A missed opportunity to tell Ethiopia’s story

December 17, 2013

Mandela’s
funeral, on December 15, 2013, marked an important chapter in the history of
Africa’s struggle for freedom, equality and justice. It also marked the end of
the long political walk Mandela started at the age of 25. For 70 years, Mandela
struggled against Aparthied, sacrificed hugely for
the cause, and promoted a political discourse to free his people. He was
instrumental in dismantling Apartheid and establishing the rainbow nation. By
freeing himself from the urge for revenge, Mandela freed his incarcerators and
avoided a potential bloodbath. In doing so, he left an indelible mark of
foresight, forgiveness and tolerance on the global stage, which is difficult to
emulate. His accomplishments as freedom fighter, prisoner, statesman and
humanitarian inspired many on the continent and around the world to stand up
against injustice and to assert their rights. Many have learned from Mandela
how to be persistent in trying to find solutions to seemingly intractable
problems through peaceful and dignified means.

Mandela’s
humanitarian actions exemplified the fact that Africa has won the war of
independence, but the battle for economic and social justice remains to be
fought.  In 2005, Mandela said “While poverty still persists, there is
no true freedom.” The principles and values of equality,
the eradication of poverty and the elimination of all forms of oppression
Mandela vehemently resisted, and was prepared to die for are not yet realized;
not only in his own country, but also around the continent. 

At the
funeral ceremony, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister (Haliemariam
Desalegn), the Presidents of Malawi (Joyce Banda) and
Tanzania (Jakaya Kikwete),
among others, paid tribute to Nelson Mandela. The President of Malawi
underscored the lessons she learnt from Mandela and how she successfully
applied them to addressing issues, which arose during her turbulent political
career, particularly in her attempt to assume the helms of leadership in her
own country. Tanzania’s President highlighted the significance of his country’s
contributions to the struggle of South Africans spearheaded by the ANC. He also
proudly mentioned that Tanzania was home to several African liberation
movements. He even reminded the audience that when Nelson Mandela discreetly
visited Tanzania in 1962, he didn’t stay in a hotel. He added, Mandela left a
boot at the home of a senior government official with whom he stayed in Dar Es Salaam and the boot was
returned to Mandela after he became President of South Africa.

Regrettably,
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister (PM) failed (perhaps because of lack of preparation),
or he deliberately avoided (for political reasons) to mention our country’s
contributions to Africa’s liberation struggle. He mainly spoke about Mandela in
ways that many others have spoken since Mandela’s death was announced. His
speech didn’t attract much attention as President Banda’s or Kikwete’s speech. Both spoke with ease, confidence and
eloquence. Both leaders ceased the opportunity to tell their country’s
relationship with Mandela, the ANC and South Africa. A guest who was following
the proceedings on BBC and commenting on Mandela’s legacy said something like ‘President
Banda’s speech was sensational and Tanzania’s president looked and sounded like
Mandela’.  Yes, both leaders took advantage of the occasion and the
stage to effectively communicate with the audience and the world.  In
contrast, Ethiopia’s PM missed an opportunity to outline our country’s
contributions to the ANC and other African liberation movements.

It is well
known that Ethiopia inspired Africa’s struggle for independence and freedom
from colonialism. Today, many countries on the continent have national flags
depicting Ethiopia’s tri-colour in different
patterns. Rastafarians use the colours of the
Ethiopian flag as a symbolic expression of their identity. For many Christians
around the world, the name Ethiopia evokes spiritual significance based on
biblical history. For Muslims, it reminds them of protection given to fellow
Muslims by a kind and just king to exercise their faith when they fled Saudi
Arabia because of religious persecution.  Since then, Ethiopia has never
wavered on this tradition and on its commitment to pan Africanism.  

In 1962,
Ethiopia organized and facilitated the formation of the AAU, which gave the
continent a concerted voice to speak and act against colonialism. The following
are a few of Ethiopia’s specific contributions, which supported African freedom
fighters:

• In the 1960s, Ethiopia was the leading supporter of African freedom fighters. Ethiopia provided funds and awarded scholarships and military training to its African brothers and sisters who fought colonial rule. Emperor Haile Selassie encouraged and invited liberation movement fighters to be trained on Ethiopian soil.

• In July 1962, Mandela received his first guerrilla combat training, including proficiency in armoury, rifle shooting, defence, and battlefield combat. In later years, Mandela said about the training: “I felt myself being moulded into a soldier and began to think as a soldier thinks — a far cry from the way a politician thinks.” When his training had to be curtailed because of a pressing need related to the struggle back home, General Tadesse Biru, the then Assistant Police Commissioner, presented him with a pistol and 200 rounds of ammunition (the first weapon of the African National Congress). The gun is thought to be buried somewhere on Lillesleaf Farm, where in 1963 other ANC leaders were arrested and sentenced to life in prison alongside Mandela in the famous Rivionia trial.
• Mandela was issued with an Ethiopian passport (his first) under the name of David Motsamayi.
• Ethiopia trained and armed freedom fighters from Zimbabwe and Namibia.

• Colonel Mengistu in a recent interview stated Ethiopia welcomed Mandela with great honour and extended financial support when he visited the country after his release from prison.

The PM of
Ethiopia could have mentioned those remarkable records. His speech gives the
impression that the statement he read was prepared to avoid mentioning the name
of Ethiopia’s past leaders, particularly Emperor Haile Selassie and Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam. If this was
indeed the case, a country’s history doesn’t necessarily begin and end with the
rise and fall of a leader or a political party. For better or worse, the
actions of past Ethiopian leaders remain part of the country’s history – this
includes the current rulers of Ethiopia.

To conclude here are a few statements that Ethiopia’s
PM could have considered mentioning in his tribute to Nelson Mandela to signify
our country’s longstanding relationship with the ANC and South Africa. Most importantly,
Mandela’s admiration of Ethiopia could have struck a chord with the audience
and others who were following the funeral proceedings.

In his famous book Long Walk to Freedom Mandela’s
said: Ethiopia has always held a special place in my own imagination
and the prospect of visiting Ethiopia attracted me more strongly than a trip to
France, England, and America combined. I felt I would be visiting my own
genesis, unearthing the roots of what made me an African. By the way,
the BBC correspondent following and reporting on the event mentioned the first
part of Mandela’s words when the PM was being invited by the Master of
Ceremonies to take the podium as Ethiopia’s PM and current chair of the African
Union.

Referring to his journey to Ethiopia and his
impression of the country Mandela said: When [we] changed flight to an
Ethiopian Airways to Addis […] I experienced a rather strange sensation. As I
was boarding the plane I saw that the pilot was black. I had never seen a black
pilot before … Once we were in the air, I started studying the geography of
Ethiopia, thinking how Ethiopian guerrilla forces hid in these very forests to
fight the Italian imperialists … Here, for the first time in my life, I was witnessing
black soldiers commanded by black generals applauded by black leaders who were
all guests of a black Head of State. It was a heady moment. I only hoped it was
a vision of what lay in the future for my own country. 

Mandela
got his inspiration for his struggle and a vision for his country from
Ethiopia. Why did the incumbent PM fail to cease the opportunity to tell
Ethiopia’s story in relation to the ANC and other African liberation movements
of the 1960s and 1980s? He either has to take a lesson in Ethiopian history or
he needs to guide his speech writers not to focus on empty non-inspirational
archaic diplomatic jargon with which he struggles to pronounce. This is not
only about speaking good English in one’s own accent, but to say the right thing,
at the right time and place when one represents a country such as Ethiopia.