The 117th Anniversary of the Battle of Adwa

There is no heritage more glorious, precious, and
inspiring than freedom and independence won by the ill-equipped and poorly
trained, if at all, Ethiopian militias over vastly superior Italian invaders at
the famous Battle of Adwa in 1986 under the leadership of Emperor Menilik II and
His brilliant diplomat and strategist, Empress Taitu, who in Her own right
commanded 16,000 valiant militia warriors.

The Empress devised the idea of controlling the water
points near the Italian garrison at Mekelle in Tigray. She sent a well-armed
detachment of selected militia secretly with orders to capture those water
points on which the Italians and their animals of burden depended for survival.
The mission was so successful that the enemy offered to negotiate surrender.
The magnanimous Emperor granted them safe passage and the garrison came under
the control of His militia army. Lo and behold. The enemy that invaded Ethiopia
under the pretext of civilizing barbarians found mercy in the hands of those it
came to educate!

Emperor Menilik II is the victor of the famous Battle of
Adwa, which became a trophy of  epic
pride for Ethiopians and a beacon of hope for the black people in the Diaspora;
a truly beloved Great Leader of His people that dubbed Him Emmye Menilik
(Mother Menilik).

The famous victory won at the Battle of Adwa at heavy
price paid in lives and blood, came as a complete surprise to European colonial
powers that had no choice but recognize Ethiopia as a sovereign state.

Revenge by Fascist Italians 40 years after Adwa

The victory of our ancestors under the able leadership of
the Monarch, His Empress, valiant Generals, and brave militia warriors at the
battlefield dealt an unforgettably humiliating defeat to the Italian aggressors.
So the Italians took forty years of extensive preparation and invaded Ethiopia
in 1935 – an act of atrocious aggression in full view of the League of
Nations of which both Ethiopia and Italy were members. The European powers did
nothing to prevent the naked Italian aggression. But when Mussolini and Hitler
forged alliance at the start of WWII, the prophetic famous speech of Emperor
Haile Selassie at the League of Nations came to pass. Great Britain this time
allied with the Emperor and His guerilla fighters and the alliance played a
decisive role in driving out Marshall Graziani’s occupying forces from
Ethiopia. The ouster led to the disgraceful fall of Mussolini.

Incidentally, the ferociously advancing Ethiopian militia
warriors were within wee minutes of claiming the second Adwa victory in this
war too. But, due to the sabotage by renegade Rayas (bought and armed the Fascists)
attacking the advancing force to the stronghold of the enemy from behind the
war was lost.  In this war the
Ethiopian peasant warriors vowed in the name of Emmye Menilik and fought with
extraordinary gallantry. For example,  the immortal legacy of the beloved
Monarch was inherited by top patriot Abichu at his tender age of 17 years and
his young compatriots under his command  including the militia army of the
children of Hamassein commanded by General Haptom;the militia army of the
children of Tigray (Mekele) under the command of General Tesfatsion; the
militia army of the children of Gojjam (Damot) commanded by General Gashu; and
the main militia army of the children of Selalle under the command of General Worqu.

Source: Habešská Odyssea (YeHabesha Jebdu) የሃበሻ
ጀብዱ
by Adolf Parlesak Translated by Techane Jobre Mekonnen – page 274.

What
is most remarkable and pleasing to me is that the children of Ethiopia, unknown
to each other and hailing from distant regions and all of them young, could
form their own command which by his own admission became excruciating thorn in
the flesh of Marshal Badoglio – supreme commander of the
invading Italian Fascist Army.  

Provocative
monument to Graziani, the Bucher of Ethiopia

Unfortunately, the Italian authorities, have identified a
square in Rome where it has erected a monument in a public park  for Field Marshal Graziani despite the
record of his atrocities including the murder of Abune Petros for refusing to
betray the right of his people to fight for freedom and independence; atrocious
carnage of Ethiopia patriots; terrorizing people into submission by dragging
dead bodies of patriots on the streets of major cities; throwing  patriots from airplanes; heavy attack
from the air with machineguns and bombs; aerial spraying  of poison gas, barred by international
law, on Ethiopian militia warriors poorly 
equipped with swords, spears, shields, rifles, and a few machine guns. 

In August 2012, $160,000 of public money was used
to finance monument
in his honor with the
words “Fatherland” and “Honour” engraved on the mausoleum. It
is really sad and perturbing that the Vatican blessed the occasion of the
inauguration of the monument of the “Butcher of Ethiopia” monument
as if its endorsement and blessing of the Fascist invasion of our motherland
was not enough.

Ethiopians on 19 February 2013 commemorated the
anniversary of  the massive massacre  on 19 February 1937 of over 30, 000 innocent Ethiopians in Addis Ababa
alone by order of Graziani only because an attempt was made on his life by two
heroic citizens. He was nicknamed “The Butcher of Ethiopia”
worldwide including even in Italy.

That grisly massacre did not deter Ethiopians from vowing
in the name of Emmye Menilik to resist the occupation of Fascist Italy. So, Graziani
ordered the removal of the monument of Menilik to a secret place because its
presence in full view of the public in the city gave him a nightmare as it
increasingly became a rallying point for consultation, exchanging information,
and plotting to oust the Fascists. The statute was recovered and put back in
its original place after the triumphant return of Emperor Haile Selassie to
Addis Ababa; it is a priceless symbol of grand victory of all Ethiopians over
tyranny that must be jealously guarded.

 The victory of
Adwa is a symbol of our strength in unity in diversity; a pride of our harmony
in the face of our cultural diversity; an indelible foot print like no other in
our long history. It is a sacred inspiration and hallmark of our future
existence in unity as a democratic, prosperous and strong nation. Adwa is our
hallowed ground where our ancestors from all corners converged to defend their
liberty by paying incalculable sacrifice in human lives, bloodshed, and expended
material resources. Menilik died penniless leaving an immortal legacy of
earnest quest for freedom and independence. The history made at Adwa must never
die!

Menilik the magnanimous and fair judge died penniless

The Monarch elevated His antagonists to high key posts in
His government, to wit: – Fitawrari Haptegiorgis Dinegde and Dejazmatch Balcha Safo
among many others

In a civil suit the Emperor ruled in favor of the appellant
on grounds that it is unfair for the Crown to own both the throne and land
stressing what with the people will remain if the Monarch owned both. He died
penniless leaving behind the true meaning of magnanimity and justice.

Gratitude to EHSNA

It is with utmost sincerity and great pleasure that I
congratulate the Board officials of EHSNA on the glamorous occasion of the
celebration of the 117^th Anniversary of the Battle of Adwa.

As I have said time and again, EHSNA was conceived by
farsighted visionary few inspired by genuine love of Motherland Ethiopia. They
were no doubt motivated by the rich repertoire of Ethiopia’s abundant
heritage garnered over thousands of years. I am sure that young celebrants in
particular will proudly appreciate and vow to enrich the repertoire of their
heritage.

LONG LIVE ETHIOPIA!!!

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