Abune Petros in our heart

 

by Yilma Bekele
On July 29^th. 1936 Abune Petros was executed by the Italian fascist that were trying to colonize our country for his refusal to submit. On May 2^nd. 2013 the monument that was built to commemorate our Holy Father was removed by the order of the TPLF party that is currently ruling our country. Our Holy Father died for the first time. The murder by a firing squad was an honor and showed his deep love for his people and country. The fascist killed his body but he made his home in every Ethiopian soul for ever and ever. We all carry Abune Petros in our heart. ‘Abune Petros Adebabaye’, ‘Abune Petros Hawelt’ is not just a location but the symbol of our pride and the true meaning of sacrifice for a higher cause.
The order to Kill Abune Petros was given by the fascist Viceroy Graziani but the trigger was pulled by solders from the Northern Ethiopia that were faithfully serving the fascist invader. The order to remove our monument to our beloved father was given by the TPLF party but the backhoe and flatbed truck was driven by modern day Banda’s.
They claim the removal is temporary. That is not the issue. Was it necessary is our question. Could it have been avoided is our point. Aren’t there some things considered priceless is our contention. The same people that moved heaven and earth to bring back our stolen Obelisk and erect it in its rightful place felt no qualms about dispatching daily laborers to bring our hero down and place him in a warehouse. We rejoiced when our obelisk was returned because it is the symbol of our glorious past. Although their leader dismissed our joy and happiness and tried to claim it as his peoples private history we bit our tongue and dismissed his rudeness for immaturity.
I agree it is difficult to personally relate to a stone like an obelisk. Nevertheless it is the product of our ancestors and a symbol of their ingenuity for that period in our past. But Abune Petros is a living symbol every one of us would have no problem claiming, admiring and silently thinking ‘would I have courage to act like him?’
Abune Petros is what I always thought we Ethiopians were like. I was raised at a time when being an Ethiopian was something special. There was not enough adjective to describe our country and people. Yes I am aware that we had lots of problems to resolve after all forging a nation is not a cake walk. There were many that were left behind and quite a few that did not get a fair share of what was on the table. We are still trying to come to terms with that.
That still should not dampen our glorious past. Abune Petros was one of those bigger than life Ethiopians that added a positive value to our experience. He defined patriotism, resolve, love, spiritual guidance and commitment to the truth. He accompanied our Emperor and the civilian army to Maichew and confronted the fascist army. He witnessed the gallantry of his people and the

Ethiopia deplores slaying of UN peacekeeper, tribal leader

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
May 7, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Ethiopian government on Tuesday condemned the killing of an Ethiopian peacekeeper and a tribal leader in the contested Abyei region, which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.

FILE - People from the Misseriya tribe of the Abyei oil region protest against the proposal of African Union (AU) mediator former South African president Thabko Mbeki for a referendum to decide whether the region belonged to Sudan or South Sudan, outside the United Nations (U.N.) and AU headquarters in Khartoum November 28, 2012. The protesters insisted that the region belongs to Sudan (REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The Ethiopian peacekeeper and the paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka, Kuol Deng Kuol, were killed on Saturday after the a convoy they were travelling in under the escort of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was ambushed by members of the rival nomadic Arab Misseriya tribe.
Two other peacekeepers were also seriously wounded in the attack, with one of the injured soldiers later passing away.
“The Ethiopian government condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the murders and attacks targeting Ethiopian peacekeepers”, Dina Mufti, spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, told Sudan Tribune.
Mufti said the unfortunate incident should not jeopardise the recent agreements signed between Juba and Khartoum, particularly on the resumption of oil exports.
There are over currently 4,000 Ethiopian peacekeepers deployed in the flashpoint border zone between Sudan and South Sudan, where they are tasked with monitoring peace and operations for demilitarisation.
The senior government official underlined that the incident would not prevent Ethiopian peacekeepers from carrying out their mission in the region, affirming that Ethiopia will continue to act as a credible partner for both Sudan and South Sudan.
The African Union and the US government have also condemned the attack, which occurred on the same day as a meeting held between members of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC).
The deaths have outraged Abyei’s Ngok Dinka community, with South Sudan accusing the Sudanese government of being behind the killings.
Widespread protests erupted in Juba on Tuesday, with demonstrators calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice amid fears the incident could trigger further violence in the volatile region.
Addis Ababa has called on governments of both Sudan and South Sudan, as well as the Dinka and Misseriya communities to exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalating tensions in the region.
(ST)

Letter on Tesfaye Demmellash's masterpiece

Letter to the Editor
May 8, 2013
Dear Ethiomdia Editor,

Please, kindly convey my take on Tesfaya Dememmellash's incisive article - Amharas and Ethiopian Resistance against Tribal Tyranny - to the esteemed author.
It is a masterpiece of bold, ethnological depiction of Amara ethos for which I commend you (Tesfaye) wholeheartedly. It poignantly articulated the not-so-much-vaunted very Ethiopian, evolved and inclusive Amara world-view.
I wish to however point out the conspicuous absence of one crucial issue in the discourse.Tesfaye's otherwise elegant analysis did not cast light on Ethiopia's sorry history with respect to the two Italian invasions preceding Ethiopia's calamitous 'revolutionary' history of the 1970 s.The Amara elites are culpable of crimes of omission with regard to the ongoing atrocities Woyanes mete out on Amaras. Their reticence, is rightly read as tacit approval.The untold crimes perpetrated against tens of thousands of Amaras including the series of massacres, dispossession, exile, denial of their children from accessing education in their own tongue since Woyane usurped power in 1991, has not perturbed Amara elites beyond the occasional outbursts of rage.The vengeful Woyane mind-set that is largely informed by the distorted reading of the conducts and outcomes of the two aforementioned wars, is at the root of their audacious actions.It is with a sense of profound grief that I recount the lynching of 28 of my own peasant relatives including children as young as 5 years-old, by forces armed and incited by Woyanes.I concede that it is the timid, pretentious and disingenuous Amara elites who have consistently failed to stand up to the wild allegations hurled at their forefathers, that has emboldened this suicidal minority to do what they are doing today. Amara intellectuals are still dilly-dallying on determining the course of action that needs to be taken to avert the imminent danger of experiencing a more sordid crime this malicious outfit is set to commit.Once again, thank you, Tesfaye.Best regards,
Messay D.

A Call for Action: The OAU & Emperor Haile Selassie’s Rightful Place in History

 

by Nebyat Aklilu
As Addis Ababa prepares for grand festivities, galas and events in celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the establishment of the African Union (AU), formerly known as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), on May 25, 2013, we, Africans, and peoples of African descent, pay homage to the visionary leader of the OAU, His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie. We honor the “Father of Africa,” Emperor Haile Selassie, for his visionary leadership and everlasting contributions to the freedom and independence of Africa and African peoples, and for the key role he played in establishing the OAU/AU.
We, Africans and peoples of African descent, appeal to the OAU/AU to build and erect, center front of the OAU/AU building, a statue of Emperor Haile Selassie in symbolic honor and respect for his unparalleled dedication, commitment and contributions to African independence and unity, and to the establishment of the Organization of African Unity.
It is a well-known fact that prior to the establishment of the OAU/AU, a major rift existed between African nations on how the concept of African Unity should be implemented. This divide resulted in the establishment of two main separate factions: The Monrovia and Casablanca groups. These two groups had opposing philosophical beliefs regarding the implementation of African Unity. The Monrovia and Casablanca groups also differed in opinion on the autonomy or scope of authority that should be warranted to an organizing body tasked with the responsibility of making the vision of African Unity come to fruition. As the philosophical differences between these two groups in the late 50s and early 60s continued to grow, the prospects of achieving African Unity appeared bleak.
It was not until after the relentless diplomatic efforts of the then Foreign Minister, His Excellency Ketema Yifru, and under the visionary leadership of Emperor Haile Selassie, that the Monrovia and Casablanca groups reconciled their differences in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia culminating in the establishment of the OAU/AU on May 25, 1963. History can neither forget nor deny the riveting and compelling speech made by the “Father of Africa,” Emperor Haile Selassie, who, in uniting the two splinter groups by hosting the First Conference of African Heads of State, also declared in his address:

This Conference cannot close without adopting a single charter. We cannot leave here without having created a single African organization possessed of the attributes We have described. If We fail in this, we will have shirked our responsibility to Africa and to the people we lead. If we succeed, then, and only then, will we have justified our presence here.