Day: March 2, 2024

Ethiopians should renew the spirit of Adwa to build a strong nation for the current and future generations, the political-economic analyst Lawrence Freeman said.

Today Ethiopians marked the 128th anniversary of the Victory of Adwa which is considered a symbol of African resistance against colonialism.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the analyst said the victory shocked the very foundations of European imperialism and almost brought them into a downfall.

‘This became something that all Africans and African-Americans in the United States basically rallied around. And this became the basis of parts of the movement for the liberation of African nations in the 1960s and 1970s. And it’s still today remembered as an absolutely unique event of effective resistance by an African nation and African people.’

The victory was a result of a unified country where Ethiopians had to put aside their differences and conduct a battle to defeat the Italian imperialists on 1st March 1896, he added.

According to him, vario
us sections of Ethiopian society united to defeat an enemy and guarantee their freedom; and the ‘event has helped shape the Ethiopian mindset in the 20th and 21st centuries.’

‘What we saw at Adwa was people (Ethiopians) had to give up their grievances with each other, and they had to unite to defeat an external enemy.’

Therefore ‘what I’m suggesting today is that we do the same thing in the spirit of Adwa to build a strong future for Ethiopia, the best way to guarantee a strong future for their grandchildren,’ he said.

He also praised Ethiopia for inaugurating the newly built Adwa Victory Memorial this month in order to commemorate the nation’s heroes and heroines.

What happened in 1896 at Adwa still affects the Ethiopian mindset today as the people are grow up with Adwa inspiration and heroism, he added.

Therefore, the children of Ethiopia can be told the stories of how the country defeated the imperialist which no other country did in the whole continent, Freeman said.

‘Now we should use the memorial
to reinforce and reeducate and revisit this historic battle,” he stressed.

Moreover, the political-economic analyst stated that Ethiopia’s potential for economic growth is virtually boundless and the country is already a leading nation in East Africa.

In this case, Ethiopia has demonstrated its commitment to regional integration through the export of electricity and will continue it from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam(GERD) to its neighboring nations, he elaborated.

Ethiopia has also become one of the African nations to join the BRICS. This itself is another form of leadership for Africa, according to Freeman.

The American analyst believes that Ethiopia’s membership will increase the potential of more economic growth in the East African region.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Africans must open a new phase of struggle to overcome the ideas of neocolonization on the continent and decide their own destiny, President of Comoros and former Chair of the African Union, Azali Assoumani underscored.

Ethiopians are celebrating the 128th anniversary of the shining Victory of Adwa that thwarted the Italian campaign to expand its colonial empire.

In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News Agency, President Assoumani recalled that African countries were inspired by the Victory of Adwa to assimilate and embed the notion of pan-Africanism in order to work and develop a unified force and build a better Africa.

Ethiopia is an ancient and uncolonized country, which Africans look at as an example in their struggle for independence and sovereignty, he stressed and reminded that Ethiopia needs to carry this great responsibility.

He added Ethiopia has always been a staunch defender of peace and freedom on the African continent.

According to the president, the aggression of foreign power ben
t on imposing colonialism, was conquered by Ethiopia at the Battle of Adwa, which is seen as pioneer in Africa.

However, colonialism has now changed its shape and casts bad shadow on sovereign countries, hindering their social and economic development, he said.

Impact of colonialism still wreaks havoc in our societies in Africa, he said.

He explained that manifestations of colonialism are prevalent through economic pressure on African countries, exacerbating political tensions, carrying out cultural invasions, upsetting the balance of power and using international financial institutions and aid organizations as tools for achieving their goals.

The African continent has not yet recovered from the deep wounds caused by slavery, Assoumani said, adding that slavery has caused irreversible damage on Africans.

He elaborated that the cope of reparations, which are requested by African Union, for instance, financial reparations, involving initiatives which aim at strengthening victim communities through educatio
n and guarantee of equality in the phase of opportunity for sustainable development of communities who have for long been left behind.

AU is implementing Agenda 2063 for a decade now to deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development, he said, adding that this is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan Africanism.

The president pointed out that we are at an important stage where we will fight together to strengthen the African Union so that Africans can decide on our shared interests.

To this end, he suggested that promoting the idea of Pan-Africanism, fighting along with countries, such as Ethiopia that defended their sovereignty, underscoring that sovereign rights will not be negotiable, should be our main strategy and option for victory.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency