Ethiopia Commemorates the Adwa Victory Day

Ethiopians gathered in Addis Abeba on Thursday to commemorate the 127th anniversary of the Battle of Adwa, where federal forces beat the Italian army trying to invade from the north in 1896. Presidency Sahle-Work Zewde and her group joined the crowd, many of whom were dressed in traditional garb.

The Adwa battle stopped Italy from extending its dominion into the Horn of Africa. By the end of the 19th century, most of the African continent had been partitioned by European colonial powers.

As a result of the triumph, Ethiopia was the only African country that was not colonised by a European force, making it one of the few States to remain free of the influences of Western colonisation.

The invading Italian army was crushed by the African monarchy, which killed about 3,000 soldiers, including two generals. A nearly equal number of Italian POWs were put to labour.

This time, the tables were turned and Europeans worked under the direction of Africans.

Due to the turmoil in the northern portion of Ethiopia, the celebration of the victory of Adwa had been postponed in the town for the previous two years. But, as a result of the peace accord made in South Africa to put an end to the fighting in the area, the residents of the town were allowed to celebrate this year in peace.