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.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
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 50th 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:
As Addis Ababa prepares for grand festivities, galas and events in celebration of the 50th 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.
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