Sterling gratitude to Ana Gomes

By Robele Ababya
July 8, 2006

The Honorable Ana Gomes is a Portuguese by nationality and a respected member of the revered European Parliament in terms of its responsibility, among other things, to uphold democratic values and strict respect for universal human rights. She came to Ethiopia as leader of the EU-OM for the historic election of 15 May 2005, in which election she witnessed a magnificent display of decorum, enthusiasm, patience, discipline of the Ethiopian people in their earnest quest for peaceful change. Her public disclosure that she feels guilty-conscious for the fate of the jailed Kinijt Leaders on grounds that she persuaded them to partake in the election makes her a distinguished human being of rare quality worthy of admiration and affection.

Curiosity prompted me to ask if anything of the kind of sympathy shown by the Honorable Ana Gomes for the plight of the Ethiopian people in their hour of dire need had ever come from Portugal in the distant past. And I remembered reading a voluminous thick book entitled “Ahmed Gragn” written in Amharic by the renowned Ethiopian historian, Tekletsadik Mekuria. The main sources of the book were scripts by an Arab historian who was, to use today’s parlance, ‘embedded’ with the advancing force of Gragn (The Left-handed) to chronicle events in the battle field between the invaders and the defending militia of the young Emperor Libne Dingil.

Libne Dingil was crowned Emperor at the tender age of 12 upon the death of his father. The Queen Grandmother (QG) of Afar origin and the Queen Mother, Itege Moguessa of Tigrai origin, were members of the Crown Council assisting the young Emperor in ruling the country. The QG was reputed to be very intelligent, farsighted and knowledgeable about impending threats to the Crown and the territorial integrity of Ethiopia. She was acutely aware of the strategically disadvantageous geographic location of Ethiopia – a Christian state at that time and an ‘island’ in the sea of hostile non-Christian environment. So the QG convinced the Crown Council to forge alliance with a Christian European power. The Imperial Court agreed to forge such an alliance with the King of Portugal and an envoy was sent to the latter carrying presents and a letter. Negotiations took time despite urging by the QG to expedite signing of the proposed treaty of friendship, including defense. Due to procrastination of influential members of the Crown Council, the treaty was belatedly signed between Portugal and Ethiopia. Belatedly because Ahmed Gragn had already started his brutal invasion of Ethiopia through Harar and advancing swiftly to the north of the country ruthlessly overcoming resistance, destroying property, burning churches and plundering invaluable treasures and sacred relics thereof. The ruthless forces of Gragn, assisted by arms and/or moral support given by Turkey and other Arab countries, rapidly advanced northwards scoring victories in Balle, Harar, Arsie, Shewa, Wollo, Tigrai, Godjam, and part of Begemdir leaving in their wake death and destruction. Tekletsadik relates in his book that from one church alone in Wollo, it took the invaders three days to loot valuable treasures, including gold, and load them on animal backs to carry them away as payment for weapons to the foreign sellers or providers of those arms.

Tekletsadik credits the Tigrean militia for the ferocity and bravery with which they fought the invading forces of Ahmed Gragn in the above-mentioned battle fields far south of Tigrai proper. It would be proper at this juncture to argue that, during the scramble for Africa by European colonial powers in the 19th century, Emperor Menilik II legitimately claimed and defended what belonged to Ethiopia for centuries as a matter of right. So the tyrant Meles should be ashamed of himself for reducing the history of Ethiopia to a mere 100 years and betraying all that were of vital interest to our ancient motherland.

The eagerly awaited Portuguese Military Contingent had belatedly arrived in Gonder, capital City of Begemder, and established its garrison there by the time the marauding forces of Gragn had occupied positions about hundred kilometers away from the City - the ultimate goal of Gragn. In the ensuing battle to occupy the City, the invaders suffered a heavy battering by the combined forces of the Portuguese and their Ethiopian counterparts. Ahmed Gragn died in the battle field and the remainder of his badly beaten and demoralized forces speedily fled back to Harar suffering casualties on their way. The Ethiopian Emperor proclaimed victory.

Needless to say that Portuguese officers and soldiers shade their blood and sacrificed their lives in the battle fields in Ethiopia. During their sojourn in Beghemder, Ethiopia, the Portuguese built roads, bridges and castles, which are tourist attraction now standing as a monument to their architects and builders. One would surmise that the stunning elegance and beauty of Ethiopian ladies was irresistibly tempting to the Portuguese officers and men; for they married locally and produced children. I presume there are those in the area who might claim Portuguese ancestry to the present day. It is also said that the Catholic religion made its debut in Ethiopia following the arrival of the Portuguese Military Contingent in the 16th century.

The late Emperor Haile Selassie made an official visit to Portugal in 1959. On July 30 of that year the highest rank of General of the Portuguese Army was bestowed upon Him by the Minister of Defense of Portugal; in addition, the Emperor was presented with expensive gifts at the lavish ceremony held in His honor. In return, the Monarch presented to the Minister one of the very shield and spear with which Ethiopians fought the marauding forces of Ahmed Gragn.

Honorable Ana Gomes arrived in Ethiopia in the first decade of the 3rd millennium leading a European Election Observer Mission. She, like her Portuguese ancestors of the 16th century, came in our hour of dire need. She persuaded opposition political parties to take part in the historic 15 May 2005. She convinced the opposition to compete in the election and thus set a popular revolution for peaceful democratic change despite sacrifices made in the aftermath of the election. Her name will no doubt be recorded in the annals of the Ethiopian history just like those of her ancestors.

Ethiopia by now would have been a deterrent force to its unscrupulous internal and external enemies if the Meles regime had accepted the olive branch of peace and reconciliation extended to it by the CUDP. Due to his intransigence, the Horn of Africa, albeit temporarily, lost a formidable democratic force of stability, which loss is an enormous gain to extremists and opportunistic vultures scavenging in the area. The political crisis at home and the state of belligerence and threat against Ethiopia is a welcome relief to the proponents of Interhamwe, Meles-Berket- Sebhat, to extend their grip on power. These trio and their cohorts in the top echelon of TPLF minority regime, comprising of family members, relatives, and business associates, stand to benefit from the prevailing chaos in the region at the expense of the majority of Ethiopians and vital interest of Ethiopia. These are organized daylight robbers of votes terrorizing the Ethiopian people and destabilizing the region.

The tyrant Meles had made and continues to make a shameful smearing campaign on this morally upright distinguished Lady. His vitriolic attack on her impeccable character is totally alien to the Ethiopian culture of decency and civility.

As to Honorable Ana Gomes she has made an outstanding contribution to the struggle of the Ethiopian people for democracy, which struggle will not stop short of victory – as a tribute to her input and as a matter of cherished duty on the part of Ethiopians to live in freedom and bequeath freedom to their children as Dr. Birhanu Nega had said. Just like her ancestors who had left an indelible stamp of Portuguese culture in Ethiopia in the 16th century, she will likewise occupy an enviable place in the annals of millennium years of Ethiopian history. There is nothing that the psychopathic killer (as one Western diplomat put it) Meles can do to preclude the history of Ethiopia from recording the principled stand of Honorable Ana Gomes in regard to the historic election of 15 May 2005. History will record the sterling gratitude of millions of Ethiopians expressed worldwide for her sharing in their ordeals in the aftermath of that election and for her solemn pledge to stand with the Ethiopian people until they achieve victory over tyranny.

Portuguese-Ethiopian relations that was sealed in blood centuries ago was commemorated during His Majesty’s visit in 1959; and now centuries later the Iron Lady from Portugal is identifying with the just struggle of the Ethiopian people for freedom and peaceful change. I believe that there is a decoration in waiting for Honorable Anna Gomes to be presented to her by a democratic Ethiopian government to be formed in the near future.

Ethiopia was reach in forestry (80% coverage barely 100 years ago compared to the present of less than1.5%), gold, cattle, flora and fauna, and bio-diversity among others. Unfortunately the effect of a series of external aggressions and internal civil strife had ushered in abject poverty over the years. The Meles regime is exacerbating the abject poverty by even going to the extreme of demoralizing, incarcerating and killing the youth of Ethiopia. On the other hand the Kinijit Leaders and their followers are saying NO to internal civil strife and regional instability; they emphatically say YES to democracy, justice, equality, prosperity and peaceful change of regime; Kinijit wants peaceful co-existence with the neighbors of Ethiopia, which must defend and protect her sovereignty and national interest in international relations. These illustrious Leaders want to put an end to rampant military spending and make the security forces accountable to the people – not bite the hands that feed them. So, the CUDP Leaders and all other prisoners of conscience must be released from jail unconditionally and immediately. The Honorable Ana Gomes is a credible partner in these lofty aspirations of CUDP, which is now one of the founding members of the nascent Alliance for Freedom and Democracy.

In the enduring spirit of the “Letter from Kaliti Jail” by the icon of freedom, Birtukan, it would be right to salute and warmly support the newly formed Kinijit International Leadership and implore the Leadership to loyally forge ahead with determination, speed and precision to achieve the noble objective for peaceful change in pursuit of which the top CUDP Leaders are in jail and for which Ana Gomes feels sorry about their predicament at the same time reaffirming her pledge to stand for the just cause of all prisoners of conscience – including the leading advocate and champion of peaceful change Professor Mesfin Woldemariam et al in Kaliti jail.

I believe that my fellow Ethiopians would appeal to the Portuguese people to rally behind their morally upright and politically seasoned citizen, Ana Gomes, in her noble undertaking in the struggle for peaceful change in Ethiopia. Ethiopians are tired of perpetual wars and internal civil strife. This is a propitious occasion to further strengthen the tie between Ethiopia and Portugal that started in the 16th century; and to call upon the latter to pressure their colleagues in the EU to heed our fervent prayer for peace in Ethiopia and stability in the Horn of Africa. This appeal should also go to all peace-loving people of the international community.

Sterling gratitude to Ana Gomes!
Long Live Ethiopia!

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The writer can be reached for comments at robele_ababya@yahoo.com