ADDIS ABABA—Ethiopia has to replicate the legacy of the victory of Adwa well with a view to properly utilizing its untapped tourism potential as for instance, sites of the Battle of Adwa are not well signposted or explained, so stated an historian.
Approached by The , British Historian Specializing in Ethiopia with a focus on the Italian occupation, Ian Campbell said that the sites of the Battle of Adwa are not well signposted or explained for the benefit of Ethiopians or foreign visitors. Hence, a great opportunity to enhance Ethiopian tourism is being lost.
“What we can learn from the Battle of Adwa is the importance of unity and harmonious move to come up with eternal victory, so the saying goes, “Unity is strength.” No single group of Ethiopians could have resisted the Italian army since it was done through firm cooperation,” the historian underlined.
As to him, the new Ethiopian generations, particularly the youth, know very little about 20thcentury Ethiopian history.
It needs to be taught in the schools, and the schools should be encouraged to set up Heritage Clubs to involve the young Ethiopians in the process of safeguarding and preservation of Ethiopia’s Cultural Heritage before it is too late.
“I think the present way in which Adwa is celebrated in Ethiopia is fine. But there should also be an annual conference or symposium where scholars can present findings of their research and thoughts about the great event,” he added.
The Ethiopian resistance to the invading Italian occupation, 1935-1941, suffered from a lack of overall leadership and coordination. This emphasizes the need to learn from the Battle of Adwa about the importance of unity.
BY MULATU BELACHEW
WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2022
