Is the main conflict in Ethiopia identity or class based?

Tigrai Online, May 14, 2018

Identifying the main cause of conflicts in Ethiopia is one of the keys to resolving the continuous social, problems in the country

Correctly identifying the main cause of conflicts in Ethiopia is one of the keys to resolving the continuous social, economical and political problems in the country. The above video is a snippet of a larger video from the conference of Tigraian intellectuals in Mekelle last month.

The views expressed by Mahari Yohans an educator and Tigraian activist and Getachew Reda a politician and member of the TPLF executive committee are diametrically opposed. Mahari believes the main conflict in most Ethiopian society is mainly centered on identity. Mr. Getachew Reda on the other hand believes identity based conflict has been solved by the new constitution granting every ethnic group to use its own language and culture so there is no bases for that, instead the main problems stems from class interest.

In some instants both of them are right since identity and class based clashes has been seen many times in Ethiopia, but the question is what the dominant hostilities are emanating from. The long time feud between Tigrai and Amhara, between Oromo and Somali, between Qimant and Amhara, and Amhara and Oromo, how do we define the enmity between the above people?

Answering the above question correctly and crafting the right policy will have a paramount consequences wither we continue in the same path of strife or we live in peace and harmony.

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