Former AU Commission Says Ethiopia Has Big Responsibility to Ensure Legacy of Adwa

Addis Ababa March 1/2024 (ENA) Adwa “puts a big responsibility on Ethiopia to ensure that the legacy of Adwa is kept, that Ethiopia is always among the lead countries, for the development, for the security and for everything of Africa because we look up to them,” former AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told ENA.

Dlamini-Zuma added that Africans are very proud to celebrate the Victory of Adwa as it is an African legacy.

According to her, forbearers of Africa had understood that unity has more power than individuals going alone.

“Our forbearers understood that individually we were very weak, and we cannot take the continent forward. But together we are very strong. And if we stick together and understand that an African in any part of the continent is your brother is your sister, then we will go forward. Pan- Africanism is very important.”

The former AU Commission Chairperson further stressed that African countries should teach African history properly in every school in order to strengthen Pan-Africanism.

“I think in our schools, we should teach African history. Many places don't teach proper African history, including my own (South Africa). We still go with the history of the colonizer. We must teach our own history,” Dlamini-Zuma insisted.

She also underlined that Africans must be proud of who they are and then teach  children because “if you don't have heroes of your own, how are you going to be proud of yourself? How are you going to take the continent forward? You must be proud of who you are.”

Moreover, you can only be proud of who you are, if you know your history, she elaborated, adding that because if you don't know where you come from, you are lost.

The former AU Commission Chairperson stated that Adwa for is a pride for Africans as we were able to stand our ground.

The 128th anniversary of Victory of Adwa will be celebrated in Ethiopia with various ceremonies tomorrow.

On March 1, 1896, Ethiopians from all walks of life marched to the town of Adwa and defeated the Italian colonial army in the Battle of Adwa.