March 2, 2015
March 1, 1896 (119 years and counting)
by Selam Kebede
If I could name a single most phenomenal event in the Ethiopian history that humbles my heart, it is the battle and
victory of ADWA. This is because the battle at Adwa wasn’t just another conflict but the sum of several years of calculated mischief, treachery and disdain by the then colonial Europeans. And the battle was won with a colorful victory by the Ethiopians because it was a matter of Ethiopia. It was a question of Abyssinia being COLONIZED or not.
victory of ADWA. This is because the battle at Adwa wasn’t just another conflict but the sum of several years of calculated mischief, treachery and disdain by the then colonial Europeans. And the battle was won with a colorful victory by the Ethiopians because it was a matter of Ethiopia. It was a question of Abyssinia being COLONIZED or not.
See, the thing is, the Italians didn’t know who they were dealing with. They thought they were so clever and superior in every way that they didn’t even want to put up a fight but simply take the country by making King Menelik II sign a deceiving treaty at Wuchale. Given the whole of Africa was under different colonial rules at that time it never crossed their mind that these habesha people were any different so if they want to fight, they would simply crush them and make them accept that they are their colonial rulers from then on. Little did they know how Ethiopians would prefer death than seeing someone else’s flag in their soil. Little did they know how brave their Queen Taietu , how smart their king Menelikor how skilled their warriors were.
I remember once a girl (somewhere from Europe) asked me when our independence day was and I causally replied with “we don’t have Independence day”. The girl looked so pitiful and said “oh am very sorry about that”!. Few seconds had to pass untill I actually realized what this means. What she ment. What it means to not have an independence day because you know….I come from a land that HAS ALWAYS BEEN INDEPENDEDT. It was may be one of the most striking points in my life about my Ethiopian-ness and what it means to be from the only independent black nation in the world. While I said to the girl “don’t be sorry, it’s because WE ONLY HAVE VICTORY DAYS” I also vowed to be forever grateful for my ancestors.
Because of these people and the Adwa victory in particular ,me and 90 million other Ethiopians, NEVER FIT in to that little box of the typical “black history”. Especially my years living abroad have exposed me to the knowledge of how the world sees Africa, Africans and people with a drop of blood from Africa in general, and I can only feel humbled and thankful for the people who died to save me my DIGNITY and IDENTITY! I feel like a spoiled child because none of the stupidity regarding race and identity crises could never shake my integrity. Because of them, I stand before the rest of the world proud and dignified, regardless of what the world believes!
Thank you Atse Menelik II, Thank you Etege Taitu and Thank you all the brave men and women who died out of love for their country.
I am forever indebted.
መልካም የአድዋ ድል በአል ለሁላችን።
ብዙ ብዙ ዘመናዊ ጀግኖች የምታፈራ ሃገር ኢትዮጵያ ትኑርልን።
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