Sunday, July 29, 2012

ETHIOPIAN CIVILIANS MUSTARD GAS MASSACRES

ETHIOPIAN CIVILIANS MUSTARD GAS MASSACRES
             Matthew Dominioni, a historian of Italian colonialism, had already brought to light that yet another dark chapter in Italian history in his book The collapse of the Empire (Yale University Press). The volume was prepared in draft, this forgotten massacre had already been proposed advances from the pages of major newspapers, when Dominioni, as he says in the introduction of chemical Platoon. Abyssinian Cronoche a generation uncomfortable (Mimesis, pp.172, 12 euros), he received a call that left him stunned: "My name is John Boaglio and the son of the person who used the gas in the cave Zeret. I always knew of the existence of the cave. My father has left a diary in which he speaks of the massacre. " Chemical Platoon, the diary of Alexander Boaglio, edited by his son John and by the same Dominioni, not only tells of a horrible crime. It is a unique document of its kind. Written after his return to Italy, presumably drawn from the first half of the fifties and April 1958, the fruit of long and bitter thoughts, and certainly also a reworking of deep and painful, is the choice not to remove what time it was easier to drop into oblivion. Alessandro tells Boaglio without omission, rejects a justificatory narrative of their work, not seeking to discharge their responsibilities on their superiors. It should not have been easy to describe the act of dropping mustard gas cans while you are hanging from a rope over a cliff: the author does not seek or pity or mercy, is not asking the reader to identify himself, he does not want, as a torturer, and understood to be justified. He wants to know. There is rigor in this testimony, but there is also the consciousness of having fought a war against a people who had to learn the sacred right to rebel against the colonial rule, defines the Ethiopian patriots made ​​ hanged in the square as a warning as "heroes of 'other side', and during his stay in the colony, try to understand, even with humility, with the tools of their culture and their own age, who are the others against whom he is fighting. The result is a text full of respect. The author seems to want to plunge into the world that is trying to relate to people, although aware of being perceived as an occupier, even if accepted as a guest. She set to work in rudimentary medical interventions, trying to learn Amharic, narrated with dry descriptive power even vices of fellow occupants, mocks in highlighting how the racial laws (prohibiting romantic or sexual relationships between natives and Italians) were openly transgressed. Recounts with irony of unnecessary military missions, describes the general staff sent for observation during a battle with sarcasm, it lets you take the memory of a loving marriage in which, invited as a guest is treated like a family. Days passed in Addis Ababa, apparently pacified while the control of the vast territory in Ethiopia showed continued instability and vulnerability. The charm of colonial life is interrupted on the morning of February 19, 1937, when two young patriots Ethiopians can severely injure Graziani. From that moment nothing is as before, the ferocious and indiscriminate retaliatory strikes on the defenseless population marks a point of no return, even Boaglio is sent to be part of voluntary patrols to stop the carnage, and even there is not secretive, tells of bodies of men, women and children thrown from precipices. But the most extraordinary document of the entire text is that terrible chapter 9 from the symbolic title "The path of civilization." Here the story becomes meticulous reconstruction gives the idea of a dream or a nightmare relived it many times. On 30 March 1939 the aircraft had spotted a large group of Ethiopian patriots who was chased by a column. In relations officers intercepted the caravan was defined as "the baggage department of Abebe Aregai, a leader of the guerrillas' and in fact it was old, injured, servants, women, children, fleeing stragglers, in short, looking for shelter . They reached a cave large and well protected and were besieged, on the orders of General Lorenzini. To control the operations Lieutenant Colonel Gennaro Sora, in 1926 among the "heroes" who rescued the survivors of the noble mission to the Pole and still remembered as an officer in a respectful and loved by the people against whom he fought in Africa. Between 9 and 11 April were consumed the siege and the criminal massacre. The story of the siege of the cave is a punch in the stomach between people screaming and dying woman gives birth to a child; to him in a literary Boaglio aa the word: "How much blood, how much destruction, many dead, and I scrambled to slaughtered, to kill, to destroy ... and I am born. And I'll stop and grow up with me and millions of other beings will be born by the innocent blood, the blood of murdered fathers and triumph because justice is with us. " Until a few years ago there was still some who swore that in Africa they had brought democracy and civilization, roads and medicine, until a few years ago still influential intellectuals denied the use of gas and massacres of civilians. Early reports of those who had participated in the important phases of the Italian occupation of Ethiopia ignored or belittled the most cruel moments of conflict and when historians like Angelo Del Boca, Giorgio Rochat, Nicola Labanca began producing texts precious fruit of studies and conclusive research, the debate on Italian colonialism has often moved on ideological ground: colonialism for some of velvet, for others the most violent and racist. Dominioni started from original archival research, met with the story of Alexander Boaglio, and tried to bring the debate in the right terms. Those of a colonial war asymmetric with regard to the means and forces of the occupant, fought with all means and in the end lost, not only for the British advanced to the inability to counter a phenomenon such as the field of warfare. At the expense of civilians, the most vulnerable, as often happens in contemporary conflicts. Boaglio Alexander died at 80, after returning invalid in Italy, due to contact with mustard gas, he held various jobs until you find employment in Fiat. His memoirs published today are not only a valuable historical document: reading emerges from a deep hatred of war. Certainly, the perception of what's happening around him seems imbued with an imagery that draws on the Hollywood western, there is a detailed description of landscapes, emotions, special traits, curiosity about the traditions and people, the need to cross a culture other, which we almost instinctively grasps the wealth, while the desire to know his own, the idea of exchange and encounter. A naive, impossible to grow while the ruthless military machine takes its toll, an idea crushed by the cruelty of war. I wonder if the years to write and reflect on their past, have not served to mature Boaglio something stronger and lasting remorse for the victims. A more general reflection on human nature, the evil inherent in free every war, from which valuable today as yesterday would be inspired to not repeat mistakes that often become crimes.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Ato Kidane Alemayehu and Yared Gossa interview by Mahidere radio Atlanta about Italian Facist crime in Ethiopia and Vatican contribution. 11:00 JAN 24 2010

Saturday, January 30, 2010

WHY IS THE VATICAN ADDING INSULT TO INJURY ON ETHIOPIA?! - By Kidane Alemayehu

January 26th, 2010
 

THE ISSUE

The Vatican is in the process of beatifying Pope Pius XII to sainthood despite the well known fact that he was part and parcel of the Italian Fascists who perpetrated untold crimes including genocide in Ethiopia.


It is also a matter of public record that the Pope had sided not only with Mussolini but also with the Nazis who committed the holocaust against six million Jews. The big question, then, is why, despite Pope Pius XII's well known record, the Vatican prefers to ignore the crimes he has been associated with and raise him to sainthood at this time?

THE ITALIAN FASCIST CRIME IN ETHIOPIA

During the Italian Fascists' invasion of Ethiopia during 1935-41, huge losses were incurred including the murder of 1 million Ethiopians (30,000 in a few hours in Addis Ababa alone; over 300 monks, nuns, and clergy at the famous Debre Libanos monastery, etc.), destruction of 2000 churches, 525,000 homes, 14 million animals, and the environment.

ROLE OF THE VATICAN IN THE FASCIST CRIME IN ETHIOPIA

Authors of high repute including Avro Manhattan, Sylvia Pankhurst, Paulos Gnogno, and many others have put on record that the Vatican was fully complicit with the Italian Fascists in the crime against Ethiopia. Following the Lateran Treaty between Pope Pius XI and Mussolini, the Vatican and the Fascists were working in full partnership to facilitate and prosecute the war that played such a huge devastation in Ethiopia. For references and more information, please browse: www.globalallianceforethiopia.org.

WHO WAS POPE PIUS XII AND WHAT WAS HIS ROLE AGAINST ETHIOPIA?

Eugeno Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII) was born on 2/3/1876. From 1901 onwards, for 30 years he was working in tandem (with Gasparri, Undersecretary in the Department of Extraordinary Affairs in the Vatican) "during a period in which canon law, and concordat law – the Holy scope of international relations were to shape growth of twentieth – century papal power. By 1930, Pacelli would succeed Gasparri as Cardinal

Secretary of State, a post he would obtain until he became Pontiff" (1) in March, 1939 and remained Pope Pius XII until he died in 1958.

According to a quote in the "News That Matters" (http://ivarfield.wordpress.com), entitled: "Pope Saved by Mussolini", it is stated: "Pope Pius XII would not have been "pope" if Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini had not brought the Papal system back to Rome after 59 years in exile……It was Pacelli's job to keep the Papal promise of supporting the Fascist dictator."

It is absolutely incontestable that in his capacities as a close assistant to Gasaparri, the previous Undersecretary, his elevation to become the Vatican's Cardinal Secretary of State with responsibilities for international relations including treaties entered into with European nations, and, later, in his role as a Pontiff, Pope Pius XII played a key role in the formulation and application of a Vatican policy that supported the Fascists who perpetrated an "unimaginable crime" (2) against humanity in Ethiopia.

According to "Horizon Press", New York, 1949, "Msgr. Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII, then the gray eminence behind Pope Pius XI, sponsored a policy supporting Fascism in Italy and then the Nazis in Germany, to help the prophecy come true. In fact he became the chief instrument in helping Hitler to get into power. This he did by urging the German Catholic Party to vote for Hitler at the last German general election in 1933. The basic idea was a simple one. Fascism and Nazism, besides smashing the Communists in Europe, ultimately would smash Communist Russia"

According to Dr. Ian R. K. Paisley, a noted authority on the role of the Vatican: "The evidence against Hitler's Pope Pius XII for his pro Hitler ways is overwhelming. So much so that every effort to change history is engaged in the ever increasing embarrassment of the Roman Catholic Church of the 21st Century." Nevertheless, it is fair to state that there are claims to the effect that Pope Pius XII did attempt to help some Jews while, on the other hand, there are claims that he was coercing some of them to change their religion to Catholicism.

(1)Cornwall, John, "Hitler's Pope – The Secret History of Pope Pius XII", 1999

(2)Words used by Pope Benedict XVI describing the Nazi holocaust against Jews.

It is further stated in GlobalSecurity.org: "It is known that Pope Pius' hatred for Communism made him share the ideas of the fascist leaders of Italy, Germany, Spain, and other countries. While denouncing Nazi and Fascist ideologies in abstract terms and without mentioning names, like his predecessors, Pius XII took great pains up to the eve of war to exalt with words of high praise the Duce and his government."

THE VATICAN'S CURRENT POLICY

The Vatican's policy can only be described as inconsistent. Its long silence on the role of the Vatican in the atrocious crime committed by the Fascists against Ethiopia is, to say the least, deafening! It must nevertheless be stated, with appreciation, that the Vatican has expressed its repeated apology to Jews for its silence during the Nazi holocaust. Regrettably, however, the Vatican has turned a deaf ear to repeated appeals for its apology to the Ethiopian people for its complicity with the Fascists. It is interesting to note here that soon after his accession to being a Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, made it one of his primary duties to visit a synagogue in Cologne where he characterized the Nazi holocaust as "an unimaginable crime" against humanity. Repeated letters pleading with His Holiness to apply the same Christian principle to the case of Ethiopia have had no response yet. This is particularly surprising as the Vatican has been apologizing to the Jews for merely being silent during the holocaust whereas in the case of the war crime against Ethiopia, the Vatican had in fact blessed the Fascist army on its way to murder innocent Africans!

APPEAL!

There is no doubt that the Vatican and the Catholic community of 1.2 billion adherents give great value to the respect for human rights and justice whether in the present or historic contexts. That is the essence of the Vatican's repeated apologies for the holocaust crime against the Jews. Therefore, Pope Benedict XVI is requested, once again, to give due consideration to the Ethiopian case, and offer the much overdue apology to the Ethiopian people and desist from deepening the wound against Ethiopians by beatifying the very Pope (Pope Pius XII) who was responsible for the huge loss of human life. We request Your Holiness, to please not add insult to injury!

We call on all people who believe in justice and human rights to express their support for this appeal by taking all necessary measures including the signing of an international petition which may be viewed at www.globalallianceforethiopia.org. We applaud the effort being exerted by the international Jewish community in opposition to the Vatican's beatification of Pope Pius XII and fervently call for its support of the appeal by the Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause (www.globalallianceforethiopia.org) for a Vatican apology to the Ethiopian people. We also call upon the Catholic church as well as Ethiopian and other Catholics worldwide to support this international appeal for justice in the light of the crime committed against innocent Ethiopian people.

Mr. John Polifronio (No. 60 in the website's list of petition signers), a person of Italian origin, and currently residing in California, USA, has submitted the following remarks:

"I'm an Italian, born during this atrocity, and wish to express my profoundest horror that this was done by members of the government, who were from the country of my origins. No apology can possibly begin to deal with this inhumanity directed at the Ethiopian people. I'm filled with revulsion and sorrow at discovering the extent of the Italian government's involvement during the period 1935-41 in these hideously inhuman actions."

A particular plea for action is directed to the Ethiopian Patriotic Association, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church which had lost so many churches as well as two bishops at the hands of the Fascists, the World Council of Churches, Amnesty International, the Genocide Watch International, the United nations, the African Union, the European Union, and all other concerned institutions and individuals to voice their opposition to the proposed sainthood for Pope Pius XII and call upon the Vatican to express its formal apology to the Ethiopian people for its complicity with the Italian Fascists.

Ethiopia raises its hands unto God. (Psalm 68/31)

ITALY’S EXCELLENT NEWS FOR ETHIOPIA - By Kidane Alemayehu



ITALY'S EXCELLENT NEWS FOR ETHIOPIA - By Kidane Alemayehu

Posted By hailu On September 2, 2008 (8:02 am) In Amharic, Ethiopia

It has been reported in various news media that Italy has signed an agreement with Libya to pay a compensation of $5 billion for the use of Libyans who fought as part of the Fascist army during the Second World War. This should be an excellent news as the Fascist army which included some Libyans had committed genocide for which Ethiopia should be compensated a minimum of $50 billion.

The Libyan government should be given due credit for its valiant effort in getting a redress through the substantial compensation by the European government i.e. Italy that colonized it for several years and utilized its citizens in its quest for suppression as well as committing atrocities in other nations such as Ethiopia.

The current Italian government also deserves appreciation for its principled stand on the issue by owning up to its past historic injustices. The important remaining issue now is whether the Italian government would be consistent with this fundamental principle and apply it to Ethiopia which had suffered the most from the Fascist atrocities. This will depend not only on the Italian government's new-found sense of justice but also on whether the people and government of Ethiopia will make a justified demand for an equitable compensation.

Various well known scholars and authors including Avro Manhattan, Richard Pankhurst, Anthony Mockler, Emperor Haile Selassie I, Paulos Gnogno, etc.have provided an indisputable evidence for the fact that during the 1935-41 Italian occupation of Ethiopia, the following devastating losses were perpetrated by the Fascists:

1. Numerous Ethiopians (later estimated at 1 million) were killed of whom 30,000 were murdered in a few hours in Addis Ababa alone; 350 monks and nuns were massacred in the famous Debre Libanos monastery; and two bishops, namely, Abune Petros and Abune Michael were martyred. (1)
2. 525,000 homes and 2000 churches were destroyed.
3. 14 million animals were killed.
4. As the Fascists sprayed mustard poison gas in various parts of Ethiopia using numerous airplanes, the Ethiopian environment was devastated in addition to the above genocide and substantial destruction.

(1)There are numerous personal tragedies involving the Fascists. Mine concerns my grandfather, Grazmach Gessesse Fanta and his son, Merid Gessesse, who died fighting against the Fascists in the Ogaden, the eastern region of Ethiopia. The Fascist army that invaded Ethiopia from the Somali front included Libyan and Somali soldiers. My father, Alemayehu Gebremichael, (God bless his soul) had related to me that he also fought against the Fascists in the same area but was able to escape only to be caught later by the Libyan soldiers who beat him so much that his blood was flowing from his nose.

As a so-called compensation, Italy agreed to pay the tiny amount of only 6 million sterling pounds in 1947 and, as a result, the issue has remained a festering open wound for generations. The main reason for the inappropriate and ridiculously low amount of compensation for such a huge crime against humanity was due to the fact that Ethiopia was the only independent African country at the time and the western countries sided with one of their own.

Now that the Italian government has finally seen fit to pay a more appropriate compensation for its past crimes in the African country of Libya, there is good reason to hope and believe that it will also meet its obligation for the Fascists genocide and destruction in Ethiopia.

The above issue has been taken up by the Global Alliance for Justice – the Ethiopia Cause (www.globalallianceforethiopia.org) which has launched an international campaign for a Vatican apology to the Ethiopian people for its complicity with the Fascists. An international petition is being signed in the above website and, so far, nearly 800 people from over 30 countries have already complied. It is intended that once enough signatures have been obtained, a formal appeal will be submitted to the international community including the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, Amnesty International, and other such institutions as well as certain appropriate governments to put pressure on the Vatican to do its Christian duty by apologizing to the Ethiopian people.

A number of letters have also been submitted to Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Vatican, directly calling for his apology similar to the ones that he and previous Popes have offered to the Jewish people for the mere fact that the Vatican remained silent when the Nazis committed the infamous holocaust. The apology to Ethiopia should be even stronger because of the fact that the Fascist army occupied Ethiopia with the prior blessing and, therefore, direct complicity of the Vatican
A Vatican clergy blessing the Fascist army at the start of its journey to commit its genocide in Ethiopia.

It should be noted that the Alliance's strategy comprises three inter-related strands: firstly, to obtain an apology by the Vatican to the Ethiopian people; secondly, to ensure that the United Nations to include the Fascist genocide against Ethiopia in the annals of its historic records; and finally, thirdly, to obtain an adequate compensation by the Italian government to the Ethiopian people.

The above huge effort needs the support of all people and governments who believe in justice and human rights. All who are interested in contributing to the success of this endeavor are requested:

1. To sign the petition in www.globalallianceforethiopia.org calling upon the Vatican to apologize to the Ethiopian people for its complicity with the Fascists;
2. To demand from the Italian government an adequate compensation for the genocide and the immense destruction perpetrated by the Fascists in Ethiopia;
3. To call upon the United Nations to include the Fascist genocide against Ethiopia in its historic records for the accurate information of future generations of humanity.

"Ethiopia shall raise its hands unto God." (Psalm: 68:31)



Tuesday, August 4, 2009

በኢጣሊያ የወረራ ዘመን (1928ዓ.ም)የተፈጸመ የመነኮሳትና ካህነናት ጭፈፍጨፋ

        

            ፋሺስት  ኢጣልያ 1928 ዓ.ም  ኢትዮጵያን  በወረረበት  ጊዜ፤ በኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ክረስቲያኖች፣ ካህናት፣መነኮሳት  ላይ   ያደረሰዉ   ጭ ፍጨ ፋ  እጅግ ዘግናኝ  ነበር፡፡በመነኮሳት  ላይ  እና  በካህናት  ላይ  ያደረሰዉን  ዘግናኝ የጅምላ

ጭ ፍጨ ፋ  ስንመ ለከት-

1.      በሐምሌ  22  ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም   አቡነጴጥሮስ  በአ.አ  ከተማ ፡፡

2.      በኅዳር 24 ቀን 1929 ዓ. ም  አቡነ ሚካኤል  በጎሬ ላይ ታረዱ፡፡

3.      በግንቦት 13 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የደብረ ሊባኖስ ገዳም  መነኮሳት በጸሎት ላይ እንዳሉ 682 መነኮሳት  ተገድለዋል፡፡

4.      ግንቦት 23 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የዜና ማርቆስ ካህናት  በቅዳሴ ላይ እንዳሉ  በመምህር ወልደ ሚካኤል ቀዳሽነት  43  መነኮሳት  ተገድለዋል፡፡

5.       በሰኔ 12 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የዝቋላ ገዳም  መነኮሳት  በማስታኮት ላይ እንዳሉ 211 መነኮሳት ታረዱ በዚህ ጊዜ ደመና መጥቶ ሸፈናቸው  በዜና ማርቆስም ደመናው  ጋረዳቸዉ፡፡

6.      በሰኔ 3 ቀን 1929 ዓ. ም   የምድረ  ከብድ  ገዳም 60 መነኮሳት  ታረዱ፡፡

7.      በሰኔ 15 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የአሰቦት   ደብረ  ወገግ  መነኮሳት 91 ታረዱ ፡፡

8.      በኅዳር 25 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የአዲስ ዓለም ካህናት በአሰቃቂ ሁኔታ ታረዱ  ብዛታቸዉ 135 ነበር፡፡

9.      ጥቅምት 17 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም   የደብረ ዳሞ  ገዳም 416 መነኮሳት በታረዱበት ጊዜ ልዪ ታምራት ታየ ብርሃን ወርዶ  ታየ፡፡

10.  መጋቢት 16 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም   የማ     ኅበረ  ሥ ላሴ ገዳም መነኮሳት ጠባቂዎች ሳይቀሩ 513 ተገደሉ  በዚህም  ቀን  የደብረ አባይ  ገዳም  ተመዘበረ፡፡

11.  በሚ ያዝያ 18 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም  እና ሚያዝያ 20 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም  የመርጡ ለ ማርያምና የተድባበ  ማርያም  ካህናት 363  በጭ ካኔ  ታረዱ፡፡

12.   በሐምሌ 29 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የጎንደር ሊቃዉንት ተለቅመዉ ከታሰሩ በኅላ ግማሾቹ ተገደሉ የ ቀሩት በስር  ቤት  ተሰቃዩ ፡፡

13.  ታኀሳስ 7 ቀን 1928 ዓ.ም  አርብ  በ9 ሰዓት  ብሉይ  ክፍሌ  በግፍ  ተገደሉ፡፡

14.  የካቲት 18 ቀን 1929 ዓ.ም የየካ ቅዱስ ሚካኤል ቤተ ክርስቲያን ታላላቅ 11 ሊቃዉንት  ተጠርተዉ   ስቃይ ወደአለበት ቦታ ተወስደዉ  ታሠሩና ግማሾቹ  ተገደሉ፡፡

              ይህ በታላላቅ ደብራትና ገዳማት ላይ የተፈጸሙ   እና ተመዝግበዉ የሚታወቁ ሲሆኑ  ሳይመዘገቡ  የቀሩ ብዙ እዳሉ  የሚ ገመ ት ሲሆን የሞቱት  ቁጥር ከዚህም  ይበልጣል፡፡

                              የአባቶቻችን ረድኤትና በረከታቸዉ  አይለየን፤

 


Wednesday, July 29, 2009