Ephrem Endale
Contributer
A fellow who claims to know the ins and outs of political groups in this country was telling us quite interesting things. Once you hear him out you realize most of the things you used to think about these groups is far from the real picture. Now you’d think the brass of such groups get together once in a while and discuss about local current affairs and happenings outside our borders which concern the country one way or another. You’d think policy documents which are far from complete, and it is safe to add where there are any such things, would be updated taking into consideration fresh issues that affect the nation one way or another. You’d think that members of such groups are versed with current affairs leaving nothing to imagination and wishful thinking. We’re not to blame that the statements which come out now and then are results of thorough discussions on issues and which reflect the position of all down to every member. Well this guy with real inside knowledge tells us for most, and not all, that wasn’t the case.
So armed with fresh info of such groups you’d think any group of people who think they’ve nothing worthwhile to do could come together and announce the creation of yet another ‘political’ group. “We’re happy to announce a new political party…” Good for you. ‘We just home there’d be some sprinkling of real politics in your political party!’ So hearing this guy you’re pardoned to conclude that if you delete the word ‘political’ from ‘political party’ there’d be no confusion; because inserting the word political at the beginning of some group’s name is like claiming to be a surgeon and while your finger have never been within a mile of the scalpel.
However the most interesting thing this guy was telling us was the culture of ganging up which seems to be a common occurrence around those groups. It is not about members of one political group against those of the others. We’re talking about ganging up within the groups themselves. Aren’t they supposed to be like families! Members of families don’t gang up against each other; they discuss issues and come with solutions. But within some of these groups one group practically stops greeting the members of ‘the other group’ let alone talk to them. Why? That’s the million dollar question. Most of the time, so this guy says, things have nothing to do with beliefs or differences about policies or such things which have even the faintest smell of politics. It’s about other things with ego taking the front seat spot. I mean when half of the party members think they should be the ones behind the steering wheel it’s not healthy. Believe me this ego think is making cardboard cutout of many of us.
Once I was waiting for someone at a downtown spot. A few meters from me a couple of ladies were waiting for a cab or something. A small cab slows down and the young muscular chauffeur asks them where they were going. Before they could answer all of a sudden out of nowhere an equally muscular young man comes practically running and tells the cabbie to get lost. But the cabbie disembarks and was ready for physical confrontation when from across the street six or seven young and middle-aged men come running. You have to give credit to the cabbie for how fast he got back into his car and stepped on the gas. Had he waited the gang would probably have made some history out of him. It so happened that all of them were cabbies who have made themselves the makers and shakers of what happens there; you know, like Gangs of New York or something. They were protecting their turf! But they weren’t doing it in what you can say is at least partially civilized manner. “Look fellow, this is our turf, and if you please leave before something bad happens.” No! That’s not going to happen. They seem to believe whoever wrongly or absentmindedly interferes should be dealt with fists and not nice words. We occasionally hear such kinds of things happening in certain parts of the city.
About a couple of months back a fiftyish fellow we know was changing residences. He rented a condominium unit …in a part of the town which was in one of bustling outskirts of the city. When he arrives at the place his household goods loaded on a heavy truck and two friends accompanying him they were surrounding by youth with arms were full of tattoos and scary stares. Well seeing young people offering to help in what you can call menial job satisfying for any well-intentioned citizen. The fellow agrees and they set the price; hold your breath. “You’ll pay us ten thousand birr!” Though the guy heard some such stories ten thousand birr items he planned to unload with his two friends! He refuses and quite a scene transpires. A number of people gather and the peacemaking process took a good part of the hour. Finally he agreed to pay two thousand five hundred birr. The gang had its way!
What about the gang culture of schooldays; your high school girlfriend has caught the eyes of one gang member. I mean this was a gang which could muster quite a force and cause much harm as many members took beating up people their life’s calling. But, feeble as you might be, you’re not going to let your sweetheart snatched from under your very eyes. It took you almost two years to even convince her to replay in kind to your greetings! That takes quite a lot of effort and guts, if you know what I mean.
So not to be outsmarted and taken for a coward who couldn’t protect what was his (or believed it was his) you gather as many village boys as possible and there you have your own gang, Mission; beat up the guy who has taken your sweetheart black and blue and send the message to others who might be harboring funny ideas about your Cleopatra.
Of course, when you guys arrive at the place where the experienced gang was waiting the story would be different. Let me put it this way; if it was about two or three of you could have come up with a hundred excuses when you return to your village. But almost every one of you with bloodied noses, blackened eyes, swollen lips and scores of lacerations across your face it is not easy saying, “I accidentally run into a door. I told you that gang was in the big leagues. So your team of hastily gathered village boys most of them probably not aware of what it was all about is chased all the way back to the village and even beyond. You can’t stay in your own village until the dust settles down, because nothing stops the big leagues, from marching on your village and turning it into a battle zone with you on flight and they hot on your heels; and also quite a lot of damage is done. A few decades back such scenarios happened more often than you’d suspect. It was the age of the gangs! Ha!
Just for the sake of some flashbacks there was a time when Addis was virtually ruled by four or five gangs. If they are coming to the part of the town where you are better beat it while you can. Those vicious dudes fought all over town and made life a living hell for many. If one group is said to have been seen around Arat Kilo the shops all just bolt their doors. And you better lock yourselves up in your homes! No one dared to make oneself visible in the area. Because, with gangs it is not about who but about where. So the conflict might be between a few youngsters and yet but the entire population of the other village is targeted. There were times when residents of a certain village couldn’t pass through another village because the gangs of the two are out for blood.
The Ethiopian Herald 17 July 2022