Ethiopians celebrated Emperor Menelik’s birthday, paid pilgrimage to his hometown

Ethiopians celebrated Emperor Menelik’s birthday, paid pilgrimage to his hometownEthiopians, both in the country and abroad, remembered Emperor Menelik II birthday. Many Ethiopians see him as the architect reunification of Ethiopia.

• Oromo horsemen from Shewa celebrating emperor Menelik’s birth day in Angolala. Photo : courtesy of of Dr. Abebe Haregewoin
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  August 19, 2019 Emperor Menelik II would have been 175 years old. Those Ethiopians who are far away from their country and active social media have celebrated  his birthday online by sharing pictures and quotes of emperor Menelik II while those in Ethiopia have organized events, some even paying pilgrimage to his birth place.   Residents in Bahir Dar have organized a formal ceremony on Sunday and celebrated the birthday for Fitawurari Gebeyehu Abagora, Empress Taitu (wife of Emperor Menelik) and for Emperor Menelik himself.  Like Menelik, Fitawurari Gebeyehu or Abagora in his horse’s name, one of Emperor Menelik’s prominent military commander who was killed during the battle of Adwa, would have been 175 years old.  Like Emperor Menelik, he was born in Angolala in Shewa.  Empress Taitu, the wife of Emperor Menelik who is known for her wisdom, devotion to the Ethiopian church and for her military strategy, would have been 179 years old.   A group of youth gathered in the capital Addis Ababa paid a pilgrimage to Angola to celebrate Emperor Menelik II. Group of youth paying pilgrimage to Angolala, emperor Menelik II’s hometown.

• Photo : courtesy of Dr. Abebe Haregewoin.Considerable number of ethnic Oromo horsemen have also celebrated his birthday riding their horses to the birth place.  Born on August 17, 1844, he was baptized as Sahlemariam. He was taken prisoner as a child soon after his father, Hailemelekot, died in 1855 -the year Kassa Hailu of Quara was enthroned as Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. The young Menelik, who was said to be liked by Emperor Tewodros, remained in the Royal fortress of Maqdela until his escape in 1865.As it turned out, he was the future emperor of Ethiopia and ruled Ethiopia between 1889 and 1913. Among his greatest achievement during his reign is the reunification of Ethiopian territories after several hundred years. More so, he is known in Ethiopian history as an emperor who introduces modernity in a range of areas. However, Ethiopian historians seem to think that it is emperor Tewodros II who is the first in the line of modernizing Ethiopia. In terms of character, Menelik is best remembered for his benevolence and compassion to the point that he is endeared as “Emeye” to glorify his compassionate personality. In contemporary Ethiopian politics, radical Oromo-Ethno-nationalists tarnish his name for brutality claiming that he “killed five million Oromos, and cut breasts of Oromo women,” among other allegations. Bravery and diplomatic skills are also important qualities that epitomize Emperor Menelik. Apart from various local battles, his military leadership skills are demonstrated in the Battle Of Adwa from which he emerged victorious over the Italian Colonial Army in the year 1896.
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  Ethiopians celebrated Emperor Menelik’s birthday, paid pilgrimage to his hometown”
  1.  Ittu Aba Farda  August 18, 2019 at 4:18 pmEzekiel is gonna have a fit on this one!!! Dawud is gonna pull all the stops on this one!!! O My Goodness!!! Help!! Help!!! Help!!! Call the police on these!!! Jawar may be right on the phone with Abiy asking him how did not set up a command post to disperse these shown in the parade. He may decide finally to march on Addis(Finfine) with his ‘army’. Help! Call the police!!!!! If Abiy does not set up a command post to arrest these celebrating Menelik, I am gonna ask the FBI from here to go in there bring every one of them here. We will prosecute them in Minnesota!!! Help!!!!Reply
     •  Aya Abesha  August 19, 2019 at 8:20 amGood one I hope the Oromo nationalists recognize that Menelik did not identify as Amhara or Oromo, instead as a Shewan. Those Oromos surrounding him also shared the same identity and helped him in his wars.Reply
  2.  Arsicha  August 18, 2019 at 7:12 pmHe allied himself with various European powers during the scramble for Africa. He was an African accompluce European colonialism. He was also responsible for Aanoolee, the silencing of Celenqo and other atrocities during his ‘expeditions’.Reply
  3.  Mulugeta kumssa  August 19, 2019 at 2:06 amFunny!! Correct it as amharans are celebrated mineliks birthday you idiot.Reply
  4.  Aba Geda  August 19, 2019 at 6:04 amthis is just like treating the death of many oromos and innocent ethiopians as a video game .A Culte characterized by genociedvery barbaricReply
  5.  Chala  August 19, 2019 at 10:36 amHere is the truth:Before Menelik reunited the nation, the land of Ethiopia was one large battlefield. Before Menelik there were over 250 sovereign tribal independent nations busy fighting eachother, enslaving one another, competing over land & other resources and competing over slave markets. All of these 250 nations had their own slave markets and all of them were oppressing their people. Before Menelik some of the southern kingdoms like Kafa, Wolaita, Jimma population already was made up of over 2/3 slaves. Before Menelik millions were already dieing as a result of these unendless inter-tribal fighting. The Oromo tribes were fighting amongst themselves and the Amahara kingdoms were fighting amongst themsleves continuously until Menelik restored law and order mainly through diplomacy and with some force.Some stupids come here and say ohh before Menlik we were 9 nations, ha ha ha lol realy? pls elightn yourself people. In Jima zone alone there were 5 kingdoms/sovereign nations, and jima zone with only 15,000 km2 is about 1.3% of Ethiopias total area, now imagin how many sovreign tribal nations/kingdoms existed in Oromia alone probably 100 and the rest of Ethiopia having another 150 nations.Now some of you crazy politicians based in Minnesota cursing Menelik 24/7 are you saying we should have remained 250 countries/nations as it was before Menelik? or are you saying we should have been colonised by diferent Europeans like the somali people leaving in 5 countries???? Are you crazy Minesotans are saying we should have atleast 5 Oromo dominated countries and 5 Amhara dominated countries like French Oromoland/ French Amharaland, Italian Oromoland/Italian Amharaland, British Oromoland/British Amharaland, Djibouti Oromoland, Kenya Oromoland, Turkish Oromoland, Egyptian Oromoland……..????America is not for stupids pls Trump and the black Americans kick these settler people out of America, especially black Americans we need your help pls kick out these black people who wish to be colonised by whites or who wish to be over 250 countries or be partioned to over 10 countres by Europeans. Send them to our country and we will book a bedroom in Amanuel hospital for treatmen
     On Tue, Aug 20, 2019, 8:55 AM Tatek Menji <tatekmenji@optusnet.com.au> wrote: