Page 54 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 21

Leadership

to find Ethiopians who spread false- the course of history by defeating mation to Italian spies. For instance,
hood about the ethnic division of Italian colonizers and dispelling the they were feeding the Italians false
Ethiopia with evil intentions. Well, myth of white supremacy. information; such as the betrayal
the facts of Adwa prove otherwise. of Ras Mekonen and Nigus Tekle-
Just to mention some of the leaders The swift Ethiopian victory at Adwa haimanot, and the Emperor’s death
who led the people in the battle reawakened a slowly dying spirit of by being struck by lightning. This
of Adwa, we find: Ras Alula, Ras the colonized. It showed that the made the Italians believe that they
Mengesha, and Ras Sibhat of Tigray, pompous theory of white suprem- were fighting against a weak and
Dejazmatch Bahta of Akale Guzae, acy is but a myth. Ethiopia stood disintegrated army.
Wag Shum Guangul of Lasta, Ras as the proud nation of the uncon-
Mikael of Wallo, Negus Takla-Hay- querable people, the defenders of The victory of Adwa manifests the
manot of Gojjam, Ras Gobena and unassailable humanity – the human- strategic genius and combat skill of
Dejazmatch Balcha of the Mecha ity which flourishes only in freedom Ethiopians. Italian colonizers relied
Oromo, Ras Wele of the Yejju and equality. That Sunday morning on their advanced weaponry and
Oromo, Fitawrari Tekla of Wollega, of March 1, 1896 echoes through their ‘divide and conquer’ strategy.
Ras Makonnen of Harar, as well space and time to teach us a lesson They worked hard to weaken the
as Fitawrari Gebeyehu (who died on unity, justice, and the triumph of rule of Emperor Menelik by bribing
fighting at Adwa) and Ras Abate of good over evil. Furthermore, this provincial princes and rulers. Yet,
Shoa. Just as the leaders, the more victory was possible only through they failed to see that these Princ-
than 100,000 troops were also from the central role of great women, es were mostly loyal to the King,
every part of Ethiopia with different which carries a lesson to the misog- who reported to the king while still
religions. Little differences did not ynists and chauvinistic men. Sadly, leading the colonizers to assume
blind them from realizing the fact this historic occasion is marred in- otherwise. Furthermore, the King
that they are all Ethiopians. ternally by ethnic myth-makers and sent diplomatic letters to the Italian
externally by past colonizers who representatives while ordering
Above all, Adwa is the victory now pride themselves as the defend- every brave leader in every section
of Africa and all those who were ers and prescribers of democracy to of the country to prepare for war,
victims of oppression; it was the the world. which made it easier to organize
victory of humanity. Adwa marked the approximately 100,000 brave
the victory of freedom for the Greatness in the Art of War warriors when the official decree for
oppressed over the Western ideolo- The victory of Adwa took just battle was issued. Empress Taytu
gy of supremacy. White hegemony a day, but the preparation took also outwitted Count Antonelli,
has been an agency of evil, which months. One of the lessons of Sun when she managed to play the same
spreads its insidious root using Tzu in the ‘Art of War’ is regard- trick Italians played on the Treaty
shallow pseudo-intellectuals to cover ing preparation. In war, as in other of Wuchale, Article 17, by making
sheer lust for power and money. The things, victory is the result of a him sign a statement that discarded
academic wolves wore sheepskin well-thought-out plan and a true this article, which he assumed to
garbs to defend their theory of Teu- leader is praised not just for bravery only postpone discussion of the
tonic Origins. This theory advocated but also for knowledge and strategy. article. Ethiopia communicated this
white supremacy by claiming to Emperor Menelik II possessed these new agreement with the rest of the
have noble origins as descendants qualities because the preparation for world, making the Wuchale Treaty
of ancient Germany’s Teutonic war did not begin immediately after null and void. This constituted a
tribe, which vouches of whites’ the first provocation of Italy. It took double victory in the diplomatic and
exceptional ability for nation-build- months of preparation to rally the the battlefront.
ing, justifying their unparalleled people of Ethiopia from every part
crime of colonization and slavery. of the country. The diplomatic work Adwa and Feminism
This white fire hoax had affirmed was also attended since the Em- We have mentioned the Empress
itself as most African nations and peror sent Alfred Elge to Europe, Taytu, and so truth demands
indigenous people across the globe who wrote about the hypocrisy of speaking of the Queen and all the
were consumed by this evil. Conse- Wuchale Treaty in various news- patriotic women who defended our
quently, they made the world believe papers, letting the world know the nation. The Queen proved to be a
their dominance, undefeatable by real reason for war. Furthermore, great military strategist when she in-
any other race. But Adwa shifted Ethiopians were feeding false infor- structed 1,000 of her special guards

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