It is crucial for Ethiopians to take lessons from the Wuchale Treaty

By Molla Mitiku
Tigrai Online March 2, 2020

Incredibly, Ethiopians made a history just 124 years ago  at Deguale and other areas in Tigray and then finalized it at Adwa by completely deafiting the trained modern Italian Army equipped with moder weapons, which was  a symbol of freedom for all black people worldwide.

The Ethiopian  farmers and pastoralists defeated the modern Italian Army which ascertained the committment of Ethiopians for their freedom independence.   

Available documents witnessed that the first battle took place  at Amba Alagi  on the 7th of December 1895  where   the Italian army  were defeated. Then, there was another battle  in  Mekelle, where Ethiopians surrounded the Italians for two weeks forced  them  to surrender. 

The  glorious  victory over the colonial forces of Italy Adwa has celebrated this year colorfully at Adwa. In fact, it was the first major victory of non-white people over an European army that turned upside down the widespread belief about differences between Africans and the European colonizers.

Today, Ethiopians throughout the country and at a national level at Adwa have   marked the 124 anniversary of the  victory, which is the proud of Africans and other black people around the globe.

The victory was  a proud history that a lot of local and foreign scholars wrote their appreciations about it. They argued the victory of Adwa is one of the turning points in world history substantiating their arguments that the  economically undeveloped and poor  Ethiopians who were armed with traditional weapons gained a glorious victory over economically well developed Italians who were armed with modern weapons.  
The defeat was not only to the Italian army but to the entire European countries that had been colonizing African countries. In the same token, the victory was not only the proud of Ethiopians and Africans  but also all  other black people around the world, which coerced  European colonialists to stop and think about their actions.
According to  political analysts  the major reason for the Ethiopian victory over the Italian army was the unity of  all nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia. 

It  gave a lesson to  Europeans about  their undermining attitudes towards black people as it  served as a catalyst for the struggle of colonized people against their colonizers.  

The President of Tigray Regional State Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael also agreed with this fact. He said that history witnessed that  the Ethiopia farmers forced the Itallian genral to surrunder and the  Commander in Chief to escape with his guards and some other Itallian arny abd the incident was so terrifying to the world as it was  unexpecred to have such a glorious victory  over the whites by undeveloped  countries". 

Europeans  were forced to accept Ethiopia’s sovereignty and freedom. As a result, they opened their Embassies in Addis Ababa and took various measures to strengthen their bilateral relations with the country. 

What differ the victory from other similar situations was the fact that it brought all Ethiopians together despite their differences. Consequently, they maintained the sovereignty of their country while many other African countries were colonized by the Europeans.

Many  scholars described the courage of Ethiopians who bravely fought against the Italian army.  Donald Levin who  argued  the victory of Adwa indicated the extreme  love Ethiopians have to their motherland. He added the cooperation of Ethiopians and their strong courage to defend their country from foreign invaders.

It ensured the love of the people to their country and the tolerance as well as it really shows the way our forefathers handle their differences and gave priority to their country’s sovereignty. That is what our forefathers did. They managed to protect their country from foreign invaders. 

It is appropriate for the new generation to protect and keep the country  united. from its enemies. The youth has to take a lot of lessons from the victory of Adwa. On one hand, every Ethiopian contributed to the victory either through supplying logistics or directly participating in the battle. 

Despite the efforts made by the Italian conquerors to divide the Ethiopian people, no one allied with them. All Ethiopians became unwilling to negotiate about their country’s sovereignty. 

This is what the current generation should comprehend well. It was due the strong enthusiasm of our forefathers that Ethiopia’s sovereignty was maintained while other Africa countries fall under colony. One of the significant lessons that the youth need to consider at present. 

There are also other victories that Ethiopians together gained a victory  over foreign invaders. In all these incidents Ethiopians assured their culture of putting differences aside and strengthen their unity against their enemies.

Our forefathers had courageously fought with the armed Italian force in the battle field  and  performed bravely so that they forced the Italian conqueror to turn back shamefully with a considerable loss of life.

As a result, Ethiopia is  one of the two African countries that didn't  colonized by the European colonialists, which was not only the proud of Ethiopians but also all Africans and other black people around the globe.

The& important lesson that the current generation should take from the victory of Adwa could be the need to come together regardless of differences when the country is subjected to foreign conquerors.

There was no need to have differences in national issues. Every citizen, regardless of their ages, gender, religion and ethnics, should stand together for national interests.

Despite internal differences, all nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia should stand in unison against internal or external groups who have been attempting to jeopardize the economic development and poison the peace of the country.

Colonialists previously conquered countries and administer by guns and  forces  but today they deprive the rights of citizens  under the pretexts of reform, loans and aid, Dr. Debrtsion said. adding that we have realize that we are now shouldered a responsibility to keep  our country from any foreign intimediations, maintain its freedom and  hand it over   to the coming generation,  he added.

I would like to conclude it with the words of Dr. Debretsion in connection to the necessity to taje lessons from the victory of Adwa.  "Having taken a lesson from the Wuchalle Treaty that caused the battle of Adwa, "Having taken a lesson from the Wuchalle Treaty that caused the battle of Adwa, current agreements made with foreign countries must be evaluated throughly and considered carefully".