Should the “Ethiopia” Occupied Somalis Call Themselves Ethiopians?
Photo: TRT World By: Mohamed Garad The notion that Somalis should identify themselves “Ethiopians” Hebesha or Abyssinians which are all interchangeable, in essence, is severe fallacious and a serious misleading. As a historical fact, the Ethiopia we know today had not existed until the expansion of Abyssinians, who identify themselves Habesha, dismantled indigenous states which vanished from the face of the earth along with their history and then proudly styled themselves the Ethiopians with their vast empire. Thus, in order one to judge whether one should identify himself, Ethiopian, Habesha, or Abyssinian, s/he must first elucidate the meaning of “Ethiopians”, “Abyssinians,” “Habesha” both before and after the creation of the empire. In the words of John Markakis, a leading political historian in the horn of Africa, the Christian empire of “Aksumite that flourished on the northmost part of the plateau in the classical times” but letter faded after Islam spread northwards “is consid