Page 49 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

History

ecent days have seen
Ethiopians both in the
country and in the dias-
Rpora shocked at appar-
ent acts of betrayal by prominent
citizens. Of course, acts of national
betrayal are not unique to our times.
In 1895 the Italians lured Lij Gugsa
Darge, son of Ras Darge Sahle
Selassie from his school in Swit-
zerland into Italy. They persuaded
him to betray his country and stand Dejazmatch Haile-
with Italy. The Italians promised Lij
Gugsa that after they defeated his Selassie Gugsa with
cousin Menelik II, they would place Marshal de Bono.
him on Menelik’s throne and make
him Emperor. They were helped in
convincing Gugsa that this would be
a good idea by Afework Gebreye- 5
sus, then a student in Italy who was
another person who would become
famous for repeated betrayal of his
country. When Menelik II marched
north from Addis Ababa to con-
front the Italian invasion, he left his
uncle Ras Darge Sahle Selassie as
Regent in his absence. The Italians
hoped that they could turn Ras Ethiopian envoy to France
Darge against his nephew by reveal-
ing to him that his son was on their Blatangeta Wolde Mariam
Ayele.

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