VICTOR BOLORUNDURO
Ethiopia is home to Africa’s second-largest population, and its development has come a long way since the turn of the century. Ethiopia has contributed immensely to the development of Africa countries.
Firstly, her contribution to pan-Africanism (Victory of Adwa) – The turn of the 19th century is marked by African countries under the colonial jurisdiction of most European countries such as Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Britain. Italy used this opportunity to invade the then independent nations such as Liberia and Ethiopia under the Berlin Conference which took place between 1884 and 1885. Following Italian invasion, Ethiopians, irrespective of religion, ethnicity and language, from all directions of the country with a resounding leadership went to the battle and fought to defend the sovereignty of the country. This determination and the wise leadership of Emperor Minelik II made Ethiopia the first African country that is not colonized.
As a result, in October 1896, Italy signed the Treaty of Addis Ababa, recognizing Ethiopia as an independent state.
The battle of Adwa is a symbolic pageantry of African resistance where the Ethiopian army won against a highly trained European colonial invader, Italy. The victory later became an emblem of the struggle for decolonization in Africa and other peoples under foreign rule. The victory witnessed African capability to defend its dignity and ignited the light for struggle for anti-colonialism for African brothers. Adwa turned Ethiopia into a symbol of freedom for black people globally.
The victory of Adwa ignited and gave impetus to Ethiopianism, the continent-wide movement of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance. The battle was notable as it was the first victory by an African country over a colonial power and is seen as an inspiration for the pan-African movement that would sweep across the continent in the twentieth century and oust the colonial powers. The victory of Adwa had profound significance across the world particularly to all Africans across the world. The African Diaspora protested and also in much of Africa there were spontaneous demonstration carrying posters supporting the Victory and opposing the imperialist attack. The victory also paved the way to the birth of the Organization of African Unity, later to become the African Union.
The Victory of Adwa is a source of pride and an exemplary of unity and standing one to defend ones right and dignity. Ethiopians and Ethiopian origins at home and abroad commemorate the victory Day every year on the 2nd of March to honor their forefathers who sacrificed themselves to hand a free country to the generation.
The victory of Adwa is a demonstration that not only Ethiopians but also Africans would no more compromise at any time on their sovereignty, rights and freedom. The victory of Adwa is not only a national victory; it is an African victory that instigates the birth of Africa’s freedom.
Ethiopia’s prominent role in the Formation of the OAU and holding African values high
Ethiopia’s front-runner role in the freedom of Africa and its continued support for Pan-Africanism is well recognized. Ethiopia helped midwife the Organization of African Unity when it was born on May 25, 1963, and has ever since helped shepherd the organization as it transformed into the African Union and took on issues such as economic integration and peace and security.
Ethiopia’s most prominent contributions to Pan Africanism and the OAU/AU can be categorized as follows:
I. Under Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s ancient civilization and history of uninterrupted statehood and independence served as the seedbed from which the Pan-African solidarity movement drew inspiration, culminating in the creation of the OAU in 1963.
II. Beginning in the early 1960s, Ethiopia extended enormous political and military support for various anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles in Africa. Such support included military training and material, and diplomatic support for liberation movements in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
This approach continued under Colonel Mengistu’s government. As the first independent, black African country to be a member of the League of Nations, and a founding member of the UN, Ethiopia promoted and defended the interests of Africa in various global forums of the League of Nations, and subsequently the UN. Together with Liberia, Ethiopia indicted South Africa’s Apartheid Government at the International Court of Justice over the question of the apartheid administration of Namibia (then, South West Africa).
III. Since the early 1950s, Ethiopia has been one of the top troop-contributing African countries to UN and AU peacekeeping missions.
IV. Since the establishment of the OAU, with Emperor Haile Selassie serving as its first chairman, Ethiopia has been a trusted and successful peace broker, including during the Algerian-Moroccan border conflict (1963), and the civil wars in Biafra-Nigeria (1967-1970), Sudan (1993-2005) and Southern Sudan in Sudan (from 2013 ongoing). As the IGAD chairperson hosting the on-going mediation efforts and supporting the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AU HIP), Ethiopia remains the leading mediator attempting to restore peace and stability to this troubled region.
V. Addis Ababa as the host of the Headquarters of the AU and the seat of various multilateral and bilateral foreign missions, delegations and institutions, is the unchallenged diplomatic hub of Africa. In addition to its assessed AU financial contributions, Ethiopia is one of the few tier-two AU Member States making timely and regular contributors to the AU. It has also provided land for new buildings and the old buildings where the AU complex is located, in addition to all the human and physical facilities that the OAU/AU has needed since its earliest years.
Not only a founder and a seat of the Union, Ethiopia also champions and becomes an epitome of African solidarity. In this, the Ethiopian parliament approves, on June 2020, a proclamation that legalizes hoisting the Flag of the African Union alongside Ethiopia’s National Flag and its anthem being sung alongside Ethiopia’s National anthem. The proclamation also gives recognition for African Day to be celebrated.
Ethiopia is also issuing Visa on Arrival for all Africans starting from November 2018 which further shows fraternity.
Ethiopian Airlines: Integrating Africa
Ethiopian Airlines is the pride of Africa, and it is integrating Africa. The airlines, over the past 75 years, has experienced impressive and consistent
growth. It is the largest airline in Africa and its fleet today consists of 127 aircraft. These include some of the most modern and efficient twinjets in the skies, namely the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. With this fleet, Ethiopian serves the fourth-largest number of countries of any airline. Established in 1946, the 75 years old Ethiopian Airlines (ET) pioneered and successfully implemented many airline partnerships in Africa.As a leading pan African airline, ET joined the fight against the pandemic since the outbreak of the virus. Its commitment to fighting against the pandemic and saving lives has been unwavering in Africa and beyond. Ethiopian Airlines has beefed up its cargo shipment capacity by reconfiguring its passenger aircraft and introducing new technologies. It played an exemplary role in the distribution of PPE across the globe which led to the selection of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport as a humanitarian air hub by UN agencies.
Currently, Ethiopian is developing an in-house dry ice manufacturing facility that is capable of producing 9,000 kilograms of ice daily to fulfill the need for additional coolants for vaccines produced by Pfizer-Biotech and Modern that require ultra-cold environment for transport.Amazingly, Ethiopian Airlines is the only commercial airline that hasn’t sought government bailout and didn’t lay off a single employee since the advent of the COVID pandemic.
Ethiopian Airlines has stakes in several African carriers to varying degrees. Establishing multiple hubs to ease connectivity across the continent, ET is working to be the leading aviation group in Africa in regional operations, international operations, freight operations, maintenance and repair operations, aviation academy, board catering, ground operations, and airport enterprise.
Ethiopia spearheads the African Green Economy; and well-represented Africa’s voice on climate change in many of the global forums and mainly in Copenhagen.
Ethiopia has been implementing the Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy with the aim to build a green and resilient economy by 2030. In discharging its responsibility to implement the Paris Agreement, Ethiopia has recently submitted comprehensive summary of its enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution to UNFCCC and under its Green Legacy national flagship initiative aspires to plant more than 20 billion tree seedlings within four years since 2019. Accordingly, it managed to plant 4 and 5 billion seedlings in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The production of clean energy is also another pillar which in turn fast-tracks the economic integration of the continent. The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), aiming to produce a hydropower of 6,000 MW, will be a driving force for regional economic integration.
United Kingdom’s foreign minister Mr. Dominic Rabb once applauded Ethiopia’s efforts with regards to the development of renewable resources and said that Ethiopia is a beacon of hope for the region when it comes to addressing the effects of climate change.
Peacekeeping Missions
Ethiopia played a significant role to the peace and security of the African continent. It is a staunch devotee to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter including the principle of collective security. Ethiopia is hugely proud of its historic and weighty contributions to the UN, especially its peacekeeping operations. Many of its peacekeeping missions were deployed to African countries.
Ethiopia is the largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping missions with over 8,300 uniformed personnel, the vast majority of them serving in Abyei (UNISFA), South Sudan (UNMISS) as well as Darfur (UNAMID). Ethiopia is one of the five AMISOM troop-contributing countries, alongside Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda.
Refugee hosting country
Ethiopia hosts over one million refugees from 27 countries, with its higher level of hospitality, and a higher commitment to their safety and protection, making it the largest refugee hosting nation in Africa and fifth largest in the world. It also hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa.
To the extent that PM Abiy Ahmed shares Ramadan Iftar dinner with Syrian refugees in Ethiopia every year. To the Prime Minister, the situation is reminiscent of the wonderful care and hospitality shown by the early Ethiopian royalty to the messengers of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He called on all Ethiopians, especially the youth, to embrace the Ethiopian culture of supporting and caring for the less fortunate.
The On-going Reform
In the new reform, the current government highly rewards women’s contributions to the nation’s progress. The government has managed to form a gender-balanced cabinet. In the record 50 percent female representation, women are running key ministries. The President of the nation is also a woman.
In 2019 and 2020, Ethiopia showed significant progress in freedom of expression on the reporter without borders global press freedom index in improving 51 steps in just two years. This is amazing progress. Ethiopia also left up five red colors in the index map for the first time since 2013. The government of Ethiopia took a number of important measures that aimed at enhancing freedom of expression and media freedom in Ethiopia including releasing of journalists from prison and unblocking of website and social media. It also initiated wide range reforms such as legal, media law and others. Two years ago, Ethiopia was chosen to host global conference on the media in Addis Ababa a partnership with African Union and UNESCO.
UNESCO itself has recognized Ethiopia’s achievement in adopting new media law as a tool to ensuring freedom of expression and, as per its representative, reaffirmed its support for the ongoing reform efforts including revising access to information and computer crime reinstallation.
The release of around 45,000 detainees nationwide through amnesty and pardon is also a big stride that took place under the reform.
With these and many other giant strides Ethiopia has continued to take in recent years, despite the prevailing regional and global challenges, this wonderful country has continued to position itself as the continental hub for investment and regional integration.
Investing in Ethiopia is one of the best decisions anyone can make. Make it now!!!
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian Herald July 9/2021
