Ethiopia

Ethiopia—one of the world’s oldest countries, and rumoured resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. 28 May is Ethiopia’s National Day, known as Dergue Downfall Day. One of the earliest countries to become officially Christian, I’ve always wanted to see the churches carved into the mountains. There has also been a lot of Muslim influence since the earliest days of the Islamic faith. Long before that, fossilized remains of ancestors to the human species have been said to be as old as 5.9 million years old. It’s also the most likely candidate (along with Eritrea) for the land referred to by Egyptians as “Punt,” first mentioned in the twenty-fifth century BCE.

Oh, and Ethiopia is the place that was once known as Abyssinia, for anyone who’s always wondered where Abyssinia was, but never got around to looking it up.

Ethiopia also had early contact with Europe—the region is referred to by Graeco-Roman authors. This contact was lost for a time, reemerging in the 15th century—a letter from King Henry IV of England to the Emperor of Abyssinia survives. Continuous relations began in 1508 with Portugal.

During the 19th century scramble for Africa, the Italians formed the colony of Eritrea to the north of Ethiopia. This led to conflicts between the two countries, and the world was surprised when Ethiopia defeated Italy in the 1896 Battle of Adwa, retaining its independence. Independence was interrupted by a second Italo-Abyssinian war and Italian occuption from 1936-1940. British Empire forces combined with Ethiopian fighters liberated the country in the World War II East African Campaign in 1941—sovereignty was re-established the same year, being formally recognised in 1944 after the signing of the Anglo-Ethiopian Agreement.

The twentieth century saw Ethiopia under the rule of Emperor Haile Selassie for a long stretch. He came to power in 1930, and was deposed by the military junta, the “Derg” in 1974 who established a one-party communist state. 1994 saw the adoption of a constitution that led to the country’s first multi-party elections.

Today’s poem is by the poet Solomon Deressa.

Shifting Gears

I who swim
In the stealth of a dream
Listening to the mind’s insane silence scream,
Because of colour lack
I shall paint your loving face
In colourless breath,
With grapnel-fingers in an empty colour rack,
Beneath the quiet curve of your lashes
Two simple awesome dots in black,
You whose love never wavered
Towards whom I forever crack
On the tip of my parched tongue.

—Solomon Deressa