By Yohannes Gebresellasie (ph.d) ethiopia
All African nations and all people of African origin everywhere stood side by side with their brothers and sisters of South Africa and supported them morally, financially and materially. Therefore, Africans everywhere were instrumental in recruiting, mobilizing and equipping the then South African freedom fighters under the ANC in their fight against the then apartheid regime of South Africa. Some Africans even gave their precious lives for that noble cause.
Ethiopia as a nation and Ethiopians as people also did more than their share to help South Africans in their fight against the then apartheid regime. Ethiopia trained Mandela in Ethiopia. He was equipped with military skill and training here in Addis Ababa. Mandela did not own the South African pass port even as South African. Mandela received an Ethiopian official passport here in Addis Ababa. Emperor Haile Sellasie via his Foreign minister Ketema Yefru provided Mandela the Ethiopian passport and with that, Mandela was able to travel to London and other places to mobilize his people residing abroad. Therefore, Ethiopia has been instrumental in echoing the south African issue and mobilizing other nations in all international forums, summits, conferences and that included the UN, the then OAU etc. Therefore, the South African struggle was part and parcel of all people of African origin; indeed of all peace loving people of the world. Here, I am reminded by an incident that happened in my first University, The University of Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. During my studies there, the University Students Association which I was part of decided to organize all Canadian University associations known as The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) to collect petitions and to go to Ottawa: the Capital city of Canada, to meet the then Canadian Prime Minister: The Right Honorable Brian Maroni to ask him to put economic sanction against the then apartheid regime of south Africa. The then Prime Minister after receiving the petition assured us that he will fight against the then apartheid regime of south Africa at all forums and will do his best to convince other leaders to follow his path. He then did what he promised and other leaders except Margaret Thatcher who had different opinion on the matter followed him and an economic sanction was put against the then apartheid regime of South Africa. As a result of the huge impact of the sanction on the economy among others, the regime was forced to give-up its policy of apartheid and became inclusive and gave power to those who belong it.
South Africa as a nation and South Africans as people should not and must not put all the support they received from their African brothers and sisters indeed from all peace loving people of the world in the back burner. It must not at any time be ignored or forgotten. Instead, it must be remembered, respected and rewarded. South Africans owe many Africans in general and Ethiopia as a nation and Ethiopians as people in particular quite a lot. The Great Mandela at one moment said that he visited many places such as England, France and so on but he felt at home nowhere else but in Ethiopia; meaning Ethiopia was his second home. How soon can that be forgotten?
In our era of 21st century, currently we saw in South Africa unprecedented, outrageous, despicable and senseless cruelty and cold blooded murder in its worst form and shape. This act of brutality based simply on xenophobia by some South Africans over innocent fellow Africans that included Ethiopians residing in South Africa cannot be imagined by any sense of humanity. This recent barbaric and inhuman act was simply malaise and regrettable. It must not have happened to any one least to fellow African brothers whose ancestors did more than their share to help South Africa during its bad times. Is that the reward South Africans give to fellow African brothers and sisters? What a great shame! How soon they forget!
When I came to learn about this deplorable incident, I asked myself: were all that sacrifices fellow Africans and indeed all peace loving people of the world put towards the South African cause really worth it? I think it was worthy because the cause of fighting apartheid and helping fellow South Africans was a noble thing to do and was worthy fighting for. What is not worthy, repulsive and hideous was to see people murdering those people who stood side by side with them during their bad times, emancipated them from slavery and gave them everything they had to bring them freedom in cruelty, brutality and savagery manner. What a great shame! How soon they forget!
I hope that such inhuman and savagery act will never happen again anywhere and that the world will take a lesson or two from that. Never again! Here it is important to note that Ethiopia as a nation has been fighting terrorism alone for quite a long period of time and has been calling the international community to do so. Now that terrorism is knocking every door, it is not only important but indeed indispensable that the world at large stands in unison to condemn the senseless act of brutality and mass execution of migrants that included Ethiopians in Libya by the terrorist group so called ISIS. I wish to express my condolences to the families of the victims.
My condolences to all families of the victims. May the sole of those innocent victims rest in peace.