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Yohannes, Ayele
September 5, 2020
Sidaama, a former province on a par with thirteen others, was unjustifiably reduced to one zone. The nation of Sidaama is not only demographically taller than others in southern Ethiopia, but it is also endowed with natural resources and owns a higher level politics. He is well known in history for the bravery of his warriors. The most fascinating aspect of the Sidaama culture is its kindness and accommodating demeanor. It is easy to find tranquility among the people of Sidaama, young and old, if you want to reciprocate without reservation. When you approach a Sidaama native, you hear a phrase that you would love to know the meaning of. You will no doubt be honored by the meaning of the phrase: “Dawoe Bushshu”. The literal meaning is simply “Welcome”, but internally it means “let me die before you.”
There is an almost endless list of things to say about Sidama; But the subject of this opinion piece on Sidaama is about how the new National Regional State (SNRS) handled its new administrative status in front of its beautiful Capital. Hawassa is a cosmopolitan city. This attribute of the city has given it the edge over other regional cities to attract a large flow of investment and the immigration of top talent from all over Ethiopia. In addition to the comfortably accommodating host society, the fact that Amharic continued to become the city’s means of communication made it easier for entrepreneurs who flocked to live and work in Hawassa without the obligation to learn the Sidaama language for everyday use.
The reason for the decision to choose Amharic as the official language in the city follows the adoption of Amharic as a working language by the SNNPR, a region that speaks 56 languages in contrast to the single-language regions of Somali, Afar, etc. Sidaama’s Tortuous March Towards Statehood There was widespread anxiety about the fate of non-Sidaama in a new SNRS. The Sidaama Regional State is expected to convert the Sidaama language into the official language of the state. Given that the state includes its capital, Hawassa, whose majority of the population is Amharic-speaking and not Sidaama, the regional state is in a dilemma: enjoy its right to use the Sidaama language as the official working language and respect the right of non-AIDS lovers to continue using Amharic for official purposes. The magic for Hawassa’s expansion and wealth in such a short time is nothing more than immigration from everywhere. If the Sidaama region had been too rigid to exercise its right to the language, the consequences could harm not only non-residents of Sidaama, but also the Sidaama region itself. Investment would decrease and unemployment would increase as a result. Non-residents of Sidaama could leave the city degrading its economic power and attractiveness.
Sidaama officials became realistic and aware of the merits and demerits of installing the Sidaama language as an official working language in Hawassa and made a smart and courageous decision to maintain the language status quo in Hawassa, the capital of Sidaama. The wisdom of Sidaama could be adopted in similar cities in Oromia to avoid the tragic violence that is easily unleashed against non-Oromos.
Related Reading: The rush to make Awassa a symbol of a single ethnic group and a dairy cow for a few ethnic fanatics must stop
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