By Dr. Richard Pankhurst:-
We saw on before artcles that, during the Italian fascist occupation of
Ethiopia, the fascist Viceroy, Graziani. decided to eliminate what he
called the “witch-doctors and soothsayers”, because they opposed the
fascist regime. Mussolini gave the resultant murders his personal
approval. He telegraphed back to Graziani, on 20 March 1937: “I approve
what has been done concerning wizards and rebels. It must continue until
the situation is radically and definitely peaceful”, i.e. until the
country was what he called “pacified”.
Shootings and Deportations
Shootings and deportations of “witchdoctors and sooth-sayers”,
accordingly continued apace. On 21 March, Graziani reported to the Duce
that, “excluding the repressions of February l9th and 20th,” i.e. those
connected with the massacre associated with his name, there had been 324
summary executions in a month,
and that 1,100 men, women and children
had been deported to the concentration camp at Danane, in Somalia.
“In Large Measure Eliminated”
A couple of days later the Viceroy despatched further telegrams to
his commanders in various parts of the country to state that the
“hermits, wizards, soothsayers and travelling minstrels,” whose “stupid
prophecies ” had created ” excitement or at least perplexity” among the
population of the capital, had been “in large measure eliminated.” Those
who enjoyed the greatest credit, and who were hence considered the most
dangerous, had been shot, while the others were deported. He went on to
urge that, “while this work of purification continued at Addis Ababa,
“it was “necessary that it should be extended to all the territory of
former Shoa”, as well as to “the various governorates in the case that
preachings or prophecies are directed against the Government or
interfere with public order in any manner at all.”
“Will Be Shot”
General Nasi, the fascist Governor of Harar, replied on 23 April:
“Wizards and soothsayers will be shot without trial.” Other official
Italian telegrams of this period provide details of numerous executions
of persons considered guilty of “spreading false news”, carrying out
“anti-Italian propaganda,” especially by “predicting the return of the
reign of the Negus,” and, in the case of two “vagabond prophets,”
predicting “for the next rainy season the return of Haile Selassie in
Ethiopia.”
Such prophets paid for their boldness with their lives, and on 31
March Graziani proudly informed the Minister of Italian Africa in Rome
that the number of executions, since the assassination attempt, had
reached 1,439.
Debra Libanos
The Viceroy’s vengeance fell shortly afterwards on the monks and
deacons of Debra Libanos, the principal monastery of Shoa. On 20 May
1937, Graziani ordered the summary execution of “all monks without
distinction”, and on the following day reported that orders had been
given for the shooting of “two hundred and ninety-seven monks, including
the vice-prior and twenty-three others also deemed guilty of
complicity”. In a later telegram, he noted that “the complicity of the
deacons also being proved I have given orders to shoot them to the
number of 129, at Debra Berhan. Thus there are left alive only 30
schoolboys, who have been sent to their native homes in various
districts of Shoa. Thus, there remains no more trace of the Debra
Libanos monastery.”
The recent researches of Ian Campbell, of Addis Ababa, indicate that
the enormity of the fascist action was in fact even greater than
Graziani’s telegrams suggest. Campbell claims that the number killed was
significantly more than Graziani stated; that the schoolboys did not go
to their homes, as the telegram said, but were deported to Danane; and
that graves had actually been dug for the victims almost a week before
their “complicity” was supposedly proved.
Disarmament
Efforts to disarm the Ethiopian population continued throughout this
period, and led, on March l8, I937, to the issue of a governatorial
decree stating that Italians and “assimilated foreigners” could own no
more than two long guns and two pistols, and were prohibited from
disposing of them without permission.
A few days later, on March 2l, it was announced that up till that
time the Ethiopian population had surrendered a total of 170,795 rifles,
782 machine-guns, 165 cannon, and 1,380 pistols. Polson Newman, one of
Mussolini’s British sympathisers, claimed later in the year that he had
seen “the natives bringing in their arms”. He adds that “most of the
piles looked more suitable for museum use than anything else”, though
others included “most modern weapons”. “The only natives allowed to
carry arms”, he explains, were “the Askaris, or `native’ irregulars, and
those with special permits,” and that, as a result, “the natives no
longer carry rifles”.
Opposition
Opposition to the regime throughout this period, the fascists
realised, was still very strong, Graziani recognised this when he
complained, on 7 June 1937, that anti-Italian propaganda was being
“intensified”, by Ethiopian exiles in Djibouti, Berbera and Aden.
Fighting in Many Areas
The first half of 1937 witnessed fighting in many parts of Ethiopia.
The battles of this period, as reported by the Italians, included a
fascist attack on the Patriot leader Haile Mariam Mammo on 20 February,
followed by a “rebel attack” at Tarmaber, and “rebel incursions” on 27
February in various areas of Shoa. Fighting in Harar province was
reported to have culminated, on 5 March, in a “bloody battle” at Gure,
while on the following day the “rebels” are said to have suffered “very
heavy losses” at Tarmaber.
Fierce fighting by the Patriots was also reported by the Djibouti
correspondent of “New Times and Ethiopia News”. On 9 April he wrote that
“everywhere the Abyssinian Chiefs have collected bands, and sworn a
solemn oath to liberate their country or die”. He added that “strong
Abyssinian bands” had re-appeared at Garamullata, as well as between
Hawash and Dire Dawa.
In June, just before the rains, the Italians launched a fierce
assault on Ras Abebe Aregai’s positions in Shoa. “While we were staying
in the districts of Morat and Inuari”, that chief later recalled, “the
Italians attacked us four times, and these attacks we repulsed. On the
fifth the Italian army armed with tanks and heavy weapons supported by
aeroplanes, attacked us and forced us to retreat. After that they began
to exterminate the population of the said districts, including children
and the aged.”
The Rains of 1937 Immobilise the Italians, and Bring the Patriots Some Respite
The rains of 1937 saw the Italian army once more seriously
immobilised, with the result that the Patriots again grew more daring.
The official Italian publication “Gli Annali dell’ Africa Italiana”
admits that “rebel bands” increased in August, and became more
“menacing”, particularly in Lasta, under Dejazmatch Hailu Kebede, and in
Begemder and Gojam where there were numerous “rebel bands,” the most
“active” being those of Dejazmatch Mangasha in southern and Belai Zeleke
in eastern Gojam. Salome Gabre Egziabher later commented that “it was
around August 1937 that the people of Gojam seeing the atrocious deeds
of the Italians decided to fight and liberate first Gojam and then the
rest of Ethiopia”.
The fascist air force was, however, once more very active. Graziani,
reporting on fighting near Ambo, only 130 kilometres from Addis Ababa,
noted on August 24, and again two days later, that aviation had given
“the maximum possible assistance and destroyed without mercy”.
Situation of Fascists “By No Means Healthy”
The overall military situation of the fascists was, however, by no
means healthy. Pirzio Biroli, the Italian governor at Gondar, observed
on 2 September that the Italian position, especially in Gojam, was
becoming graver. He added, on 5 September, that “the rebellion seemed to
be spreading to Begemder”, while Graziani noted, on 3 September. that
there was “rebellion throughout Shoa”. He added, on 10 September, that
“the revolt in the territory of the Amhara Governorate assumes ever
larger proportions”, and that Dejazmatch Hailu Kebede had proclaimed a
holy war against the invaders, with the result that the “rebels
adherents” were becoming “ever larger”.
“Becoming Graver”
Lessona, in Rome, who could not close his eyes to these developments,
observed on 2 September that the “progressive kindling and spreading”
of the rebellion in Lasta, Begemder and Gojam had led to “sad episodes”.
He added, on 4 September, that “the situation, especially in Gojam, was
becoming graver”.
“Speedy “Pacification” Demanded
The fascist leadership, alarmed at these events and by the seemingly
unending character of the war, now intervened with the Viceroy to insist
on the speedy “pacification” of the Empire. On 5 September, Lessona
sent Graziani the first of several telegrams on this score. Explaining
that incidents like those recently reported became known in the
international field, and were therefore harmful to fascist policy, he
declared that “the situation created in these last days in many parts of
the Empire necessitates decisive measures of a military and political
character. It is necessary at all costs to cut short the activities of
the rebels in the shortest possible time”.
Their words were almost reminiscent of the famous telegram of Prime
Minister to General Baratieri on the eve of the battle of Adwa, in 1896.
A few days later, on September l2 1937, Lessona despatched the
Viceroy another telegram, in which he stated that “given the
international situation it is necessary that Your Excellency uses
maximum energy in order that conditions in the Empire return to normal
within the present month”. He also quoted Mussolini as ordering that the
Viceroy should “act with the maximum energy, using all means against
the rebels, including gas. It is absolutely necessary”, he added, “to
recapture the infected areas as soon as possible because prolonging the
uncertain situation favours extending the rebellion”.
Three days later, the Duce himself telegraphed to Graziani. “I am
prepared”, he declared, “to send battalions and aeroplanes, but the
revolt must be cut short with the greatest energy and in the briefest
possible time. Do not lose any more time”. It was almost a year and a
half since May 1936, when he had declared to the world the victorious
end of hostilities.
Conditions at this time were in fact so serious for the invaders that
Graziani, in a report of 15 September 1937, found cause to note that
“in the present situation of agitation it is necessary that the movement
of the railway does not suffer any interruption”.
Negotiations were shortly afterwards opened with Ras Abebe Aregai, in
the hope that he could be persuaded to lay down his arms. Graziani,
however, commented on 19 September that he had no illusions as to the
chief’s real intentions, but that he, for his part, would leave no stone
unturned in order to obtain the “pacification of the territories of
Shoa”.
Source: http://www.linkethiopia.org
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