The year 1896 was an important moment in the history of Ethiopia for lots of different reasons. It was a year brave Ethiopians beat the invading forces at the Battle of Adwa who attempted to take control of their lands with force. It was also a time that showed the unity, strength and determination of the Ethiopian people to defend their country from any forces. Likewise, the year was a historic moment that initiated Africans and black people all over the world to fight against colonialism, oppression and injustice.
Adwa is not the victory of a single ethnic group or a single person. It was the victory of all Ethiopians who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of their country and transfer a strong and unified Ethiopia. The important reason that brought all Ethiopians together as one irrespective of any differences- be it ethnic, culture, religion, gender or any – and compelled them to defend their land from the invading force was their indomitable love and Ethiopian sentiment.
As indicated by CEO of Ahadu Radio and Television and President of the Ethiopian Mass Media Professionals Association (EMMPA) Tibebu Belete, the unity and togetherness of Ethiopians to preserve the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country from external forces is one reason that kept Ethiopia from the hands of colonizers or disintegration.
“Adwa is all about the unity and greatness of Ethiopians. Whenever we talk about Adwa, we are speaking about the greatness of Ethiopians and their togetherness. It is a great event where black people recorded a decisive victory against fascist invaders that had been undermining the greatness of Ethiopians.”
When the fascist force decided to invade Ethiopia, it had miscalculated the strength of Ethiopians, their unity and togetherness as well as the patriotic spirit that is well established within the soul of every Ethiopian.
As he stated, when the Italian forces decided to invade Ethiopia, they had promised to their Prime Minister Francisco Crispi to arrest and bring Emperor Menelik to him, locking inside the cage as if he was a beast. However, what happened was totally different from what they had calculated. As the Italian invaders arrived in Ethiopia, they faced a formidable army that would not compromise with Ethiopia. It was them who found themselves within the cage.
When the Italian forces attempted to invade Ethiopia, they were mistaken and underestimated the military skills of Ethiopians plus the strong socio-cultural unity of the society that kept the nation strong for centuries. Ethiopia might be a country with different ethnic groups, cultures and religions; but it is a land where the essence of Ethiopianism is firmly deep rooted within the heart of every Ethiopian.
Unity among Ethiopians is one of the secrets behind the Victory of Adwa. Even though they had differences and inconveniences existed, Ethiopians were against all forms of invasions. This is witnessed several times. “The Victory of Adwa is a result of the combined hands of all Ethiopians. The victory resulted from the fact that all Ethiopians were prioritizing their motherland rather than their identity. Ethiopia was their top agenda and a matter that they would not trade it whatever it is. Those Ethiopians who fought against the invading force and sacrificed their lives had differences in several spheres; but when the country was facing a challenging moment, their grievances and differences were not agendas that they took them into consideration because the issue of Ethiopia outweighed much more than anything else.”
Even though they had cultural, religious or language differences, none of them have prevented them from standing together as one and protecting their country from invaders. The strong patriotic feeling among Ethiopians was not confined to age, religion, culture or gender. Every Ethiopians- the Muslim, the Christian, children, elderly people were part of the campaign. This was because Ethiopians knew the consequence of the invasion. If the Italian force had taken control of the Ethiopian land, there would not be any more local religion, culture or identity. For this very reason, the battle was not simply the question of defending the nation; but it was the question of living in an independent- preserving own culture, tradition, religion, language, distinct identity and passing an independent, sovereign Ethiopia onto the next generation.
Fidelity to their country and their leaders was the other factor behind the victory. While fighting the invading force, no single Ethiopian had a fear that someone [some groups] would be a threat to survival. All were fighting with the same spirit against the invading Italian forces. Every Ethiopian responded to the call made by Emperor Menelik without any precondition.
This fidelity was not only the identity of those Ethiopian patriots who marched to the warfront. It was also fully practiced among those people who remained in the center to protect the country. Throughout the whole ten months of fighting, the king and his officials were on the battlefield while trustworthy officials ruling the country honestly. Individuals like Ras Dargie are good examples in this regard. Despite the fact that there was pressure on him from other European countries (Britain and France) to revolt against Menelik, Ras Darge had been ruling the country with integrity until Menelik returned from the battlefield.
According to Tibebu, Ethiopia`s common values, such as togetherness, strong patriotic feelings had greater roles in defeating the invading force and retaining Ethiopia`s sovereignty. However, these values have degraded alarmingly in the course of time. This is especially true within the last 50 years where Ethiopian politics is dominated and affected by divisive narrations so as to reduce the role of previous regimes. Politicizing and criticizing the efforts of previous regimes, kings or political leaders was instrumental in this regard. Deriding the imperial system to promote socialism or criticizing kings to promote dictators or attacking the ideology of a certain regime for the sake of applauding the incumbent has seriously spoiled our social values.
As to Tibebu, within the past 50 years Ethiopia has experienced different political systems that have directly or indirectly affected these values. However now, we are witnessing signs of reviving the sentiment of Ethiopianism which is based on grand narration. The establishment of the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum is one indication of that. Having such a grand museum where several historical heritages which are a living witness about the battle can serve as a mirror that enables the coming generation to know about its history, further promote and build on grand narrations that can unite us instead of divide us and.
to look inward.
It is well documented in history that the Berlin Conference, 1885-1885 or, what is commonly called “Scramble for Africa” has given European powers a right to own any African country and those African countries were forced to renounce their language, culture and religion.
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 3 MARCH 2024
