Last week, the majority of the local media was mainly preoccupied with beating the drum of patriotism. “Ethiopia” had been the catchword in most of the radio and TV programs. The air was buzzing with traditional and newly released patriotic music with the intensity unparalleled since EPRDF’s assent to power 27 years ago.
It was another great time of the year when Ethiopians, wherever they may be, put their chin in the air, proudly celebrating Miaziya 27, the patriots’ victory day.
Seventy eight years ago on that day, the fallen flag of Ethiopia and its exiled Emperor rose up and got reinstated back to their rightful place in full glory ending the horrific five year invasion of fascist Italy. Miaziya 27 served as a beckon of hope for the people of other African nations who at the time had been languishing under the brunt of colonialism.
While we Ethiopians celebrate Miaziya 27 as a victory day of our gallant forefathers, the same day should be remembered by morally civilized and honest Europeans as a day of shame for the blatant atrocities their forefathers, driven by insatiable hunger for material wealth, committed against Africans.
It should also be noted that Ethiopian patriots were not alone in their five year struggle against the occupying Italian Fascist and it accomplices, the traitors ( Bandas)- those citizens who traded their identity as well as the Ethiopian flag for egocentric selfish interests
The Amharic section of Voice of America reported a little known story that African soldiers under the command of British forces had also given their life in the fight against Italians. The fallen African soldiers hailing from countries that were British colonies include Sudanese, Ugandans, Tanzanians and others.
The cemetery in the eastern city of Dire Dawa ,where some of the African Soldiers laid to rest, stands as a solid evidence to this fact, and could serve as a historical basis for strengthening African solidarity against expansionist and dominant powers that only see Africa as a land of riches ,not a land of people with their own history, culture and civilization.
The subtle and rather the more compelling reason why this year’s Patriots’ Victory Day was celebrated by the local media with such unprecedented fervor is the current political climate of the country. Like it had been in the Fascist Italy’s invasion days, a considerable segment of the country’s population is wary of the prevailing socio political situations .Not few feel that the country is facing uncertain future.
Various groups organized on ethnic lines, driven by racist ideologues, as well as, hooligans ,hoodlums and even local government authorities with vested interest in the previous system of administration are hard at work to instigate violence in every possible corner of the country. The security and defense forces are exerting relentless efforts to contain the situations.
Cognizant of this fact, the state media and other responsible private media have focused on this year’s Patriots’ Victory Day to send a strong message to all parties and their backers wishing to see a dismantled Ethiopia that the country is not like cake dough that can be shaped and reshaped as one pleases. It is rather a country shaped by thousands years of history .Ethiopia is like a strong colorful fabric woven in to existence by its citizens of various culture and languages as its warps and wefts.
The Ethiopian Herald May 12/2019
