Alerts amid Good News
March 21st 2023
Strange rains welcome the new Sultan
With all the traditionally – known characters of December/ January winter rains, almost the entire Region has had a relatively good soaking starting from March 11th. Rain actually continues as of March 20th, now showing signs of waning. For the traditional meteorologists, this was indeed belated winter rains since it fell in soaking patterns even in Eli Da’ar and Kori where thirst had set in as of late January. However, beyond Eli Da’ar on the Eritrean border, the land got a bit of a drizzle but not more. Dallol leaders today report no useful rain and community thirst of 5 sub-districts bordering Tigray – from the Afar side, there is no road access to these people and, according to their district head, people are going up to 100 kilometers (2 days’ walking) with camels to collect water.
On the other side, for the traditional Afar who flocked to the previous capital and historic town of Assaita to join the celebrations, the rains were God’s welcome for the 15th Sultan of Awsa as inaugurated on March 13th following the death of his older brother, Hanfare some 3 years ago. The Awsa Sultanate while being historically recent compared to that in Djibouti and in Eritrea, holds traditional and religious sway for the majority of the Afar population in Ethiopia.
Thus dignitaries from Sultanates of Tadjoura in Djibouti and Rahayto in Eritrea attended along with embassy representatives, UN authorities and Ethiopian government representatives.
Talking enthusiastically on the need for brotherly unity and peace condemning the recent conflict as pointless, the essential place for education in the society leading to a healthy, productive society, the Sultan went on to say that traditions followed in the past that actually harm people, particularly girls and women should be stopped. The good traditions, he said, should be upheld and enabled, binding the community to cohesive development.
Then speaking of the bad habit of chewing Kaat, the Sultan thoroughly denounced this as in every way destructive. Indeed, he delighted his audience including APDA, and, as is planned to hold a further discussion with the senior clan leadership after the fasting month of Ramadan, the organization is encouraged to invite him to chair it. In January, discussion had reached to an overall clan agreement that ancient traditions and practices could and should be reviewed in light of the current era and that clan leadership should direct communities to productive, peaceful lives.
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