Adwa 1896: Who Was Civilized & Who Was Savage?
By Negussie Ayele
March 1997
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Perhaps not so paradoxically, it appears that, all other things being equal, had Ethiopia been colonized in whole instead of in parts, it would have had a better chance of staying as a unit like the rest of the countries of Africa even if it were to deteriorate to stateless status later as evidenced in some quarters of the continent. So, in addition to all the travails and sacrifices the country has endured in resisting total colonial occupation, it has been continuing to pay delayed and recurrent political price for the past one hundred years. No matter how late in the day, colonial (or is it imperialist?) desideratum vis-a-vis Ethiopia is being concretized when a coastal territory chipped off by colonialism from a sovereign country could to claim separate statehood.
Ethiopia’s bitter struggle has had other tangible and intangible costs to the country and its development as well. For Ethiopians, however, no matter how much the sacrifices and how big the material losses incurred in fighting for freedom, then as now, to retain the kind of cx®ª*| Seb’awinnet meaning humanity, civility, dignity and decency as well as related spiritual and moral values that were manifest in war and peace as we have seen at the time of Adwa, 1896, is of great value. For those who may have puzzled over why despite their unending sufferings Ethiopians remain so strongly patriotic wherever they are, it is hoped that these pages may have shed more light into the enigmatic recesses of the souls of them folks in the Horn of Africa.
In sum, then, the historic events that climaxed in Adwa, 1896, are memorialized for a variety of reasons besides military victory over Italian colonial aggression. Generations of Ethiopians and fellow Africans abroad can proudly continue to celebrate Adwa anniversaries for the display of African civility over European savagery, and of Ethiopian humanity, decency, dignity and compassion in the face of Italian enmity, conceit and chicanery. Emperor Menelik, the man of the hour at Adwa and whose centennial we celebrated in 1996, was a person who partly rose from lowly birth to the pinnacle of power in his country and to a position of renown abroad. Today, one hundred years later, the good news is that debate in Ethiopia concerning the centenary of Adwa, 1896, is not about its significance and its continuing pride of place in the country’s history. The bad news is that a spurious pseudo issue has emerged as to which ethnic or regional group is entitled to assume the role of repository of the legacies of Adwa and therefore who should don Immeye Menelik’s v`e/w (ceremonial mantle) and carry on Adwa’s banner to the next stage. No one group had arrogated proprietary credit for Adwa in 1896 or through the century since. The unmistakable legacy of Adwa is that all Ethiopians qua Ethiopiansand yes, all Africans, are entitled to wear its mantle, hoist its banner and continue to bask in its historic glory together, as has been the case for the past one hundred years.
We close this profile of Adwa, 1896, Who (actually) Was Savage And Who Was Civilized? by citing a profound statement inscribed on the monument of Emperor Menelik (1844-1913) in Addis Abeba which should be indelibly etched in the hearts and minds of generations of Ethiopians and indeed of all truly decent, civilized human beings everywhere. 
ž|Jo ¨¾ ž|jO¨HÅ U¼ ¾ÀHT””
^e H{Io {]¡O«HÅ Ó |Jo U¼ «””
translation: (It is not a big deal to be of noble or of lowly birth; but, to give birth to a great historic cause is a big deal.)
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Negussie Ayele, Ph.D., is Professor of Political Science. He is currently working on a research about Political Developments in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. This article is based on his presentations to Adwa centenary conferences in Los Angeles and Atlanta.