Commentary
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In March 1770 the Boston Massacre helped to spark the American revolution and lay the foundations of their independence. It occured when soldiers fired into a crowd of civilians following a pay dispute between a young apprentice and an officer. The term since then had served as a “war cry” of their independence movment. Some have argued that calling an incident in which only five people died a massacre is a proof of America’s skewd veiw of history. However its has been believed that other than the propoganda aspect, the importance here lies not in the number of people but in the fact that ordinary people were involved in a defining moment of their history. In any, case the names of the five people are remembered to this date.
Ten thousand miles away and about 200 years later, in march 1960 in the small “black township”, a group of 7000 civilians organised by the Pan African Congress went to a police station offering to be arrested in protest of the “pass” laws. In the insuing altercation, 68 people were shot and killed by the police. In justifying the killings, the comanding officer Colonel Pienarr said “native mentality does not allow them to gather for a peaceful demonstration”. Subsequently a state of emergency was declared and nearly 20000 people were arrested. This was followed by the outlawing of both ANC and PAC. The incident marked a turning point in South Africa’s history. It was the time when the people’s aspirations and struggle came into focus. No one including the international community was allowed to forget the incident mainly due to the incessant efforts of ANC, PNC and the media. This was the Sharpville Massacre.
One can not overlook the remarkable similarty between this incident and the June/November killings in Addis Ababa. Peaceful demonstrators were massacred, state of emergency was declared, pitiful explanation was given by Meles ( .. police not trained, police panicked, ..I am not familiar with the operations of the police, …the crowd was armed…), over 40000 people were detained and political parties were outlawed.
The atrocities commited by Meles’s government on those dates in 2005 in which nearly a hundred people died in Addis Ababa alone is a MASSACRE by any measure of the word. Innocent, unarmed civilians were killed indiscriminately as a result of state sponsored action. It was done under the watchful eye of the international media hence the the government’s role and the magnitude of the atrocity can not be contested. Therefor, I move that we should insist on refering to the incident as the ADDIS ABABA MASSACRE (CHIFCHEFA). We should register it in the history books as such.
A society’s ascendency through the scales of civilization is partily indicated by the concious effort that it makes to document and pass on the record of its journey to subsequent generations. Therefor we should not let the incident slide into being a foggy rememberance just like the april 2001 MASSACRE has become. As the people of the world are continously reminded of the holocast, we should also continuously remind ourselves and our children the sacrifice that was paid by those that perished. If for nothing else, this rememberance should help us to continiously renew our resolve in trying to bring about a just society and to cement our solidarity.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council is engaged in the admirable job of keeping track of those that died, were wounded and imprisoned so that their identities do disappear under the dusts of time. Due to these efforts we and the rest of the world have the names and faces of Shibire, Mulualem, Teshome, Gemechis, Yusuf, Yasin, Senait, Dugassa and others to attach to the massacare. We should extend a helping hand to these efforts by, investigating, documenting and reporting these “violations” in any way we can. Finacial help should be extended towards those that are involved in these activities. Some have produced flyers, postcards, laple pins in honour and rememberance of the victims. Effort like these should continue. In the future we might even concider building lasting monuments. Why not a museum?? Surly we as people, we have shed enough blood to fill ten museums.
Our poets should continue etching their sacrifices, our artists should have their canvas shout out the injustice, the cruelty, their torture and death. Our playwrites should make us relive the moments again and again. Parents should take the time to explain to their children why Shibire elected to die. Our public meetings and political ralleys should start by giving tribute to those that perished and those that are langlishing in the different jails. When time allows, our curricula should include references to these heroic people. I hope the time will come when we will have a comprehensive registry of all the victims of EPRDF lest we forget. This way we should be able shame the perpetrators and their freinds into acknowledging their wrongs. This way we will comprehend better the true value of the democracy and freedom that we strive for.
But above all the most fitting way that we can acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice of our country men and women, the most proper way that we can afirm to ourselevs, to ourchildren and to the rest of the world that the life of an Ethiopian is important, is by making sure that those responsible are held accountable. Our political leaders should continue demanding investigations and accountability. EPRDF has shown a remarkable tenacity when bringing tyrants of the Derg era to “Justice”. Similarly, the criminals of Meles’s goverment should be subjected to laws of the country. When a justice that is not weighed down by retribution has knocked on the doors of all, when we are able to show everybody, how much we value our youth, revere our people and honor our dead, we will start commanding respect. It then that we will get more than fifteen minutes of coverage.
So let us not trivialize the tragedy by calling it “Post-election disturbance, Post-election violence, Election-associated unrest, the demonstration where 80 people were killed, the riot, the incident”..etc. Let’s start honoring the dead by calling it by its proper name: “THE ADDIS ABABA MASSACRE, 2005”. For it is only when we stagger under the burden of each drop of blood that is shed in the cause of justice that we as a society elevate ourselves to a higher ground.
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