BY YOHANES JEMANEH
An art program themed “I will march to safeguard Ethiopia in all fronts, all the time, by all means!!” has held on last Friday.
The occasion that was organized by Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT), Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and Ministry of Peace to support the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) was held at the Ethiopian National Theatre.
High rank military officers of the ENDF, government officials, opposition party leaders, and the art community among others have attended various programs including photo exhibition, circus, poetry, drama, musical and comedy performances.
The event that was opened by ENDF’s Marching Band has got a warm welcome from the attendees for its significant role to build the moral of the defense forces. Such artistic programs will be held in various areas where the army is settled including at training institutes of the ENDF, it was learnt. On the 30 July 2021, MoCT was also organized an event of visiting the new building of the Ministry of Defense. It has also coordinated over 500 artists to donate blood to the ENDF on the same occasion. On the event, MoCT State Minister Bizunesh Meseret highlighted artists’ value as a moral builders to a national defense force. Art plays a crucial role to enable a country preserve its sovereignty by overcoming internal and external problems occurs at any time. She also called on the art community to play due role by assuming themselves as guardians of their motherland.
Attending the program, Birgadier General Asfaw Mamecha noted that the Ethiopian National Defense Force Band had played invaluable role to the development of country’s art industry through nurturing various artists. The artists had been also assisting the ENDF with moral support to enable it achieve victory. Ministry of Defense Public Relations Director Colonel Getinet Adane for his part stated that lyrics and melodies may not potentially describe the atrocity committed on the ENDF. However, artists can do play fair share in creating awareness to separate the junta from the people. They can also engage in providing moral support to the army in the national effort to annihilate the TPLF. He believed that the people of Tigray will install a statue or name a street after the name of members of the ENDF who were heinously sacrificed by the TPLF. Attending the event, various artists expressed their willingness to organize programs intended to encourage and show belongingness to the ENDF. Accordingly, additional artistic programs aimed at encouraging the ENDF are underway.
The Ethiopian Herald August 8/2021
