss lies a brutal reality: projects like Chaka City and countless industrial corridors are engines of displacement.

Human Rights Watch and local watchdogs have documented the silent eviction of thousands under these schemes. Entire communities are uprooted, often without compensation or warning. The goal isn’t inclusive growth—it’s land capture. Prosperity Party leaders, especially in Oromia, treat development zones as tools to consolidate territory and purge ‘settlers’.

The social fallout is catastrophic

• IDP Crisis: Millions displaced from Sheger City, Addis fringes, and Amhara border zones.
• Housing Collapse: Countless families made homeless in the name of urban renewal.
• Surging Street Populations**: Urban centers flooded with displaced people, many turned beggars overnight.
• Budget Chaos: Massive public funds redirected to infrastructure while basic services collapse.
• Education in Ruins: Over 10 million children are out of school—most of them in Amhara region. UNESCO and Ethiopia’s Education Ministry confirm that schools have been looted, bombed, or shut indefinitely in conflict zones.
• Youth Abandonment: Undergraduates and graduates face a dystopian education system: brutal entrance and exit exams, no merit-based job placement, and systemic exclusion of Amhara youth from employment pipelines.
• Under the guise of building the future, Ethiopia is bulldozing its people—especially those not aligned with ruling regional elites.

Conclusion: ‘Mine’ Never Made a Nation

Fifty years. Three regimes. One tragic loop.
Ethiopia’s leaders—from Mengistu to Meles to Abiy—played the same game with different toys. Power is taken, not shared. Identity is weaponized, not woven. The toddler’s rules still echo in parliament halls, on battlefield borders, and in refugee camps.
Unless this cycle is broken, Ethiopia will continue fragmenting—nationhood sold for factional gain.

Solutions: Get Out of Your Delusion and Let the People Decide

1. A shared nation, not an ethnic estate — Abandon the logic of ownership. The land belongs to all citizens, not historical claimants.
2. Civic identity over tribal allegiance — Enshrine citizenship-based rights in law. Let individuals—not ethnic groups—be protected and empowered.
3. Truth and repair — Commission a real, long-term Truth & Reconciliation process. Without truth, there’s no trust. Without repair, no recovery.
4. Federalism for service, not separation — Reform the federal model to prevent ethnic fiefdoms while preserving local governance.
5. Clean elections and courts — Ethnic power-sharing must give way to genuine democratic competition. Let voters choose freely.
6. No more victim politics — Political elites must stop feeding identity grievances to stay in power. Pain is not a platform.
7. Equal development — Allocate national resources transparently. Stop rewarding regions based on loyalty.
8. Rewrite the story — Reform school curricula and national media to promote shared values, not tribal myths.

Sources & References

International Crisis Group – Reports on Ethiopian conflict and political power shifts (2019–2024).

Human Rights Watch – Documentation of abuses during TPLF, Derg, and Prosperity Party regimes.

Amnesty International – Investigations into Red Terror, Mai Kadra massacre, and ethnic killings (1988–2023).

BBC Africa – Analysis and coverage of federalism, land disputes, and ethnic tensions in Ethiopia.

UNOCHA – Humanitarian data on IDPs, conflict zones, and access to basic services (2020–2024).

Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) – Reports on ethnic violence, displacement, and law enforcement abuses.

UNESCO – Data on education access and the impact of armed conflict on schooling (2023).

The Africa Report – Coverage on Prosperity Party politics, Abiy Ahmed reforms, and civil-military relations.

Al Jazeera – Conflict updates, development narratives, and political shifts in Ethiopia (2018–2024).

Ethiopia Insight – Expert essays on regional politics, land rights, and inter-ethnic dynamics.

International Rescue Committee (IRC) – Situation briefs on displacement, regional instability, and humanitarian needs.

Ministry of Education, Ethiopia – National statistics on school closures and education sector funding (2022–2024).