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| Jijiga: The History of a Strategic Town |
Not many have heard of Jijiga, the capital of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia or learned much about Ethiopia and its cities, but Jijiga: The History of a Strategic Town in the Horn of Africa can enlighten readers into this town’s fundamental contribution to Ethiopia and surrounding states. Jijiga tells the story of growth from a once under-developed area in the Ogaden to a thriving model city in the Horn of Africa that perfectly epitomizes Ethiopian culture of diversity and development. In February, Tsehai Publishers and Distributors released this book by Tibebe Eshete, Ph.D., recipient of the Compton Peace Fellowship Award.
This short and enlightening book captures the journey and growth of Jijiga. As Dr. Tibebe states in his book, “Jijiga provides an interesting venture into what might be called ‘frontier history.’” Because of Jijiga’s quintessential location on the Ethio-Somali borders and its predominately Somali population, Jijiga, as a model, “offers a distinct opportunity to further contribute to the study of center periphery relations in Ethiopian history.”
In an interview with Tsehai Publications, Dr. Tibebe Eshete elaborates on the back-story of his book as well as the significance of Jijiga itself:
Q: Why is Jijiga important for Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa?
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| Map of Ethiopia |
A: Jijiga is important for Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa in many ways because it represents novelty and new experimentations in the area of administration. It was the first major administrative town established in the larger area of the Ogaden (the Southeastern region of Ethiopia). It was the first major urban center in the Ogaden with cosmopolitan character hosting different ethnic and expatriate groups such as Indians, Arabs, and Greeks. Jijiga represents the first attempt on the part of the Ethiopian government to let the region be ruled by a man of Muslim background, Abdella Taha, using native/traditional systems…. It is a town that was graced with governors of progressive outlook including Girmachew Tekle Hawariat, Ras Imuru and the legendary political figure, Germame Neway. It played a crucial role as one of the strategic spots in organizing resistance against the Italian aggression on the Eastern Front during the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1936. It was also a major center for the contestation of different political forces of local, national and international significance (British, Italians, and in the recent past, Russians and Cubans). Jijiga… still plays a role as a major city hosting several modern institutions including universities bearing its own name.
Q: You mentioned Germame Neway in your book. Why is his particular influence important in the history Jijiga?
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| Germame Neway |
A: Germame Neway was a progressive radical who had his educational training in the United States. While in the United States, he was actively involved in creating an organization for Ethiopian students in the United States. The fledging black consciousness movement and the ideas of Marxist radicalism also, to a degree, influenced him. Because of the issues he had with Emperor Haile Sellassie, he was not able to pursue his graduate program. He left the United States with indignation. He was placed in remote places, like Welammo know Wolyta partly as a punishment and partly as a test. He was appointed to be the governor of Jijiga a model town. Germame initiated progressive ideas and practices while serving as a governor. He established local music bands consisting of the local Somali people in part to promote and honor the culture of the local people and in part to make the local Somalis feel at home with the government. He established a shop for the poor people by way of implementing his socialist ideas, a small scale version of it at least where poor people were assisted in purchasing items of necessity, such as textiles, at low cost. Above all, Jijiga served as a kind of incubator for the fermentation of the 1960 military coup. Though he did not escape scrutiny, the outlying nature of Jijiga gave Neway some kind of relative autonomy and, ironically, a space to plan and execute a coup together with his cohorts including his brother, General Mengistu Neway. The abortive coup of 1960 is a matter of seminal importance in modern political history of Ethiopia. Young people took his inspiration and started a kind of millenarian movement that eventually culminated into the 1974 Marxist revolution. I consider Jijiga to be the birthplace of the seed of Ethiopian revolution.
Q: Why is this book and knowing about Jijiga important for this particular time?
A: Jijiga is everything, our past and our present. Reading the history of Jijiga is like travel. It gives us a unique narrative of the challenges all border towns face, but it also allows us to see what a border town can give to Ethiopia. It is the story of resilience—it is the story of how people collectively create to surmount existential challenges. Jijiga typifies the undying saga of the forces of good always winning against the forces of “evil.”
To see more with Tibebe Eshete, see the full interview here.
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Julia Blake is a writer based in Los Angeles and she can be reached at juliacblake@yahoo.com.
Tsehai Publishers has published more than 70 books and journals which can be found here. | For updates on what Tsehai is doing next or events we are hosting, please visit our Facebook. | If you're inspired, wish to buy a book, or want to know more, please feel free to contact us here.
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