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Now we are in the house of one the important elders in lefeissa,
I already know him (Suldan Mussa Ali Madar), However we will let him tell us.
So first myself Fathi Abdi Muhumad, I am from England (UK).
Eeh... what i came for here was first to learn our zone, to know the elders, to learn our lands and as well to know our inspirations.
First uncle tell us your name, where you born, eeh sub_tribe and what position you hold among the elders.
Bismallah Rahmani rahmin
Alhamdullahi rabi alaamin.
My name is Mussa Ali Madar (Suldan Mussa Ali Madar)
I was born, harowo zone the place called badhadha Allah.
I am around 70 something years old (Mashallah came). My life first is an esteemed Elder.
I am one of the big Elders in this country (Ethiopia).
I am also a Farmer, in livestock and as well as a business person.
On top of being an elder, I am also a learned historian for this country.
I am an Ethiopian! I am an Ethiopian elder!
My Father (Ali) was a Sultan! My Great grandfather (Madar) was a Sultan as well! And I am Sultan!
All these Sultana were in Ethiopia Therefore I am pure Ethiopian!
My Ethiopian identity is proven by being the product of 3 generations of Sultana of Ethiopia.
That is one point about myself and who I am.
The other point, I was one of the elders who went to Addis Ababa.
Yeah Sultan Mussa Ali Madar, We know that and we will come back to it.
How many children do you have?
A lot!!!
I have been told that a lot of lefeissa residents are Ali Madar children.
My Father family including males and female are over 200 Ethiopian people.
It is just those that alive now.
And your greatfather (Madar) ???
We cannot count them (too many!!)...
The Gadabursi territories are two. One in the Ethiopia federal and the other in Somalia.
The Ethiopian part, tell us its extension?
People like myself eeh what i know are Lefeissa, dherwanage, Arabi, gogti, bolol, dembel, heregel. I know all those.
What could you add for us?
I could add Jare, shebele, gobyare, sheddher, awbare, Wajale.
Harawo are all those areas and have all those towns and cities.
The Ethiopian Gadabursi, tell us their feeling and cooperation?
The Gadabursi people lives in all those area.
All the gadabursi subtribes can be found in Ethiopia although some are numerous in numbers
On the side of Ethiopian. Those that are numerous inside Ethiopia are:
Jibril yonis Makahil dheere Aden yonis
Those are some of the gadabursi majority in Ethiopia
Bahabar Abdalleh ain them majority inside Ethiopia?
Yeah Bahabar Abdallah lives in Ethiopia They live in Arabi. Dembel is Eli people and makahil dhere
All the Gadabursi tribes can be found in Harawo (Ethiopia).
Eeh.... If we come back to the reason I came to visit you in your house eeeh...
Suldan Mussa Ali Madar it was... The Main reason was
Your are one of the elders who went to Addis. The elders who awaken the Gadabursi diaspora.
Who make them love their Ethiopia territory. You are one of them.
Could you tell us how the project started and as well when you all went to ADDIS Ababa.
It started with.
First there is a long outstanding request for a Gobol (region). A request for a Ethiopia region which is outstanding for a long time.
A request outstanding since King Haile Selassie.
We had region called Harawo all this time.
The haile selassie government accepted our request but the Derg coup happened before they gave to us.
But initially 5 mitikil which at time was a full woreda has been approved. The 5 mitikil were
lefeissa, gogti, shebele, wajale and awbare.
All these were from haile selassie government and we had a woreda Administration
There was also in Haile selassie era that:
Awberra used to govern where you call now Aware (Harshin did not exist then)
Aware used to be governed by Awbare?
Yes “aware” used to be governed by Awbare.
Qabribayah used to be governed by Awbare, no one can argue about it. None can argue or falsify Ethiopian History!!!!!!!
Is that Haile Selassie era??
Yes it was Haile Selassie era
Awbera used to govern as well back then up to Aisha’a.
Aisha’a used to be governed by Awberra.
All these areas apart jigjiga used to come under Awbera.
Now since Haile Selassie has gone from this country. And the Derg took over.
The Gadabursi people fought the DERG (mengistu) Mengistu Haile Mariam!
The Gadabursi fought him and his regime. It has created the guerrilla group called “HORYAL”
A war broke down between the gadabursi and the Derg. All that got left were either dead or emigrated.
Most of those left became refuges .
All that left in the land were a small section and the guerrilla group “HORYAL”
What happen then the land got trimmed by the DERG.
The government back then (Haile Mariam) started to oppress us. Once we started to kill the DERG and get killed he started to oppress us hard.
Our land got trimmed and started to give land to these people to those people Until we got boxed in an area.
While were all this time in this dire situation, then we got this Federal government .
While were all this time in this dire situation, then we got this Federal government .
This federal government gave us good thing and relieved us from the oppression.
Our dying people started to redress.
Gave us good recognition.
We are very happy with the current Ethiopian Federal.
Since we got emancipated by this current federal government. We became part of Kilil5.
Now we got emancipated we started to seek our due and rights. we sought from this government what we requested before.
We parted and left to Jigjiga. We have gone to the Kilil 5 president office.
We waited for a very long time, we could not meet him. So when we could not meet him then we went Addis Ababa!
We started to deposit complain from the prime minister office to down the police department.
We told the world (BBC and VAO) what we wanted! We did not hide what we wanted, we told the world!
We deposited our dossier every Federal offices. We clarified what wanted which is what we have requested before it is not something new!
It is what our forefather have requested from the Ethiopian government
After that the K5 president called us
He called us and told us what you want is here and not in Addis Ababa
We accepted the K5 president request. We meet him and gave us good acknowledgement.
And We gave him the full Dossier What we want is this:
6 new woredas and a Region
The name of the 6 regions?
The names are: Lefeissa, gobyare, Jare, gogti, dherwanje (shebele) these are the 6 woredas
Awbare got already it woredas Awbare and Dembel have already their woredas We want 6 other woredas!
8 in total and the region
We put on his table 6 new woredas request and the region
The K5 president addressed us correctly He said:
What you are searching in this administration Is something i am lacking of knowledge of the territory and country. I am will come and see you .
While i am coming to your country (harawo) and verifying the claim Please wait for me
We said ok Up to now we did not see him the K5 president.
We still waiting him in our country
How long you are waiting now?
4 months have passed now (we are now in NOV 2011)
We are still waiting And what we are waiting for is what he promised us!
I will come to your country and assess it, I will give you your right That is what he said!! And he said to wait for him
And we are still waiting!!
Can i ask you Sultan Mussa Ali Madar
In the federal, Addis ababa, what was the highest office you have deposited your claim? Was it the prime minister office or was it a lower office?
We went to the prime minister office. The Federal office.The parliament. The interior minister. The security office.The Army office. The police office
Even the Complain department we went to. The political office as well
We have not missed not 1 single federal office
When you compare the 6 new woreda you requesting with other woreda which have been nominated now
Population wise are they equal, bigger or less?
That I can answer for you
We don’t give woredas to an empty place but to people It is given to people We, we have people!
With economy Who can populate the country Who can fill up to those 6 new woredas
And the law of the land in Ethiopia in which the new woredas have been approved is: Every 50 000 people should have a woreda
And we have over 380 000 people
Can’t we have more than 50 000 in lefeissa city?
Yeah it is more than that in lefeissa area
So therefore we have people and not desert
We are taking account where you call adari (harar) It is a state (kilil) and it superficies is 30km long And it is a state (kilil) Equal to K5
Equal to Somali state (K5) And harar it is only 30km long Why did they had a state?
It is because of its population!
So therefore we don’t give administration to desert but to people! And We are basing ourselves with the number of people we have!
We got economy We got production We got agricultural export
We are taking account the mass people we have We are over ½ million
We are over ½ million
When add Awbare became over 380 000 Dembel our halve became over 200 000
We are over ½ million just in this area
are they just those that have voted or?
are they just those that have voted or?
It is only those that have voted Not including children? We don’t count children
And those that did not voted? These are increasing every year These are those have been counted in the recent election
Over ½ million voters
When we calculated with the 50 000 per woredas What do we have? When we calculated we suppose to have that much woredas (more than 10 woredas)
We have the country and we have the people The Federal government is a witness of this fact!
We are not seeking our right with trouble We are not seeking in a harsh way We are not seeking with lie
We are seeking a case with clear evidences Available in the Federal files
Inchallah we are still waiting from this K5 We are no trouble, no Hardship , no Accusation
But what we saying to K5 admin to this:
Give us what we have right for!
What we are expecting from K5 is to get what we are requesting
Sultan Mussa, what I'm asking you is there are freedom in the federal
Constitution guarantee if people or country cannot get its right They can search from or join an other state
As Gadabursi people, do the elders think if K5 cannot give its rightful without negotiation To request a referendum and join an other State like K4?
Ethiopia we have now (and we have fought for) does not oppress people. It's constitution, guarantee its people's freedom.
Referendum is guaranteed and accepted by the federal.
What is inside Ethiopia, people have right to join where it want in a peaceful manner. K4,K6,K3,K1
Ethiopia is a federal ! And the federal does not oppress people and everyone can search its right where it likes. And we are part these
We have now reached the last part of the interview There are lot of Diaspora of your own people Who have contribution and are educated
Myself who is interviewing you got master and work for the UK government
There are many others, even better professors and doctors of your people What is the message you sending to those diaspora?
Thank you nephew! It is true We have a lot Ethiopian from Harawo region who are in the diaspora.
Professors, businessmen and many more.
My message is First salutation to all, wherever you are
From the bottom of my hearth and thanks how you helped us in our search of our statehood.
Brothers and sons help your country like your did it before.
Come and invest in your country Harawo does have mineral, It does have water, It has farm land
A land that guarantee investments Come and invest in your country, your land Your Ethiopian abode That is my message to them
Inchallah Salamu calaykum That was Sultan Mussa Ali Madar
Inside lefeissa city Inside his house A city inside Ethiopia