"Ethiopia is not a single nation, but a confluence of peoples, each with their own identity. To deny this is to deny justice.” July 1971 by Tumtu Lencho.
Abstract
This article revisits Tumtu Lencho’s pivotal contribution to the Ethiopian student movement’s discourse on the national question. By arguing that Ethiopia is not a homogenous nation-state but a conglomeration of distinct nationalities, Lencho advanced a transformative framework that integrated the right to national self-determination with the broader socialist struggle. His intervention remains foundational to ongoing debates about federalism, national identity, and self-governance in Ethiopia.
1. Introduction
The Ethiopian student movement of the 1960s and 1970s was a fertile ground for revolutionary thought and political reimagination. One of the most profound contributions to this intellectual wave came from Tumtu Lencho, the pseudonym of Andreas Eshete. His article, published in Challenge in July 1971, permanently shifted the student movement’s engagement trajectory with the national question. Tumtu Lencho’s analysis clarified the political and theoretical relationship between class struggle and national self-determination in Ethiopia, a country historically dominated by imperial narratives that ignored the existence of multiple nations within its borders.
2. Ethiopia as a Nation of Nations
Central to Tumtu Lencho’s argument is the rejection of the myth of Ethiopian homogeneity. He insisted that Ethiopia is not a single nation but a composite of diverse countries with distinct languages, cultures, and historical experiences.
> “Ethiopia is not a single nation, but a confluence of peoples, each with their own identity. To deny this is to deny justice.”
This assertion directly challenged the dominant imperial ideology, which had long conflated the Ethiopian state with a singular, often Amhara-centric national identity. Tumtu Lencho argued that failing to recognise the multi-national character of the Ethiopian state would fatally undermine any revolutionary agenda.
3. National Self-Determination as a Political Imperative
Tumtu Lencho explicitly supported the right of all nations within Ethiopia—including Eritrea, Oromia, Tigray, Sidama, Somali, and others—to self-determination, including secession.
This was a groundbreaking position in the Ethiopian student movement, which had previously struggled with the Eritrean question and had been hesitant to fully endorse national self-determination in practice.
“If Eritrea, Oromia, Tigray, and others are not free to determine their paths, then no socialist transformation is just.”
For Tumtu Lencho, this right was not an abstract principle but a non-negotiable political demand. He argued that no revolutionary transformation could be legitimate or enduring unless all nationalities could choose their futures.
4. Integrating Class Struggle and National Struggle
A key contribution of Tumtu Lencho’s work was his rejection of the idea that the national question should be subordinated to class struggle. Instead, he proposed that class and nationality are intertwined struggles in Ethiopia.
He argued that the oppression of nationalities was not merely a cultural or linguistic issue but was structurally tied to the feudal and imperial class order.
“True liberation demands both class equality and national dignity. Class struggle cannot proceed without recognising nationality.”
Tumtu Lencho emphasised that ignoring the national question would fracture the revolutionary movement and isolate the oppressed nationalities from the broader struggle for social justice.
5. Political Strategy and Ideological Discipline
In addition to his theoretical contributions, Tumtu Lencho cautioned against superficial, emotional nationalism. He called for disciplined, ideologically grounded political programs that systematically address nationalities' demands while advancing the socialist cause.
He warned that vague slogans about unity would collapse without structural change and the genuine participation of oppressed national groups.
6. Conclusion:
Lasting Relevance
Tumtu Lencho’s intervention in 1971 permanently altered the Ethiopian student movement’s approach to national identity. His analysis provided the intellectual foundation for:
The rise of ethnic-based political organisations such as the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The eventual constitutional recognition of ethnic federalism in post-1991 Ethiopia.
Ongoing debates about the meaning of national unity, autonomy, and the right to secession.
His insistence on the right to self-determination as a revolutionary necessity continues to resonate in Ethiopia’s political landscape, where the tension between national integrity and national rights remains unresolved.
References
Tumtu Lencho. (1971). The Question of Nationalities and Class Struggle in Ethiopia. Challenge, July 1971.
Bahru Zewde. The Quest for Socialist Utopia: The Ethiopian Student Movement c. 1960–1974. Addis Ababa University Press.
John Young. Peasant Revolution in Ethiopia: The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, 1975–1991.
Foreign Languages Press. Like Ho Chi Minh!
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