In honour of the 129th anniversary of the Victory of Adwa, President Taye Atske Selassie Amde laid a wreath at the monument of Emperor Menelik II early in the morning, accompanied by a few representatives from the Ancient Ethiopian Heroes and Patriots Association and the Ethiopia Defence Force. The theme of the celebrations is “Adwa: Victory of the Black People.” Consequently, a wreath was placed at the Emperor Menelik II monument in Addis Ababa to begin the ceremony. But this year’s Victory Day festivities around the Emperor Menelik II Monument were forbidden, unlike in previous years.
In a statement congratulating the Adwa victory on social media, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the Battle of Adwa was a conflict between armies aiming for peace and violence. He went on to say that Ethiopia’s struggle for peace, not war, was the reason for its success in Adwa.
Discussions regarding Ethiopia’s history of defeating its colonizers with the Adwa, its contribution to the formation of Pan-Africanism, and its tenacious diplomatic efforts to promote regional integration are among the various activities that are typically held on Memorial Day.
A concentrated attempt was made by Ethiopian forces under the leadership of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu Betul to stave off the Italian army’s invasion. African armies defeated European colonial powers in a decisive victory for the first time.